Hiveclass is the remedy to a generation of students who spend an average of six hours per day looking at a screen. This online platform wants to turn passive screen time into active.
By collating a huge library of video guidance on sports, Hiveclass aims to offer an engaging web-based way to get students moving and keep them more engaged in sports as part of their education.
Covering a variety of sports -- including volleyball, basketball, dance, hockey, soccer, and tennis -- this aims to appeal to a wide range of students. The idea is not only to improve performance for students who already play sports, but also to help draw in those who otherwise use their screen time for more passive watching.
Here's how Hiveclass works so you can decide if it's right for you.
What is Hiveclass?
Hiveclass is a web-based platform that offers guidance to children on how to play sports and improve as they progress through the system. The idea is to engage more kids in active screen time to get them moving rather than only passively watching.
Hiveclass covers a variety of sports that include basketball, dance, field hockey, fitness, lacrosse, self-defense, soccer, tennis, and volleyball. All that is available on the device of the student, so they can use this as and when they please.
Crucially, Hiveclass works with schools and libraries across the U.S. to provide these resources to students for free. Students can access these as and when they need, and teachers can use the tools to help students in and outside of class.
The guidance itself is given by athletes who specialize in their particular sport and through professionally shot videos. These are created with a curriculum-based approach and are available in English or Spanish. All of the content can be accessed via smartphone, tablet, laptop, or PC, anywhere with an internet connection.
How does Hiveclass work?
Hiveclass is available in two formats, one for educators and the other for libraries. This gets educators access to the wealth of digital content to teach with, all of which is set to standards as put forward by Shape America.
It also allows educators to track student progress to easily monitor performance and goals.
Students are able to access all the content they need via the platform, which can then be monitored by educators. Since the system requires a sign-in, once authorized on a device, a student can get access to that content anywhere via an internet connection. The idea being that any open space can be used by students to help them improve their athletic abilities, physical health, and overall wellness.
Most of the content is presented in follow-along style videos. But there is also a selection of questions and an SEL component to help students engage beyond the physical movement side of the practice.
What are the best Hiveclass features?
Hiveclass is built to curriculum standards as designed by a team of top physical educators, aligning it with the national standards set forth by Shape America.
Since all that is self-guided, it can allow students to progress without even being in class, or being with an educator in person. This is ideal for engaging students less comfortable in groups but also to help already engaged students to progress further on their own time.
The platform is built to be inclusive with content developed specifically for all students with accessibility features throughout the content. It is possible for kids and educators to search using filters that provide results that are tailored specifically to anyone with certain needs. Helpfully, you can also preset profiles, so at the tap of a button only content specific to that student will be displayed.
A Reading Hive is available that allows libraries working with the platform to showcase relevant books that students might want to borrow to learn more about an area or skill on which they are working.
How much does Hiveclass cost?
Hiveclass offers separate pricing for educators and libraries, with packages tailored specifically to each. These packages are also tailored to the scale and needs of the education institution in question.
As such all the pricing is on a quote-by-quote basis. You would need to make an inquiry with a representative of Hiveclass, who then will discuss your needs and work out a price.
The licenses of a library, for example, work on an annual basis with payments established on that level of commitment.
Hiveclass best tips and tricks
Use any space
Adapt to the space you have. In a classroom? Use a balloon instead of a ball to teach the basics of volleyball.
Go green
Have students use their local green space to work through part of an exercise and then feedback to the class how it was to go out into that space and exercise.
Reward the work
Set targets, and for students that exceed those, reward them with in class benefits, such as a rest during the tougher training that week for example.
