This week we turned our classroom into our very own games arcade, but this wasn't simply for fun. It was to look at how we, as teachers, could use these resources in the classroom as effective learning tools.
I was sceptical at first as I have grown up playing video games and I always remember my parents grimacing over the amount of time I "wasted" by sitting in front of the television or on my 8-bit Game Boy playing Mario as a small child.
It's no surprise however that video games are now being used in the classroom as a learning tool when you consider the appeal and influence they have in youth culture. In recent years the most desired Christmas gifts by children were Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii and DS and X-Box 360 consoles as well as games, to simply ignore their enthusiasm for these products would be foolish.
In class we used the Nintendo Wii console along with Guitar Hero and Cyberbike and talked about the educational benefit of these games.
I have played Guitar Hero before so I found it easy enough to get back into the flow of playing it again. I could see how children would be interested in playing this game as it is a bright and visually attractive game that gives the impression of Brian May-esque guitar skills without the years of practice.
The concept of the game gives me split thoughts though. I can remember my music lessons at school using keyboards and recorders and how, despite the hours of practice, it never sounded musically pleasing and I always hated music in school because of this reason. This game allows for children to work on basic music theory by looking at the symbols on the screen and converting this to the guitar controller they are using. It also provides a fun experience whilst doing so as it gives you the sense you are performing in front of a crowd with a band, playing popular songs.
I think the game also gives a false sense of your musical ability. You might be able to please the crowds with your riffs and solos but if you were to try and apply this to an actual guitar then it's not going to sound anything like the sweet licks you performed on stage.
I also had the opportunity to play Wii Music for a short while. It had a bell ringing game which was played by watching the notes on the screen and ringing your bell (Wii Remote) at the appropriate time. I found this game musically educational as it required timing and rhythm.
Dazzle
2 comments:
Some interesting thoughts, Darryl. Are you able to reflect on why you felt your own musical experience in school was not what youwould have liked?
I think the problem I had with music at school was that despite the amount of work I did in lessons it never sounded as pleasing as I would have liked. With games on the market such as Guitar Hero, Rockband and Wii Music it gives people the chance to learn some basic musical skills complimented with a musically pleasing experience.
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