by Dean Traylor

Created on: October 19, 2009

A decade ago, if one were to suggest using video games in the classroom, they'd be laughed at by teachers and administrators. Now, with the advent of Nintendo Wii gaming system, the laughing has stopped and many in the education community are listening and seeing the opportunity of using video games as a learning and therapeutic tool for students with special needs.

Since its inception in 2006, the Wii has been nothing short of being innovative. The motion-sensitive remote control and interactive game softwares has managed to get the gamers out of their seats and actively moving around with the action of the virtual-like games. Later, after the gaming system included the Wii Balance Board and the software, Wii Fit, users started to get into shape and literally sweat it out through several exercise routines.

This system has proven to be so popular, that the game system's use has surpassed the typical gamer demographics of teen and young adult males. Now, it's not uncommon for people of all ages to be playing the various interactive games offered for the Wii system.

Now, the game is going beyond its intended use. As well as being used by children and adults to stay in shape, it's being used by occupational and physical therapists to help in rehabilitation of veterans, disabled adults, stroke patients, and senior citizens.

Use of Wii in the classroom is fairly new. In many cases it is in the experimental stages. However, several teachers and school district officials have used grant money to purchase the console for use with students with physical disabilities.

One of the classrooms it's being used in is at Elgin West Elementary in Marion, Ohio. With grant money from Ohio Energy Community Fund, Inc, teacher Kevin McDaniel hopes to improve the fine and gross motor skills of students with multiple handicaps (Moore, 2009). Gross motor skills are needed for muscle strengthening; it's the skill we used for walking and going up and down stairs (Moore, 2009). Fine motor skills are needed for tasks such as writing or grasping small objects.

At Harry B. Blair Learning Center, teacher Taleiah Larkin used $1000 in grant money from "One Teacher at a Time" Grant (by KBAK TV's news anchor Sienny Chhuon) to create a "Virtual PE" class for 45 severely disabled students in six classrooms (Thornburg, 2009). Students in her classes are using the remotes and accessories (foam bats, racquets, or boxing gloves that can be attached to the remotes). They swing or punch - imitating

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