Wii in education?

Wii in education?

February 3, 2009

Thanks to newly formed collaborations with select schools and educators, Nintendo and MENC: The National Association for Music Education are working on incorporating Wii consoles and Wii Music software into their lesson plans to offer teachers new tools for creativity and improvisation. The partnership will help teachers in 51 cities nationwide integrate Wii Music™ into their curricula, making use of the game's 60+ instruments and tutorial exercises in rhythm, tempo and song structure. Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing, explains that "by partnering with educators and bringing Wii Music into their classrooms, we hope to give students a memorable, hands-on experience that helps them discover their own creative voice." Students of all experience and grade levels can partake in the game, solo or as part of a group. Helen A. Krofchick, a music teacher at Doby's Mill Elementary School in Lugoff, S.C., has already implemented Wii Music into her curriculum and sings its praises: "We have a school very supportive of the arts and Wii Music has empowered our program even more."

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COMMENTS (5)

Anonymous - 04/06/2009

I think that this is a wonderful way to incorporate music, but what about the schools that cannot affod a Wii? I think many children need to learn to play an instrument, read music, and make a beat all by themselves.

Anonymous - 03/10/2009

Educators often underestimate the power of utilizing technology (or anything else) that is familiar to our students, but not familiar to them. There is something about the familiarity of certain tech systems that can be different but of equivalent value for our students. In a personal experience, and in response to a previous comment posted above, it is not necessarily a "cop out" to teach students music theory or musicality through a game, instead of through a real instrument. Case in point, my husband is quite tone-def and his rhythm is limited, at best. I myself am quite musical, and used to teach small children music activities through percussion instruments, dancing, and rhythm games. I could do nothing for him. However, several months of Rock Band actually did something that I could not do in a decade - his rhythm improved, his understanding of musical concepts broadened, and he can occasionally find the right pitch. While gaming and technology are not the only way to teach students, we should not and cannot ignore the potential of using such games our students are already familiar for genuine and authentic academic purposes. That's a cop out on our part if we do.

Anonymous - 03/03/2009

Nothing could possibly be better than using a real instrument, but what about the schools that can not possible afford to?

Anonymous - 03/03/2009

I don't see why they just don't take the time to teach the students a real instrument. When I was in elementary school they taught us how to play the recorder, and I enjoyed that thourougly. This just seems like a cop out of really teaching a student something better.

Anonymous - 02/11/2009

What a great way to bring out the interest of students who may be shy about showing their musical talents or their lack of talent. Hands on is always a great way to get a student interested in a subject. Lets face it students are going to play video games and if educators can use video type applications to inspire students lets go with it.

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