Wii+in+the+classroom


 * Using the Nintendo Wii in the classroom... **

The Nintendo Wii is a very powerful teaching/learning tool to use in the classroom. It has the ability to instantly capture the attention of your students and keep them engaged whilst they are learning and having fun!

Many of your students will have a gaming console of some type at home; in fact you will find that many of them are experts when it comes to using them. Why not take advantage of these skills and use them to find innovative and engaging ways to teach your students using the tools that they LOVE to use… (You may also find that a lot of them will start to use the Wii at home for educational purposes with their parents)

The Wii can be used in the classroom in many ways, some examples include:

- Using the Photo Channel on the Wii menu. The photo channel allows you to apply visual effects to photos stored on an SD Card from your digital camera. Students can use the photos to create slideshows to show the class or to make puzzles that can be solved by on the screen.

- News and Weather Channels – These channels can be used to check weather forecasts and World news. The World Map feature is also great for geography.

- The Internet Channel. This channel is what makes the Wii so powerful for use in the classroom. Using the Internet channel the Wii is able to use its Opera browser to open websites just like on your computer. Within the browser websites can be viewed and navigated around by using the Wii controller (Wiimote). There are lots of websites out there with interactive online games that work fantastically on the Wii Browser. The great thing is that the games can then be controlled using the Wiimote making them all the more appealing and exciting for the students as well as helping to improve their hand-eye coordination and fine-motor skills.

- PLAYING GAMES! There are many games on the market that have great educational value for your students. Some games that can been used in the classroom include: Mario Kart (Ordinal numbers, decimals, time, direction), Wii Sports (Bowling – tens facts, complex scoring systems, addition, Golf – Distance, addition, subtraction), Endless Ocean (Great if studying topics such as ‘Underwater’), Brain Training (Various educational games), Wii Fit (Balance, Dance, Rhythm, etc), Wii Play (angles, addition, subtraction), and many many more.


 * Here are some photos of the Wii in action on an Interactive Whiteboard... **

The Wii Menu... (With the channels displayed)



The Internet Channel home screen…



The favourites menu within the Internet Channel…



An online maths game being played on the Wii…




 * Need help setting up your Wii for use on the Internet? Click the link below. **

Connecting your Wii to the Internet

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