June 2, 2007 @ 3:03 pm
5 Reasons to Use a Nintendo Wii in your Classroom
Working on a classroom project, I came up with some ideas for using a Nintendo Wii in a Classroom/School environment, and I think they are pretty good!
I think working with games technologies in a school environment is tricky, by outsiders it may be seen as “wasting exam prep” time, but I feel the use of a games console could really benefit a large number students. Here’s why:
1) Motivation - You can reward students with 5 minutes of playing on the Wii at the end of the lesson. You could have a weekly knockout competition to get a class champion. This class champion could play against other class champions. I can see it now: a Year 9 assembly, 2 players - a 10ft Screen with a Projected Wii game, using our Theatre Sound System. What a Performance!
I remember playing whiteboard Countdown as a treat when I was at School. This is the same principle.
2) Inclusion - there could be a student in your class that is isolated. Others are good academically or physically but this particular student isn’t confident enough to try new things. The addition of a games console in the classroom could allow them gain respect and recognition from their peers, which they otherwise would not get. They get to be good at something.
3) Learning Style - Can you get any more kinesthetic then answering questions while playing in a tennis relay team?
4) Subject Specific - Wii Sports - I would say that using Darts and doing the scoring could be used in Maths, as could Bowling scores and Tennis. Or how about using results or statistics from the games as data for data-modelling in IT. There is even a Cooking game that is great way to get boys in Food Technology! “Right, what we just did on the Wii we are going to do in the classroom”. How about using Golf as a method of teaching Physics? (Speed = Distance /Time) - you time the balls air-time and get the distance from the game = you can work out speed.
5) Cultural Awareness - You are showing students that you are aware of their culture. You have a shared cultural reference point to build from.
I have contacted Nintendo UK (both Marketing & PR) to see if they are willing to trial some Wii’s with us as educational tools. Watch this space for details of the project I have named -
The Wii-lympics.
Tags: Nintendo, Wii, Education, Classroom, Gaming, Games, School
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Filed under Education, I Want One of Those, Technology, Thinking Permalink
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Posted by David Greeno ed 205
June 2, 2007 @ 4:17 pm
I think you are right about this. I strongly believe that rewarding students with good behaving is a very strong positive reinforcement. I think getting students that arent strong academically to play and participate allows them to feel appreciated by other peers, and sometimes those kids are pretty damn good at motor skills and will impress. I like the golf idea, being that I am a huge golfer, and terrible at Math, you have to play the game with physics. Wind, velocity, angles, slope, etc to be good at it, thats why my scores arent the greatest. I hope Nintendo helps you out with this, good luck, the kids will love it.
Posted by Blog Response #2 « The Few The Proud, The Marines
June 2, 2007 @ 4:27 pm
[...] Blog Response #2 http://blog.neu-thinking.co.uk/?p=57#comment-79 [...]
Posted by Paul Williams
June 2, 2007 @ 4:34 pm
Thanks David.
My next port of call is to find some alternative funding for this project.
Good Luck with the Golf, maybe you could wangle a Wii to help you practice?
Posted by Wii-mbledon
June 3, 2007 @ 12:18 pm
[...] my 5 reasons to use a Nintendo Wii in you classroom, and the start of the Wii-lympic project, I found that there other people with similar ideas. I got [...]
Posted by In search of Nintendo UK
June 7, 2007 @ 6:33 pm
[...] been trying to get in touch with Nintendo UK, in relation to my idea for a Wii-lympics project at school. So far I have emailed the contacts on the website both the PR and the Marketing Departments, last [...]
Posted by Joep Eggermont
June 12, 2007 @ 7:36 pm
I am HT of a small Special School and we bought our Wii in January and it has never lost it’s appeal. My pupils quickly found the cheat sheet…. We are now playing amazing games. We did book in for a block of lessons at the local bowls club; had a block of junior Golf and are now hoping to get our own Wii-mbledon organised.
Best £250 for a long time
Posted by Stuart Crockett
June 12, 2007 @ 8:47 pm
Big fan of technology and using gaming in the classroom for motivation, stimulation and reward. A lot of good small games out there that my children love. Games like ESCAPE (105 levels), Marble Blast Gold, Scramble, Spin Doctor, Spin Crisis, Zoombininis etc. Anyone else know of similar games for PC or Macs out there? Love the idea of a Wii in schools, will pitch idea to my headteacher.Is the Marble game, Korpina? for the wii avaliable on other platforms?
Posted by Paul Williams
June 20, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
Thanks Joep & Stuart,
Some great suggestions there, I’ve heard nothing back from Nintendo and I’m currently looking for other internal funding to get this going.
Let me know what else you are up to?