As a teacher, you have probably experienced your students becoming restless after only 20 minutes of instruction, yet theres still so much more that need to be taught that day. Go Noodle allows your students to get their energy out in short amount of time, and helps regain their focus on instruction. "Go Noodle is an online source that helps teachers and parents get kids moving with short interactive activities. Desk-side movement helps kids achieve more by keeping them engaged and motivated throughout the day" (About Go Noodle). This online source was designed for the average kindergarten through 5th grade classroom. It is completely free and can used at school, at home, as an app, and on google play. As a teacher, all you need is big enough screen to show these videos and create lots of space in your classroom because you're students will be moving! Now you're probably asking, what goes into a Go Noodle video? These videos are catchy instructional videos. They are instructed by real life characters or cartoon characters singing, dancing, and talking with one another. The video lengths vary from 1 minute to typically 3 minutes. There are a wide variety of videos on Go Noodle in order to find what fits best with your class. Below you find an example of a Go Noodle video.
Get Me Started!
When you're ready to sign up, you will get the option to choose whether you're a kid, a parent, or an educator signing up. I signed up as an educator, and the whole process took me less than 5 minutes. Once your account has been created, if you're familiar with social media, your Go Noodle site should look like any other social media site. On the top of the screen you will see "Discover, Categories, Channels, and Plus". Your home screen is your "Discover" page which has all the latest and popular videos. If you click on "Categories", you will find 5 categories: curricular, mindfulness, sensory and motor skills, school life, and movement type. Within these categories are sub categories that will be more specific for what you are looking to show. "Channels", is a variety of networks that has partnered with go noodle and have their own videos within them. The "Plus" tab is section of Go Noodle that you need to pay for in order to unlock other features you may be interested in. You may also notice the heart and magnifying glass at the top right. The heart symbol is where you will find any videos that you have "favorited". This is a handy tool because as you are using Go Noodle with your students, there will be videos you will want to play multiple times so instead of having to search for it every time, you have the option of "favoriting" it, and it will show up in that section. Another neat tool on Go Noodle is on the top left side with the 3 lines. That takes you to your account. Within that, is a tab called "extras". Extras has lots of free downloadable and printable activities to use in other parts of your class.
Ways to Use Go Noodle in Your Classroom
My first experience with Go Noodle was last year when I was observing a 2nd grade class. I often visited this class during their recess time and on this particular day it was raining outside, so the class and myself were participating with a video from Go Noodle. Using a Go Noodle video on days where there is inside recess, is useful because it still has your students moving which is important since they're no longer getting that outside. It's also useful because it limits the noise in the classroom because the students are following along with the video instead of having multiple side conversations in a small, enclosed area.
Another way as a teacher you can use Go Noodle in your classroom is to introduce new concepts. A great way to capture your students attention on a new topic you're about to teach, is to show a catchy video. An example of this would be, teaching your students about the water cycle. As a teacher, you can introduce the topic of the water cycle and then show a video about it on Go Noodle. From there, you can expand into your water cycle lesson. Throughout the days that you go over the water cycle, play this video. By the end of the week, the students will have a better understanding of the water cycle and will hopefully have the catchy Go Noodle video memorized so if they are having any difficulty with the topic, they can think back to the video.
While most of these videos are upbeat and movement songs, Go Noodle also has some more calming videos. These videos are great to use in your classroom to calm down and refocus your students. Standardized tests can be a very stressful time for your students. Some students hide their stress well and some don't but these tests are stressful on any age group. Throughout the school year, as a teacher, you can show these peaceful videos that talk through how to ease and refocus your mind. It may seem silly to your students at first, but the more you incorporate these videos and make it a routine, the more comfortable they will be. These peaceful skills that they can learn from these videos, could be used when they are finally confronted by these standardized tests at the end of the year. Having to do something that familiar to them, like breathing exercises from these videos, will calm them during this unfamiliar time of standardized testing.
Why Use Go Noodle?
Go Noodle states that the following are key features in using their site and why.
- Free: anyone can use Go Noodle to create movement anywhere
- Research-based Activities: Go Noodle's activities were designed based off exercise science and other top research. The activities are designed to be healthy for body, engaging, and beneficial to the brain.
- Fast: GoNoodle takes no time to setup and has content of a variety of lengths.
- Designed for Long-term Engagement: GoNoodle motivate kids to stay active. Each class chooses a "Champ" (a virtual mascot) who grows as the class earns the points needed to advance to the next level. Reward them for engagement by helping them grow their Champ.
- Multiple Classes: GoNoodle can be easily set up so that each class has their own game progress, Champ, and rewards. Which beneficial for teachers who teach multiple classes.
Baumgartel, M., C., B, C., L., S., Laramie, S., & Kearns, S. (2014, May 01). GoNoodle Is Changing Our Classroom. Retrieved from http://fallingintofirst.com/2014/05/gonoodle-is-changing-our-classroom/
How much physical activity do children need? (2015, June 04). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/children/index.htm
G. (n.d.). About GoNoodle. Retrieved from https://support.gonoodle.com/article/241-what-is-gonoodle
Using Go Noodle in school "improves behavior and attention, betters academic performance, and strengthens classroom cohesion". Go Noodle is also beneficial in the home because it "turns screen time into active time, creates great family fun, and makes your home healthier" (GoNoodle).
Movement and Mindfulness for Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gonoodle.com/
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