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Journal-News: Life-size Video Game Learning Comes to Middletown Gym

If you thought gym class was your favorite subject in school, just wait until you see what students get to do these days! In a recent article, Journal-News Staff Writer Michael D. Clark writes about the exciting and innovative gym technology that is now a part of the physical education program. The students at Amanda Elementary, led by teacher Brad Fletcher, are the first to use the Lu Playground, “a giant, interactive video game where [students] train both their bodies and brains.”

To read the full article, click here.

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Life-size video game learning comes to Middletown gym
March 1, 2020
By Michael D. Clark, Journal-News Staff Writer

“A Middletown elementary school is one of the first in the region to immerse students in gym class into a giant, interactive video game where they train both their bodies and brains.

“Amanda Elementary students are now experimenting with a visually stimulating projection system that has them answering math and other academic questions by hitting the correct answers flashed colorfully on to a giant screen…”

“Adding to the virtual reality immersion is energetic music pumped through a sound system used while gym class teams compete to see who can first finish a series of questions by smacking a rubberized ball off the colorful screen...

“The music and flashing lights are synchronized with the students accurately smacking the ball on answers projected as targets on the 11-foot-high and 20-foot-long screen...

“The new ‘Lu’ virtual gym is state of the art and Middletown Schools...is one of the first districts in Southwest Ohio to use it...

“‘Embracing new technology is what modern-day education is all about,” said [Superintendent Marlon Styles Jr.] as he watched competing teams of Amanda students battling one another to hit the highest total of correct answers for mathematical equations projected on screen...

“‘It’s definitely inspires students and impacts their learning in a very positive way (and) we are bringing core (academic) content into our physical education classes.’...

“The Lu system...is interactive in nature...The interactive aspects of fitness gaming...all have a very positive effect on executive functioning as well as on attention, working memory, planning, multi-tasking and problem-solving skills,’ according to company’s website… 

“Brad Fletcher, physical education teacher at Amanda, said ‘the big part I see about this is for my non-athletic kids and for kids who struggle academically...Maybe you have a kid who is really intelligent in the math area but they struggle athletically and this gives them a chance to excel with the athletic kids,’ said Fletcher…

“The reaction by students in the first few weeks since the Lu was installed has been ‘absolutely ecstatic,’ he said… 

“There are more than 30 activities available on the projection system for both team and individual learning. Games can also involve students having to answer geography and language arts questions.

Amanda Elementary Principal Beth Hendricks praised the new learning tech for allowing ‘all of our kids can participate on a level playing field.’”

To read the full article, click here.