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NJ.COM
It's game on for special needs
students March 1, 2007
By Jessica Beym
WASHINGTON TWP. Students with
behavioral and social needs at the Archway School have a new
incentive to be good.
It's hooked up to the television,
has an electronic beat and sometimes makes them sweat.
The elementary school on Neptune
Drive, nestled in a neighborhood off Pitman-Downer Road, is a
displacement school for about 60 children with special educational,
behavior and social needs.
With help from a $6,000 grant, gym
teacher Linda Dessaigne introduced her students to Dance Dance
Revolution, an interactive video game where players step on a pad to
dance with the rhythm of the song.
Along with incorporating the game
into the gym curriculum, the school also offers it as part of its
behavior modification reward program.
Throughout the day, students earn
points for completing their work and being on their best conduct.
Teacher Patricia Carey said
students can chose from a variety of rewards such as computer lab,
outdoor activities and games.
Dance Dance Revolution has become
one of the most popular choices and the hardest to earn.
"Some students in the room now have
very bad days, but they will be good when they know this is an
option," Dessaigne said.
A group of students, ages 11 to 13,
spent part of their afternoon Wednesday jumping around to the tunes
of DDR, trying to stay in time with the rhythm. While two students
competed, the others stood behind them practicing and waiting
patiently for their turn.
Seeing the kids helping each other
and playing fairly is a great success, Dessaigne said.
"It's challenging," said Josh, one
of the students.
The grant, which came from the
Archway Foundation, helped pay for a television, a Playstation, the
game, two electronic pads and six practice pads.
"Kids today love video games, so I
figured why not use a video game to get them up and moving around,"
Dessaigne said.
"Every student in the school has
done it."
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