It may seem a bit paradoxical to be staring at a screen while you are trying to get fit, but there are more and more tools available out there to allow you to do just that. As you begin planning for the new school year, you might want to check out some of these tech resources for encouraging kids (and adults) to take brain breaks. Multiple studies have shown that these are valuable for both the mind and body.
- I’ve mentioned GoNoodle on this blog before. I highly recommend this free online tool for an awesome way to motivate your students as well as track how many minutes they are spending on “moving it.” Erin Klein just did a great post on GoNoodle on her blog, and is offering a t-shirt giveaway, so head on over there if you want more details!
- This summer, I found out about an extension for the Chrome browser called, appropriately, “Move-It.” You can set it to remind you at certain intervals to take a little exercise break. To use the extension, you need to be in the Chrome browser. Click on this link, the “free” button, and “add.” A small icon will appear in the top right of your browser. You can click on that icon to set the time periods for intervals. At the set time, your browser will open a new tab, and give you instructions for a short exercise. It’s a nice little reminder – though some teachers may find it annoying to have the pop-ups. (You can easily disable it by getting rid of the checkmark in the window or right-clicking on the icon to manage your extensions.) I did notice a couple of grammar errors in the pop-ups that might make for a fun editing lesson while you are “moving it.”
- Finally, Collin Brooks has come up with a fun way for students to get moving at home by creating augmented reality fitness task cards using the free Daqri app. I love this idea, and hope you will take a look at the short video on this post where he explains how it works.