Support Test Success for Challenged Students
When we added FootGaming to the daily process of learning ,
teachers initially used it as a reward for students AFTER they
completed their work. It wasn't until the routine of
10-15 minute FootGaming breaks were regularly allowed
before challenging academic tasks or
new lessons that the results really multiplied. We
targeted 8 students who had shown the least annual progress
when measured by test scores. We all realize that
teachers are over-booked and very busy so we also had to
develop a scheduling process that was seamlessly easy to add to
the day. The full
TEACHER LESSON PLAN can be found here.
The 10 X 8 Process
By targeting just 8 students in a grade the FootGaming
schedules are easy to manage and 2-3 FootPOWR computer
peripherals were plenty for the 8X8 and for use with dozens of
other students. We created a template that showed the
students' schedule in block form, one day per sheet in a folder
with 40 sheets (8 weeks). Each morning the students would
take the schedule to their participating teachers. The
teachers would mark an average of two blocks of time when the
student would be having a particularly challenging lesson or
assignment. Then, in a 15-minute block BEFORE that lesson
the teacher would schedule in a FootGaming session for the
student. The 15-30 minutes a day the students spent going
to the FootGaming station, uploading their game, FootGaming and
returning to their class and task could take no more than 15
minutes total or they would have to miss the next two
FootGaming sessions (they complied nearly perfectly when this
was strictly followed).
In less than a week teachers noticed fewer incidents of
negative behavior, more engagement in the lessons and tasks and
positive change in attitude toward work. In the first
month, absences were reduced and productivity in spite of 15-30
minutes of FootGaming time was dramatically increased.
While this ExerLearning intervention can't do everything - in 8
weeks these students outperformed their matched peers on a Fall
2009 standardized test. For research supporting this sort
of intervention see
the Robert Woods Johnson report.
We have a full lesson plan and 8 X 10 Schedule Sheet for you
Contact us with your questions, comments and success stories.
Links for Teachers
Frequently Asked
Questions | Why Use
Casual Games in the Classroom? |The FootGaming
Blog |The
ExerLearning Blog |
Footgaming:
Prepares Students to Learn | Footgaming and Conflict
Resolution | FootGaming
and Behavior Modification | Footgaming and Fitness
Getting Budget and District
Support |
