I’m thinking of bringing Dance Dance Revolution to my intermediate classroom.
Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) is a video game by Konami that was released in Japanese arcades in 1998 and is now available on various home entertainment systems including Playstation, Wii, and Xbox.
Players stand on a dance platform with arrows pointing up, down, left, and right. Listening to the music and looking at a computer screen, players must tap the corresponding arrows on the beat.
There are different levels of difficulty, so the game can range from simple to challenging. On the Nintendo Wii, Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party includes the use of the wii remote. Up to 4 players have to move their hands and feet to the beat.
Overall, DDR is a high-interest, low-skill activity that appeals to the gaming generation, and as an educator continually looking for innovative ways to achieve curriculum expectations through technology, DDR is in my sights. .
In April 2007, the NY Times reported on how some PE classes are using Dance Dance Revolution to get 7th graders moving.
* About 1,500 schools in West Virginia are expected to use the game by the end of the decade.
* “At least 10 states” in the US are using DDR as a “regular part of their physical education curriculum” to combat obesity.
* DDR appeals to school boards and educators as a non-competitive form of movement (compared to traditional sports).
You can use DDR as an after school club, to meet daily physical activity (DPA) requirements, or as part of a physical education program.
* Most students will be looking at the screen and practicing moving to the beat while waiting their turn on the mats.
* Depending on how much you are willing to spend, you could have up to 4 people playing on the video game system.
* You can set the difficulty level for each player independently, which means an expert and a beginner can be playing at the same time.
