At their teacher’s instruction, students lined up on one side of the Ewa Makai Middle School basketball court tap the red buttons on their iPads to begin recording. Classmates on the other side of the court begin tossing a purple ball in a game of tchoukball, a combination of ultimate Frisbee and football.

Finished with the game, students return to the classroom to watch the videos and fill out assessment reports on laptop computers. Even in physical education, the use of laptops or tablets is nothing out of the ordinary for the students, who are able to use the devices in every classroom.

Students at the Ewa Beach school use iPads to film and watch themselves and their classmates perform exercise routines. They then use applications such as Google Classroom to complete self-assessments and track their progress over time. They learn how to monitor their heart rates by reading health charts and bar graphs on iPads. Each student has a portfolio on Google Drive where their work and videos are stored.

"The technology also gives an even playing field for all of the students," eighth-grade student Mara Galeai said Thursday. "Not only the most athletic students get A’s in PE. Even if you’re not athletic, you can still see that you’re fulfilling everything you need to be healthy."

Noodle, an educational information and resource website for parents and students, last month recognized Ewa Makai as one of the most innovative schools in the country for its "Tech PE" program. The website recognized 41 public, private and charter schools nationwide for moving past traditional modes of learning to address educational challenges. Ewa Makai is the only school in Hawaii to make the list.

The Tech PE program offers three classes for students to choose from: aerobic fitness, weightlifting and invasion games, which are a combination of various sports.

Launched in 2011 through a combination of school funds, grants and donations, the PE program is required for all of the school’s nearly 950 students. Principal Edward Oshiro called the program "fabulous" because it moves beyond the traditional PE teaching and learning format to one that is more inclusive.

"It motivates students because they love working with technology. It really helps," Oshiro said Thursday. "Anytime you can raise the self-esteem of students … there’s an improvement in behavior and academics. And I feel our technology program really helps towards this goal."

Costs for Tech PE included about $35,000 to purchase iPads and laptop computers, and an additional $20,000 to purchase smart boards, heart monitors and televisions, he said.

Scott Yorimoto, one of the three PE teachers who helped to create the program, said it was a transition at first to teach students to use the technology, but teachers and students worked together to find solutions. He added that they are "still trying to find the good balance. A lot of class time, not exactly what we want in PE. (But) even though we teach PE, not everything is physical."

"PE used to be if you can, you pass; if you can’t, you fail," Yorimoto said. "They’re learning the strategies to play the game. But it’s more how they explain it. It gives them more of a voice."

According to Noodle’s list, Ewa Makai has "enlarged the scope of gym class, giving it the potential to be a more inclusive space for students who are traditionally unable to participate." The website also praised the school for "taking traditional notions about technology — that it encourages physical inactivity — and turning them on their head."

"With using the technology for PE, it allows kids that don’t have technology to learn more and experience more about the technology," eighth-grader Zariah Lamar said Thursday. "There can be students who understand visuals or who understand words. So in that way it’s (technology) combined with words and visuals."

Ewa Makai also earned the distinguished Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and was recognized as a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School.

Oshiro said there are challenges in training new staff to use the technology as well as securing funding to replace the computers. But he said the school, which has purchased about 750 computers and about 200 iPads, continues to strive for more innovation. He said his mantra with technology has been "I’ll buy it, but you’d better use it."

"We have more than Tech PE here," Oshiro said. "We have tech everywhere here."