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=__**Do Gaming Systems have a place in the Physical Education** Classroom?__=

====Ever since laptops, smart-boards, kindles and iPads have been around, schools and teachers have found a way to incorporate these pieces of technology into the classroom. All of these technologies save money, increase knowledge, and are a fun and motivating way to educate students. But a new piece of technology that is starting to emerge into schools and more specifically in the Physical Education classroom is gaming counsels like the Nintendo Wii. This article will cover what a gaming system is, its history thus far in the classroom, advantages and disadvantages, and what the future looks like for gaming systems used in Physical Education classes. ====
 * __ Introduction __**

**__ What is a Gaming __ __System__? **
====A video game console is a specialized computer system designed for interactive video game play and display. A video game console functions like a PC and is built with the same essential components, unlike a computer these counsels are connected to a television or other screen monitors. Although technology in Physical Education is fairly new there are still a good amount being used in the classroom today. Some of the more popular gaming systems being used are the Xbox's Kinect, the Wii (Wii fit/sports), and also Dance Dance revolution. ====

Gaming systems in the Physical Education classroom is a fairly new idea. Even though gaming systems like Dance Dance Revolution and the Nintendo Wii have been out for years, most schools are now just starting to implement these systems into the classroom. Dance Dance Revolution has been out since 1998 and just started being used in the classroom since 2005 and it is still growing in popularity in Physical Education classes. DDR was the first gaming console that opened the door for other gaming systems to be included in schools. One of these gaming systems that were more easily integrated into Physical Education classes was the Nintendo Wii and more specifically Wii fit and Wii sports. Wii fit is a game for the Wii that helps students assess their physical activity level while keeping track of improvements over the course of a set time period. It shows daily easy to read graphs and charts, allows a student to set goals, and keeps track of BMI over time. Wii sports on the other hand helps students learn the basic techniques of sports like bowling, tennis, basketball, etc. while creating a fun and enjoyable environment that appeals to adolescents. One of the more recent gaming system technologies that may have an impact in Physical Education classes is the Kinect for the Xbox 360. This piece of technology, likethe Wii, picks up on sensory moments but without the use of a hand held device and does this with more accuracy. Even though the Kinect isn't currently being used in Physical Education classes, its a safe bet that in the future this will be introduced into schools nation wide.
 * __ History of Gaming Systems in the Physical Education Classroom __**



With technology spiking in the Physical Education classroom, video game systems are taking the spotlight and there is much debate over whether these systems hurt or benefit the students. There are many different advantages to including gaming systems in the Physical Education classroom and the most obvious is these systems are trendy and get the students physically active. These systems also give another modality for the students to learn the information. Since students tend to learn more quickly and easily when there are multiple modalities, this is a definite plus for the Physical Education classroom. Most of these gaming systems use the actual motions involved with the sport or activity, allowing for the student to learn proper technique in a new and unique way. This new and unique way of learning activities or skills hits a home run when it comes to students who are reluctant to participate in your typical Physical Education classroom activities. In the article “Wii Love Learning: Using Gaming Technology to Engage Students”, technology can help motivate children, which Lois Haueisen, a kindergarten teacher, says “One child honestly expressed his desire not to be in kindergarten if work was involved” but “Since the introduction of the Wii as a tool in his education, he willing and diligently participates in class activities”. There are many other advantages also of implementing gaming systems into the Physical Education classroom, according to the article “Active gaming: A new paradigm in childhood physical activity”, a few other advantages are that these gaming systems are “ 1)fun; 2)motivating; 3)provide a choice; 4) user friendly; 5) promote socialization; and 6) increase physical activity”. media type="custom" key="24067546"
 * __ Advantages of Gaming Systems __**

__** Disadvantages and Potential Issues with Gaming Systems **__ As with any new technology there are always disadvantages and potential problems with it. The one main disadvantage that is continually brought up is the cost of implementing this new technology. These gaming systems are by no means a cheap purchase for the Physical Education department and school. Along with the cost is the factor of having to maintain these gaming systems once they are purchased. Maintenance on these game systems can cost at times almost as much as purchasing the actual game system, thus rendering the cost to benefit ratio severely one sided. Some other issues people have found are the durability of the machines and how long they can truly hold up with students “pounding on them” on a daily basis. These game systems also can have a negative effect on the students because there is a “winner” and a “loser” portrayed in almost every activity performed. Another issue with gaming systems is the possible potential in which a student can be injured while using them because they are new and don’t always support proper technique to avoid injuries. The space these gaming systems take up is also a problem. Most Physical Education classrooms are already in an environment that is filled with much equipment and adding gaming systems such as DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) can leave students almost on top of each other while performing the activity.

With the rise of popularity of the Nintendo Wii, exergaming is an avenue for educators and health professionals to incorporate physically and mentally stimulating activity into their programming (Wittman). This means that Physical Education teachers can help students, in today's technological world, be more motivated to participate during class, while at the same time raising their heart rate and interest. Our world is turning into a technology-driven society, mainly communicating over some type of technology instead of in-person. With active gaming, students will be allowed to socialize with their peers, talk strategy, and interact in a fun environment, showing that you don’t need to “text” on the phone in order to accomplish something that is fun, productive as well as healthy for you (Hansen & Sanders). The future for Physical Education is becoming more difficult to find motivation for the students to be more physically active and engaged during class. According to the article "Active Gaming: A new Paradigm in Childhood Physical Activity, active gaming may be in its “infancy” stage right now, but as the concept continues to grow and develop we may see acceptance as an important method to increase children’s daily physical activity. The article also challenges you to: "Imagine what a P.E. class would look like if fitness was approached in a way that allowed children to do what they love, playing digital games, while still being motivated to be physically active? Imagine what the home environment would look like?" As a Physical Educator, it should be their main goal to implement skills and activities for a lifetime of physically activity. Activity Enjoyment in the Physical Education Classroom (//Video Gaming Increases Physical Activity//)
 * __ What does the future look like for Gaming Systems and Physical Education Classrooms? __**
 * DDR || 72% ||
 * Tennis/Boxing on Wii Sports || 76% ||
 * Capture the Flag || 79% ||
 * Kickball || 26% ||

Until recently, the focus of technology advancements was on desktop technology; which was limited to use in Physical Education. Wireless technology, computer projection systems and physical activity monitoring devices are more the focus of technology in school gymnasiums. The most recent trend is the implementation of gaming systems and “exergaming” in order to incorporate physical activity. This is the new dimension of Physical Education and it is starting to take hold in many gymnasiums (Appropriate Use of Instructional Technology in Physical Education). Glenn Hushman is a Physical Education professor at the University of New Mexico. His research involves exergamming in Physical Education class and is during further studies on the effects of these gaming systems and how they compare to traditional sports. He believes the next step in technology in Physical Education is implementing and properly using these gaming systems throughout the school-year.
 * “Physical education needs to take a new position and find a partnership with video games and I believe exergaming can be the grounds for such a relationship.” -Glenn Hushman, University of New Mexico ||

__** Final Conclusions **__ According to the study performed in the article "Video Gaming Increases Physical Activity", exergames are a way to stimulate children’s minds as well as their bodies while in the classroom. Research done in this study showed that the majority of children had increased heart rates and had average pedometer readings of 600. Children also expressed an increased level of enjoyment with using exergames, along with results showing that the games had an engaging and effective method for increasing physical activity in youth. The adoption of this technology makes learning more meaningful for students and increases the amount of physical activity in their lives (Hansen & Sanders). In a study done in the article "Activity-Promoting Gaming Systems in Exercise and Rehabilitation", it showed that with using activity-promoting gaming systems, they encouraged activity (especially in sedentary individuals), with using both the Wii and DDR to increase energy expenditure compared to inactive video games. Final conclusions to the question, "Do Gaming Systems have a place in the Physical Education Classroom?", it was shown that from the articles, research, and studies about these games, there needs to start to be an implementation of exergames into Physical Education classes. Whether it involves the Nintendo Wii or DDR game, these activities promote a technology-savie choice for children to be active, engaged, and overall living a healthier life.

__** References **__ Appropriate Use of Instructional Technology in Physical Education (2009). In National Association for Sport and Physical Activity. Retrieved October 10, 2013

Baranowski, T., Abdelsamad, D., O'Connor, T., Thompson, D., Barnett, A., & Cerin, E. (2012, March). Impact of an Active Video Game on Healthy Children's Physical Activity. Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics,129(3), e636-e642. Retrieved October 10, 2013

Hansen, L., & Sanders, S. (2011, December 15). Active Gaming: A new Paradigm in Childhood Physical Activity. In Digital Culture and Education. Retrieved October 10, 2013

Hushman, G. (2013). Exergaming: Get Up and Move in Physical Education. In Impact. Retrieved October 10, 2013

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Taylor, M., McCormick, D., Shawis, T., Impson, R., & Griffin, M. (2011). Activity-Promoting Gaming Systems in Exercise and Rehabilitation. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 48(10), 1171-1186. Retrieved October 10, 2013

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Weir, L. (2008, May 22). Wii Love Learning: Using Gaming Technology to Engage Students. In Edutopia. Retrieved October 10, 2013

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Wittman, G. (2010, April). Video Gaming Increases Physical Activity. Journal of Extension, 48(2), 1-4. Retrieved October 10, 2013