2. How will the use of the Nintendo DS and
Junior Brain Training improve my ability to
extend and engage students during literacy
sessions?
3. It is a very rare thing to see school teachers
daring to challenge the conventional teaching
methods in the classroom. However, those
who have taken the risk and dared to go
against the norm have been rewarded with
extraordinary outcomes, particularly those
who dare to let new technologies and video
games into their classroom.
4. In today’s society, children are being
exposed to, and utilising complex
technological products such as the iPod,
the Nintendo Wii, DS, mobile phones and
the internet. However, while they may be
able to put together, play and complete
the most complex of video games on their
DS, they often still can’t read or write at
the accepted level. So, why not make use
of something they love and understand to
help them engage and grow in an area
they may not be as good in or have as
much interest in.
5. There seems to be a logical link in using
technology to help students excel as well as
engage in classroom learning areas. It is for
this reason that I have decided to examine
this link to determine whether it can actually
be utilised as a viable form of extending
students in the classroom.
6. For this project, my mentor teacher and I chose
four grade 3/4s who we felt would benefit from
an integration program using the Nintendo DS.
Firstly, I took these students out as a group to
introduce them to the program they would be
using on the DS. At the beginning of the three-
week period, the students and I worked through
program together, with each student having a
turn at being in control of the DS. Once the
students and I felt they were confident enough to
run through the program themselves, they began
completing their daily training independently
during their morning literacy block or during
silent reading after lunch.
7.
8. Before students began their training program,
they each completed a BURT Word Reading
Test. At the end of the three week period of
training, students were tested again to see if
their work with the Nintendo DS program
supported their word knowledge
development. Students were also observed as
a means of assessment.
9. This program found many positive results
and benefits for students. Through my
observational assessment of the project, I
found that students definitely became more
engaged and focused in the classroom whilst
participating in the program. The students
developed their understanding and
competencies in using technology and viewed
the learning activities as games, which made
it more engaging and challenging for them.
10. Students also made use of the knowledge they
gained through using the DS into their classroom
learning such as spelling, alphabetical order and
reading comprehension. Students have grown in
self esteem and confidence and were completing
their daily sessions a lot quicker and more
effectively than they were during classroom
tasks. One student in particular, was not very
confident in writing or spelling during the class
literacy block. However, once he began
completing task on the Nintendo DS he was
spelling words and achieving a high level of work
which he would never have completed otherwise.
11. Through the written assessment using the
BURT Word Test, the program was also
deemed to be successful, with all students
expanding their word knowledge by a
minimum of 7 words over the three-week
period.
12. This project was implemented by:
Claire Allison
4th year Monash University student
2010
This project was implemented at
St Vincent’s Primary School
