ActivEd Blog

Are you looking for technology that integrates movement with language arts, reading, and math content and is easy to implement? Walkabouts fits the bill! Following are the 4 keys for a digital implementation and how Walkabouts stacks up to each. 

1. Bandwith and Saturation: To prepare to use Walkabouts in the classroom, a school should ensure not only sufficient bandwidth for all computers and other devices that will play Walkabouts, but also reliable and consistent access to the internet.
2. Staff/Community Readiness: A Walkabout can be played in a classroom setting in just a few clicks and requires no intensive teacher preparation. Teachers should tell students they'll be up and out of their seats as they move while they learn with Walkabouts. If desired, teachers can also provide student access to Walkabouts at home to make a home-school connection.
3. Devices/Platform: The web-based Walkabouts platform is designed to operate easily and effectively using standard equipment available in virtually all classrooms. Necessary technology and equipment include an internet connection, a computer with up-to-date browser, and an optional display or projector. 
4. Implementation/Rollout: Because Walkabouts supplement what teachers are already covering in the classroom, implementation is as simple as picking a Walkabout to introduce a concept, provide practice on a topic, or review a previously-taught skill. To help teachers implement Walkabouts, ActivEd provides Quick Reference Guides and how-to videos for both teachers and students/parents.

Want to learn more about Walkabouts? 

Ready to get started moving and learning with Walkabouts? Email contact@activedinc.com!

Many children seen at the National Reading Diagnostics Institute in Naperville, Illinois had previously received a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD. In-depth reading evaluation often showed that rather than having ADD or ADHD, these children were kinesthetic learners who needed to engage in gross motor activity to learn best. After they were given the opportunity to learn through methods involving movement, their ADHD-like behavior often disappeared. Kinesthetic learners require body movement and action for optimal results. They need to move around, use their muscles, or explore.

Kinesthetic learners, or people with the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, have the capacity to use their whole bodies to express themselves. They are interested in learning through creative movement and often do well when they can move and are not required to stand still. Kinesthetic learners may prefer to create or solve problems by moving their bodies. Many children with strong kinesthetic intelligence learn by moving. Children who prefer the kinesthetic learning style need to move in order to appropriately interpret their sensory stimuli. Yet, most schools in the United States continue to require children to be seated throughout the school day.

The kinesthetic learning style is often the most neglected learning style in the classroom. In many classrooms, movement is not encouraged and often results in punitive treatment. This can have a negative impact on kinesthetic learners. Experts understand that humans must move in order to learn. This is especially true for kinesthetic learners. For kinesthetic learners, movementis learning.

Kinesthetic Learners

Adapted from “Helping Kinesthetic Learners Succeed”

• Solve problems by physically working through them. 
• Move around a lot.
• Touch people they are talking to.
• Tap their pencils or feet while doing schoolwork.
• Enjoy physical activities.
• Take frequent breaks when studying.
• Express their feelings physically (hugging, hitting, etc.).
• Move their hands when they talk.
• Excel in athletics and the performing arts.
• Have difficulty sitting still for extended periods of time.
• Enjoy touching things.

Learning Styles

Understanding learning styles can help you provide personalized learning that best suits the needs of all of your students. Learning styles are the ways people process information. Students’ preferred learning styles have a significant influence on both their behavior and their learning. Information that is accessed when students use their preferred learning styles shows an increase in students' levels of comprehension, motivation, and metacognition.

Multiple Intelligences

Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences states that people have several relatively separate and different intellectual capacities. Gardner identified eight intelligences:

• Musical–rhythmic and harmonic
• Visual–spatial
• Verbal–linguistic
• Logical–mathematical
• Bodily–kinesthetic
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Naturalistic

Ready to learn more about reaching different types of learners—and incorporating movement into your classroom? Download our e-book, Move to Learn: Exploring the Benefits of Movement in the Classroom.

Dr. Julian Reed's book Active Education: Lessons for Integrating Physical Activity With Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies provides insights into the importance of active learning. A chapter on kinesthetic learners describes the traits of kinesthetic learners as shown in the following image. 

Are you looking to engage the kinesthetic learners in your classroom? Find out how Walkabouts can help your students!