GoNoodle is best presented on an interactive board the entire class can view together. Teachers choose a game that then walks students through introductions, warm-up routines, and the game itself. Teachers' roles vary. In the breathing game, they can join in with students. For the running game, they're responsible for evaluating the effort of the class and advancing the representative runner in the track meet. A tally in the dashboard section keeps track of the minutes of each activity, points gained, and medals won, which is a nice incentive for the class and a great way for teachers to share the activity summary with students. Students can also create accounts at home, which can be a fun way for them to keep motivated with physical activity and mindful behaviors over the weekends and holidays.
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Digital Citizenship & Social and Emotional LearningGoNoodle is a series of web-based videos, games, and activities focused on introducing short bursts of physical exercise in the classroom. For young children who need to burn up energy to concentrate on learning, this is a simple solution. The site is meant to be used for physical activity in five- to 10-minute bursts, particularly during transition periods. Teachers create a classroom mascot, and students level it up by completing activity challenges. (Don't worry: When one mascot is maxed out, you can move on to another.) This mechanism is fun but not the main incentive behind GoNoodle.
What really stands out is the sheer variety of activities students can participate in. There's also a channel entirely in Spanish. From Zumba to yoga to Wii Sports-type running games, there's a ton to do. In the latter, since the site lacks the interactivity features of a game system, the teacher can control whether students are in first, second, third, or fourth place based on how much effort they seem to be exerting. Although this means the teacher won't be running with students (which is too bad for positive role-modeling and can lead to some cries of "unfair"), it does encourage students to give their all as opposed to just going through the motions. GoNoodle Plus can be used to create and use more interactive games aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS), such as competition games identifying plural nouns.
GoNoodle is a great way to give students a quick burst of physical activity, which can help keep them focused throughout a long academic day. Featuring a huge variety of activities, it allows teachers to include YouTube videos, such as the Just Dance videos, in their repertoire. The benefits of physical fitness and relaxation on learning are well documented, and GoNoodle provides teachers with a fun, interactive way to get students moving. It's unlikely every kid will enjoy every activity, but in view of the large variety of activities, and as long as teachers remember to mix things up, there should be an activity to appeal to every student. Activities are being constantly updated, too. New videos often add variety to the types of topics covered. For instance, an increasing number of activities are designed to help students consider mindfulness, such as how to manage their emotions or calm themselves. These self-managing behaviors are integral to success not only in the classroom, but in a student's future as well. And the Spanish content makes the videos accessible to more students and allows for a bilingual experience. Overall, it's an excellent classroom resource.
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