Games Used to Make You Buff
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: physical, education, video, games, wii | Themes: Digital Entertainment
Teens and children attending schools in Ballston Spa, NY are certainly in for a unique physical education experience, all thanks to faculty open to the implementation of video games.
The Post Star reports that by using a combination of exercise friendly Wii titles, students are being put to the test through everything from Wii Sports to Dance, Dance, Revolution, all on the Nintendo Wii platform.
School instructor Kevin Dayton commented "They didn't teach us this in college -- video 101, there is a need to get kids away from video games, but -- everything in moderation. You wouldn't want them doing this 14 hours a day." His school initially offered access to the video game based fitness programs to special needs students, however the program was then extended to all students as a reward for good behavior, and for excellence in classroom assignments.
Considering the level of penetration of video game systems in homes these days, Kevin is ultimately looking to bridge the gap between school based physical activities, and those at home. With easy access to games such as those used at school, students could easily enjoy the same level of phyical activity at their home.
Other schools in the area have also initiated programs as well, including up to the High School level. Saratoga Springs High School students were recently offered a "Dance, Dance, Revolution" program for the first time. When interviewed by the Post Star, David Ashdown, an official with the regional BOCES representing 31 school districts in the area stated "What you're getting is student engagement and trying to harness what we call the 'wow factor.' You're trying to reach every student and creating opportunities to make students successful."
Video game based exercise programs are certainly an interesting concept, and we eagerly await to hear more about the results of such programs in the future.
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My awesome World History teacher used to let us go in and spend class time playing Civilization on the school computers. Now that's edu-tainment!
I disagree with this policy. Its important for kids to play team sports outdoors (or indoors weather permitting). We don't need to encourage out children to be even more immersed into their computers and disconnected from the outside world.
Considering that violent video games lead to real violence (according to Congressman Joe Baca), kids will get plenty of exercise running around with real weapons.
I think that the idea has merit. Not all kids are interested in sports and I think that alternatives should be available. Although I'd question the use of the Wii since it doesn't really require the user to exercise all that much. For example, a flick of the wrist works just as well, if not better, than a full swing of the controller. Dance Dance Revolution is another story
I lost 10lbs playing that game and I'm not a big guy 160lbs. There are other video game-esc exercise programs out there. My cycling teem uses a program called a compu-trainer in the winter. You get a little digital cyclist on a big screen and the computer adjusts incline and resistance on your wheel to simulate hills. Now that's a work-out!
@Aethm,
That beats the typical bike trainer, although you probably don't get to use your own bike on that one. Lucky for me there is a velodrome just down the road from my apartment. Of course it can't simulate hills.
As for your argument that "not all kids are interested in sports", not all kids are interested in reading Shakespeare, do we let them read comic books instead (not knocking comics here, I love them). PE isn't just about getting exercise, its also about building team / interpersonal skills and learning to enjoy getting outdoors and being healthy. I doubt that teaching kids to play DDR instills the same kind of fundamentals. If we just wanted kids to get exercise we could just throw them on an elliptical for 30 minutes a day. That would be way more efficient that any sport. The hope is that by teaching the kids about sports they will hopefully take that knowledge of sports into their lives after school and not end up as fat couch potatoes.
I work at a couple of elementary schools and I'm NOT a PE teacher, so take this for what it is worth...
Maybe I missed the part in this article where they said they were abandoning all other exercise-related activity in favor of Dance Dance Revolution. Did I? It's time to come back to Earth, people. This is just an additional activity, not a replacement for everything else.
As for the "learning to enjoy getting outdoors and being healthy" comment, how enjoyable will it be for them to go outdoors when it's pouring down rain outside? In those situations, the kids are in the gymnasium anyway and a Wii setup takes a minimal amount of space in that setting while providing an alternative activity for those incapable of performing the main activity.
Believe me, the PE teachers DEFINITELY prefer to have the kids outside when possible. The noise of one (or more) classes in the Gym can get overwhelming at times.
@fadamor
First of all, I did say "weather permitting". I would prefer if kids would play indoor sports like basketball or dodgeball or the many other indoor sports usually played at schools.
Of course if a student is not capable of joining in they can have an alternate activity. If a student was blind or had no arms, I could certainly understand that they couldn't play rugby with the rest of the kids. I actually went to school with a blind boy and he would join in most of the time, even playing kickball (he had a beeping ball that he would kick and somebody to run with him to get him to the bases).
I just don't think that schools should encourage an isolated "activity" like DDR, that requires no other people to be around. I could understand trying it out for a single class, just to keep the students interested, but not much more than that.
agree, i'm sure this doesn't replace sports for physical video games yet i think the idea should be limited to elementary students.