Hyde School was founded in the early 1960s when JosephGauld, a highly regarded mathematics teacher who believed our educationalsystem was overly focused on student achievement and not focused enough onstudent character, opened a school in Bath, Maine, one that focused on studentattitude, effort, and character.
Today, Hyde Schools is a network of public and boarding schools and programs known widely for its successful and unique approach to helping students develop character. Parental involvement is a key factor in whyHyde is lauded as one of the premiere character-building schools in the world.
As part of this shift to a new unique approach in educationthe Hyde School of the New Haven School District in Connecticut has nowimplemented Exergaming as a form of exercise for children. What is Exergaming? Exergaming is a great tool to motivate peopleto participate and engage through games.
One of the heads in this new movement on implementingExergaming is Marvin Christley at the Hyde Schools. Marvin has been a Physical Education teacher for18 years and a Grants Facilitator for 5 yrs. When asked as to why he chose Exergaming his explanation was prettysimple. “I came up with the concept forthe grant when I first saw this type of equipment at a Nationalconvention. Being a gamer myself, Ithought this would be a great way to motivate the students who are inactive toexercise. Two of the biggest markets are Wellness and Video games. The problem today is that with video games, students are becoming lessactive. In order to combat the increase in childhood obesity I thought Exergaming. Exergaming combines video games with exercise. This won’t solve theproblem but it will bridge the gap. The Wii first took off with this typeof technology, and now more and more companies are jumping on board,” saidMarvin.
As Exergaming has continued to evolve over the course of thelast few years Marvin saw a perfect opportunity to integrate this type ofprogram at the Hyde School. Usingproducts like the Exerbike, 3 Kick, and Brainbike Marvin was able to find waysto motivate children who had previously had no inclination as to participatingin Physical Education.
“The main benefit of exergaming is the sustained level ofmoderate to vigorous physical activity. To give you an example, oneschool had a class of 40 plus kids that refused to do anything aerobic inphysical education class. After the introduction to exergaming equipment,you have to beg them to stop. It is clearly a way for kids to have morefun while exercising,” says Marvin.
If you would like to know more about Exergaming and howMarvin has transformed his school on being one of the first in cutting edgeExergame technology contact Exergame Fitness.
877-668-4664