TGIF
The Wii can be hooked up for the teacher to use in front of the entire class or it can be used in small groups. A teacher can use the Forecast channel to show students different weather conditions or different areas of the world. Students in small groups can use the device for playing games or as a center.
Overall the Wii is a versatile tool. It can be used to surf the web and find information. Teachers can use it to adapt to different needs for their classroom. Teachers can buy software for the Wii that directly relates to their program.
If you do get a Wii for your classroom there are many other games that can be used in the classroom. Games for the Wii range from $19.99 up to 49.99. Now yes there are games out there like Mario Party that do not have any educational purposes. But there are many games that can be used in the classroom to enrich learning.
Wii Fit is a game that just came out. Now it does cost $89.99 but you get a wireless pad that goes with the game. With this game you can tell your weight, practice yoga, head soccer balls, and even go skiing. Wii Fit would be perfect for physical education.
My Word Coach for the Wii is a game where students can learn vocabulary through playing. The game has over 17,000 words in it. Students can play in groups of four.
There are hundreds of games for the Wii. Probably about 10% at this time can be used in the classroom for educational purposes.
What subjects can you use the Wii for in school?
Wii Social Studies: With the News and Forecast Channel students can study different parts of the globe. They can find out current events and share with the entire class. The forecast Channel can also be used simply as a map to show where cities are in the world in relation to the student’s hometown.
Wii Math: For younger students they can play Wii Sports and count different things. They can count how many homeruns were hit in baseball. Or how many pins were knocked down in bowling.
Wii Art: Students can create and share their Mii characters with the class.
Wii Physical Education: Students can learn the scoring for golf, tennis, and bowling by playing the games.
Wii Science: Students can look at the weather for a certain place of the course of the year.
Wii Language Arts: Students can create a Mii character and then write a story about the character.
Wii everything: Students can go online and surf the net for information and research.
So you listened to me and you bought a Wii for your classroom. So what do you get for your $249.99? Well here is what you get:
1) The Wii system and all the wires to plug it in
2) One Wii controller
3) One Wii nun chuck
4) Wii Sports game disk
5) Wireless sensor bar
Now this list just gives you what you get when you open the box. The actually instillation and hook up is very easy. The Wii can be linked to a LCD or a TV. You have to put two double A batteries in the controller and sync the controller but after that you are ready to get Wiing. But when you turn it on you find that you have much much more.
The Wii comes with several programs already on it. As long as you have an internet connection you can access all of these programs as soon as you turn the Wii on. It comes with the Mii Channel. On the Mii Channel you can create a digital user for you to control when playing certain games on the Wii. Next there is the Forecast Channel. With this you can check the weather for any places on Earth. Instead of typing in a zip code you have a digital globe, much like Google Earth. With this digital globe you can move to any city and check the weather there. The final Channel is the News Channel. Once again you have digital globe where you can click on different regions of the world to find out different news.
Now if you want you can download an internet browser for free. You can go to Wiiware and load on an internet browser so you can use the Wii to surf the net.
A normal laptop computer costs about 1,000 dollars. That price is coming down but is still around that number. For that price you can purchase four Wiis. Yes four. A Nintendo Wii retails for $249.99. Now there are a few problems. The Wii is still in very high demand. It is very hard to simply go out and order one Wii let alone four of them. Due to the demand it would be hard for a school system to get a hold of several Wiis for classroom use. Hopefully at some point in the near future Wiis will be on the shelf in stores for people to buy.
Once you buy a Wii for a classroom one student can use the Wii at a time. Up to four students can use it at a time but you must buy separately sold controllers. Each of these controllers retails at stores for $39.99. So for 369.96 a classroom can get a working Wii with four controllers.
December 7, 2006 I was in New York City. I had never been there and was doing all of the touristy type things. I was riding on a bus around the city (the two level ones and I was on the top level and it was so cold) and happened to notice people standing in a line. I noticed that the line went around the block and up the next block. The line literally went on for city block after city block. When I finally came to the front of the line I saw a Toys”r”us store. I was amazed. I came to find out that all of these people were waiting to get a Wii Nintendo. It was amazing. These people were here 24 hours before the Wii went on sale. Let me tell you students do not line up for blocks to get into school. Teachers of the 21st century are going to have to start changing the way they do things to get students interested in learning. The Wii is certainly a possibility.
The Wii is a piece of hardware that people use for fun. They play games such as Mario Kart and Wii sports. What if teachers could use the Wii for learning? What if instead of just fun students could learn and have fun? Is that not a win win situation?
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has requested states to review their curriculums so that it focuses on two main points:
- to adopt a 21st century curriculum that blends thinking and innovation skills; information, media, and ICT literacy; and life and career skills in context of core academic subjects and across interdisciplinary themes, and
- To employ methods of 21st century instruction that integrates innovative and research-proven teaching strategies, modern learning technologies, and real world resources and contexts.
The Partnership realizes states create their own curriculums and will do so to create ones that challenge students but also to create what is best for their students. In regards to this, states must keep in mind that the workforce of today will be much different when a student who is entering kindergarten today is ready to graduate high school in thirteen years. Therefore schools must work towards creating a curriculum that works toward the future and not one that holds so tightly the traditional methods of teaching of twenty or thirty years ago.
written by Jeff Barnes
The 21st century student is no longer one that can just rely on learning basic content and study skills to be effective members of society. Businesses and other agencies are looking for people who can problem solve, think critically, and analyze data. Therefore the 21st century teacher must instruct their students this way. We can no longer stand in front of the class and lecture about a concept and expect these students to take this information and use it efficiently in the real world. Teachers must challenge their students by creating projects and problems that make them question why and how this works.
One avenue teachers now have is the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. This initiative has been created to help teachers, parents, and students to become prepared for the 21st century job field. Their mission is to, “Serve as a catalyst to position 21st century skills at the center of US K-12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders.” These partnerships with many well known companies, state education departments, and other community leaders are allowing for the growth of technology skills of our students.
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has created a website for educators to use as a resource. The site includes the framework for their initiative as well as assessments and a database of ways in which educators can integrate technology skills into the everyday classroom.
written by Jeff Barnes
The 21st century student cannot be defined. They are as all students have ever been since the beginning of time. They want to learn. Yet more now then ever they wish to learn on their own terms. When a student steps off the bus and runs to their home they may do any number of things. They may text their friends about getting together later. They may go home and post a new picture on their MySpace page. It might be time to sit down and play the final level on Halo 3. Maybe they have a show to watch on Tivo. Good golly they might do two or even three of these things at once. The Students of the 21st century are amazing. They are the ultimate multitaskers.
The 21sters (21st Century Student) may sit down to play their DS and find that they do not understand a new game. Without another thought the 21ster texts a friend who has the same game and asks what to do next. Within moments they have an answer and are moving through the game at record speeds. 21sters have no fear when it comes to technology and problems. They do not worry about messing it up or breaking it. Problems can be solved when they work together.
Togetherness is something the 21sters do best. Texting, messaging, calling, and e-mailing have allowed them to be able to communicate in ways that are beyond many of their elders.
21sters love technology. They thrive on it and would feel lost without it. Perhaps that is why so many 21sters are drowning in schools today.
