From Joystiq:

The first semester of New York City’s Quest to Learn began last week on the 9th, with an inaugural class of around 75 sixth graders in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood taking classes that employ games (of all types) in learning. "One thing I want to emphasize: this is not a school about just playing video games … this is a school that uses the system of games to deliver rich discussion," the school’s principal, Aaron Schwartz, told Joystiq over the phone this morning. "We use games as a medium here." Education at Quest to Learn is delivered through a variety of means other than games, though game systems are a focus for teaching the specific subset of student that Q2L targets: "digital kids."

From gamedaily.com:

Nintendo of America sent word today that it’s partnered with MENC: The National Association for Music Education in an effort to "inspire students and promote an active appreciation for music." MENC will aid Nintendo in getting Wii Music integrated in school curricula in 51 cities across the nation.

"The goal of Wii Music is to inspire people of all ages to enjoy music," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "By partnering with educators and bringing Wii Music into their classrooms, we hope to give students a memorable, hands-on experience that helps them discover their own creative voice."

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From hutchnews.com:

Teachers across the state are implementing new strategies to encourage children to exercise and eat nutritious foods.

Students in Buhler are shaking their tail feathers to a popular video game for exercise; Garden City students could soon learn how to spend “fat bucks”; and the Scott County school district hopes to purchase a “spinner bike” for its students.

Those are just a few examples of new health and wellness activities offered thanks to grant money recently awarded through the Kansas Coordinated School Health Program. The program is a collaborative effort between the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas State Department of Education.

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She said grant money awarded last year helped purchase the “Dance Dance Revolution” video game and Sony PlayStations that are popular among the students.

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From itnewsonline.com:

Surrounded by hundreds of physical educators at the annual Texas Association for Health, PE, Recreation & Dance (TAHPERD) conference, Source Brands, Inc., maker of the and , officially released the first “active gaming” lesson plans for PE classrooms. The new book and CD of lessons is entitled and is available nationwide.

The GameCoach was developed and written by Scott Bodnar, director of project development for , an award-winning, non-profit at the forefront of the national movement toward healthy, active living. Its ACTIVE Life initiative works with national leaders, schools and other institutions to develop and manage cost-effective, scalable and sustainable solutions to fight youth obesity. These solutions utilize new media, existing education and community infrastructures and the untapped power of youth as agents of positive social changes.

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The lessons combine the high technology of popular video game consoles, including the GameBike and GamePads that allow participants to “plug into” these gaming systems, with the traditional (old school) equipment such as basketballs, volleyballs, jump ropes and the like. The GameCoach lessons are built around a circuit-training model where GameBikes and GamePads are interspersed among traditional equipment.

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From suburbanchicagonews.com:

During a week earlier this month, Glenbard South High School’s two Peer Tutor-Adaptive Physical Education classes piloted “C’motion,” a new fitness-based digital dance gaming program. Similar to “Dance Dance Revolution“, it pairs video dance game technology and high-energy dance moves.

“It’s a way to make fitness fun,” said Karen McMillan, adaptive physical education teacher. “They’re kind of dancing without realizing it.”

The program includes two 46-inch screens and scoring pads to be used by four students at a time. Players stand on a “dance platform,” and, using musical and visual cues, use their feet to hit colored arrows laid out in a cross pattern.

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From pittsburghlive.com:

 

At Mt. Pleasant Area High School, students who don’t want to play volleyball in physical education classes are encouraged to play a video game instead.

But school officials say it’s no excuse to be lazy — in fact, games such as virtual cycling and virtual boxing give students quite a workout.

“When kids get off here, they are beat,” said physical education teacher Sherry Kring after stepping off Dance Dance Revolution, a game in which players follow fast-paced dance steps on an electronic mat.

“This gives every kid a chance to be good at something, and you don’t have to compete except against yourself,” she said.

Gone are the old gym classes where jocks excelled at team sports while less athletic students stood on the sidelines.

Today’s physical education classes are all about lifelong fitness and learning skills students can carry into adulthood.

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