In September 2007, Beach Park Middle School partnered with thirteen local school and public libraries to bring more movement into learning.
The goal of the “Moving to Learn” Grant was to offer teachers, librarians, physical therapists, occupational therapists and physical education teachers an opportunity to learn three separate programs that help students enhance their learning. The grant provided workshops and support materials for the following three programs: Brain Gym®, Project Adventure and Bal-A-Vis-X.
Brain Gym® has been around for over thirty years and is based out of California. It was developed by Paul Dennison, Ph.D., an expert in child motor-development. It involves a series of simple, physical movements that help join the brain and body in order to prepare students to learn. In addition, Brain Gym® enhances concentration, memory, decision-making, task completion, mental energy and academic skills.
Project Adventure is a non-profit teaching organization based out of Massachusetts. It offers adventure-based training programs which use hands-on learning techniques to promote individual growth, effective organizations and healthy communities. The purpose of this program is to use adventure to not only engage learners and accelerate learning, but in an atmosphere of safety and fun.
Lastly, Bal-A-Vis-X is a program that was developed over twenty years ago by Bill Heubert, a former English teacher. It includes a series of Balance/Auditory/Vision exercises rooted in rhythm. The program involves rhythmic tossing, catching, and bouncing exercises using sand-filled bags, racquet balls, and balance boards. This workshop was offered primarily to physical education teachers, occupational and physical therapists due to the amount of space required for this program. Students with behavioral and learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, gifted, regular education, inadequate auditory skills, and lack of visual acuity can all benefit from the program. In addition, it’s just plain fun!
The participants in this grant have used the WJIL discussion forum throughout the project to discuss their experiences. Read more about the specifics of the grant by visiting the “Moving to Learn” forum.