Our Nintendo DS’s have arrived!

Finally after months of waiting our first school class set of Nintendo DS’s have arrived. We will be using them in the Maths department from the start of next session. Initially we will be using Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? and also Big Brain Academy. It is my hope that the use of this technology will help improve children’s numeracy and cognitive ability.

Although there have been a number of studies involving this hardware and software in the primary setting (see here and here). I don’t know of many other secondary schools that have really started to embrace this in a big way.

Using a group of students we tested all the equipment today – it was amazing to see a whole class of students engaged for an hour period practicing their maths. We even had a couple of age 20 Brain ages!

There are lots of other good educational games out there for the Ninetendo DS and others that can be used as a good context for learning. Interestingly Ubisoft recently announced some new educational games in the pipe line which will add to their range.

Two of the most interesting new titles include My Health Coach: The Easy Way to Stop Smoking (DS) and My Health Coach: Manage Your Weight (DS). The manage your weight health coach game includes a pedometer accessory that is designed to connect to the DS and transfer steps taken into the personalized health program, tracking distance travelled.

Comments

[Ewan McIntosh]

Since TeachMeet at BETT Oakdale high school in Redbridge, Essex, have been having huge success with this. It'd be worthwhile hooking up through, ironically, the primary ICT consultant Anthony Evans:
http://redbridgeprimaryit.blogspot.com/