This school year, Westwind Elementary school P.E. classes look a little different than they have in the past. Over the summer, a Lu system was installed to integrate more technology into the gym. The Lu system includes a projector, a movement detection camera, and a light and sound module to create active and immersive experiences for students. 

With the movement detection camera, students are able to actually interact with what they're seeing on the screen. For example, there's a game where a brick wall is projected onto the screen. Students are able to throw a ball at the bricks and they break apart on the screen as they are hit. It's a new way to keep students engaged while encouraging them to be active. 

When talking about the decision to install the Lu system, Westwind P.E. coach Jacob Cline shared, "I liked it because it was technology-based and so many kids are on games online all the time, but this is different because it's active and gets them up and moving."

Westwind Principal, Brandi Copeland shared that the Lu helps reach students who might not participate otherwise. 

"What's cool about the Lu is that the students who are reluctant to participate or be active or just don't like P.E. because they don't like getting up in front of other people - they do like this. They feel like it's just them. They feel more successful at it and they're more apt to try something different that they would normally be scared of," said Copeland. 

The Lu is fun for students, but it's also useful for Cline as a coaching tool. 

"There's usually never anything that helps us with the testing we have to do, but this teaches them things they can use on the Fitness Gram," said Cline. "There's a game that teaches them how to do the pacer, they follow along with a spaceship, so they actually pace themselves, instead of just sprinting."

There's also an option to record the students from above and replay their actions on the screen, which could be used for things like correcting throwing form or replays from games. Even with games Cline has done in the past, there are more options like live scoreboards to enhance the student experience. 

Beyond just P.E. applications, the Lu system also has a community aspect, where coaches and teachers can create their own games, to make it a cross-curricular experience. 

"We can create our own games too using the LU community, so the teachers can put in their students' spelling words or math problems to create personalized games," said Cline. 

The personalized games will allow students to practice skills they've been learning in their classrooms in a way that gets them up and moving. 

So far, Cline has already gotten plenty of use out of the Lu system and is excited to continue learning more about it and using more of the applications. 

"We use it every day, all day long," said Cline.