Edutopia - June/July 2008 - (Page 37)

Wii Love Learning Put today’s hottest game console to educational use. By Laila Weir F or those who’ve been under a rock (or real-world math practice thrown in. buried in a busy classroom—trust us, we “As the children took turns bowling, we understand), the Wii is today’s hottest asked them, ‘How many pins did each bowler gaming console, vastly outselling the knock down?’ and ‘How many more do they need PlayStation and garnering gobs of media attention to knock down to get a certain score?’” explains with its inventive and easily understood games. Ford. “The third graders were able to add double More than twenty-four million Wii units have sold digits and use mental math and estimation to globally, according to its maker, Nintendo. determine a bowler’s ⇒nal score.” Here’s a thought: Why not take a tech Another Cumberland kindergarten teacher, platform that kids are already nuts about and put Lois Haueisen, uses the Wii’s Big Brain Academy, it to use? That was the thought at which challenges players on Cumberland Elementary School, logical thinking and math. The in West Lafayette, Indiana, where game tests players’ abilities ⇒rst-grade teacher David Brantley and speed at solving various used a parent donation to buy problems, involving skills like three Wii consoles. Brantley counting, recognizing patterns, integrated some of the Wii’s games and size comparisons. and online channels into lessons Haueisen says she was on weather and geography. The skeptical about using the Wii, but result: “A great virtual map and her students’ enthusiasm—plus globe activity,” he says. the valuable analytical skills the The Wii features a motionactivities impart—changed her sensitive controller that looks mind. Now converted, she bought like a television remote control a console for her own family. but can quickly sense the user’s Haueisen also cites the movements and translate them ability of the Wii to motivate into on-screen action. The system reluctant students. “One child also includes Internet access and honestly expressed his desire not a number of exclusive channels— to be in kindergarten if work was like news and weather forecasts— involved,” Haueisen says. “Since in addition to traditional games. the introduction of the Wii as a Ongoing research shows tool in his education, he willingly that students learn more quickly and diligently participates in and easily with instruction class activities. Whenever he across multiple modalities or wavers, I explain how similar through a variety of media. So our class activities are to the educators are eager for new activities he enjoys on the Wii, tools, especially ones that are a and he is back on task quickly.” hit with students. Still, Haueisen has been Kids play games like The Big Brain Brantley also began using and Little League World Series. wary of a potential pitfall in Wii games with his students, the competitive Wii games: including the console’s golf, bowling, and The Big Brain games ⇒nish by ⇓ashing “Winner” baseball offerings. These have players standing and “Loser,” promoting an attitude she hopes and swinging like in the real sports—minus the to avoid in her classroom. But so far, she says, ball that could go crashing through a classroom class management emphasizing cooperation and window. Using scorecards he found online, zero tolerance for put-downs has kept students Brantley turned the fun into an opportunity to from seeing themselves and classmates through practice data recording and charting. a winner-loser lens. In fact, when she asked Brantley’s colleague, kindergarten teacher students why they thought the class used the Mary Ford, has also used the Wii sports games Wii, they listed various reasons, including fun, in a joint activity with an older class. Ford and learning, and “Everyone’s a winner.” third-grade teacher Laura Smith paired up their students for a game of bowling with a little Laila Weir is a contributing editor for Edutopia.org. Why Science? James Treﬁl 224 pp./Paper, $19.95/978-0-8077-4830-5 Hardcover, $52/978-0-8077-4831-2 Teen Girls and Technology What’s the Problem, What’s the Solution? Lesley Farmer 192 pp./Paper, $21.95/978-0-8077-4875-6 Hardcover, $52/978-0-8077-4876-3 Data-Driven School Improvement Linking Data and Learning Ellen B. Mandinach and Margaret Honey, Editors 304 pp./Paper, $51.95/978-0-8077-4856-5 Available at your local bookstore 65% of teachers think games could help them better engage students, but just 11 percent use any sort of educational computer game in class, according to a recent survey. Why the disconnect? A clue might be provided in another statistic from Project Tomorrow’s Speak Up survey: Forty-six percent of teachers said they’d like training on integrating gaming technologies into their classwork. Teachers want to use high tech games; they’re just not sure how. Teachers College Press .. www.tcpress.com http://Edutopia.org http://www.tcpress.com http://www.tcpress.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Edutopia - June/July 2008

Edutopia - June/July 2008 Contents UpFront Feedback Dispatches Sage Advice Ask Ellen Head of Class Cool Schools Design Young Minds, Fast Times Wii Love Learning No More Pencils, No More Books Tech Without Support All the Right Moves Room to Learn Heart & Soul Pop Quiz: Jeff Corwin

Edutopia - June/July 2008

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