"Fun is good", Dr. Seuss proclaimed, and I agree wholeheartedly. Imagine meeting specialized needs for students with disabilities with video game play. Using Wii in my classroom, I can address numerous cognitive, physical and social needs using movement and fun.
I am a Teacher in a Special Day Class (SDC) serving students with moderate to severe disabilities on a beautiful public middle school campus.
The disabilities of students in a class like mine range from Autism, Cognitive Impairment, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury, Emotional Disturbance as well as other severe learning and behavior difficulties. My students spend a part of their day in my SDC and part of their day in general education classes with typical peers with my support. The focus of my program is to give students an enriched, challenging, well-rounded and socially rewarding middle school experience.
My Project
With continuous budget cuts specialized services are often the first to go. Services like Occupational and Physical therapy,and Adapted PE are no longer widely available, yet the number of students who require them are steadily growing. What to do?
I brought my son's Wii to school one Friday as a reward for the end of the quarter and the kids had a blast!(see attached picture) I set up leagues and to the kids surprise the top winners were the students who had the most profound disabilities. I had discovered that Wii levels the playing field for these kids simply due to its design. It is motion activated so it's very accessible, it can be played standing or sitting, enlarged for low vision, no reading is necessary, increases mobility and builds social connections. I plan to entice other kids to come play with us at lunch...Start a Wii Bowling league or club that will create a more inclusive school community.
Learning is fun, or at least it should be!
I want to bring sport, communication, therapy, friendship, and pro-social skills through gameplay, movement and fun using Wii.
Please help me make this a reality.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Sanders and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.