Saturday, February 26, 2011

Wii Learn

I absolutely love this edublog.  I have a few passions in life and one of them is video games.  I was so enamored with emerging technology as a kid that video games and I just turned out to be a perfect fit.  Video games always seemed to be pushing the boundaries of what was possible and that got me excited.  The only problem is that playing video games remained a hobby.  It was just something to do in between all the school work.  This edu blog, "WiiLearn", seeks to meld the two in a way I thought impossible.  It's radical thinking to be sure, but to engage students and erase the lines between entertainment and education is sheer genius.

So, how are video games applicable to education at all?  Wii learn has a few answers.  The latest post provides information on how to use Wii Remotes to control a Smartboard.  The benefit?  Several students can interact with a Smartboard at once for quizzes, educational games, and competitive learning experiences.



Another post suggests video games are an emerging medium for storytelling.  Learning to write a successful narrative doesn't have to come only from literature or film.  Physical education is another beneficiary of the Wii.  Wii Fit (as well as  variety of other titles focused on fitness) can help promote healthy life styles and eating habits.  

The "Wii Learn" edublog is a bold way to look at education.  That's what I like about it.  I will continue to follow this blog's progress to see what other ways gaming can have an impact on education.  Check the link....







1 comment:

  1. Oh My Gosh!
    This is so funny! Last semester I prepared a powerpoint presentation called "WiiLearn" about how I wanted to incorporate the Wii into educational learning.

    I had no idea there was a blog called that already!

    Cool.

    I have a Promethean Board in my classroom and have experimented with setting up my own system to the board (it's super cool).

    I have introduced my Wii to my third grade students as well, but we started off informally as a class reward in a "Game Day".

    I think it would be great to incorporate the Wii into various kinds of learning. It offers itself most easily in P.E. like you said with Wii Fit. I think it truly helps you understand how to control certain aspects of your body and get to know your own center of balance.

    There are a lot of other learning games that could be considered for teaching points. I have even considered Mario as a tool for learning...

    The Mii channel offers itself up well to talk about characters and traits :)

    I love the Wii!

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