Nineteen Interesting Ways* to use a Nintendo DS in the

Classroom

*and tips

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#1 - Use the picto chat facility for collaborative writing!

Ask children to log into room A or room B - give them a sentence start e.g. I opened the door and saw.... ask children to write what happened next. You can then see all responses by moving from room to room, children can then comment on each others and add to - extending vocbaulary at same time!

#2 - Cross-curricular game

Use Professor Layton and the Curious Village to:* solve puzzles*create own puzzles*write character descriptions* make up new characters that live in village*Use GE where would you film Professor Layton* map work - draw a map of village* Stop the game - write what happens next!* children create their own curious village

#3- Use to improve MFL skills

Either using Picto chat - teacher call out word in language e.g Hola children write English version and vice versa Or games such as My first French Coach - to listen to accents, play games for vocabulary.  These get harder as progress through game.

#4 - Writing and designing games

Ask children to 'write' their own maths based games for the console - *what puzzles would they include? * what graphics?*How would you progress?* Get children to evaluate each others designs!

#5 - Cooking with Mama!

Children can play game and:* write instructions for recipes* Find countries using GE* use web based app eg Ikea to design mama's kitchen*Design recipes for kitchen* Use GE to work out where ingredients have travelled from* design pictures and slide for own favourite recipe

 

#6 - Class Competitions

Brain Training or Maths Training! You can load up a game and invite pupils to play.  Brain Training allows up to 16 players to compete against each other. Ideal for mental maths practice, engaging pupils of lower ability and adding a competitive edge to the class.

Why not start a league?

 

 #7 - WALT and WILF  Using the Pictochat facility  • to focus  on Learning Intention while children identify

Success Criteria based on same within the chat rooms. •  as a plenary exercise to reflect on what was

learned/achieved during lesson/game

 WALT WILF

#8 - Challenge Children to..

• document  how to play the various acivities/games • develop strategies to improve their score 

  • create short podcast for Principal to convince her/him of the

benefits of using handheld technology such as the DS, Wii  and mobile phone to enhance learning.

#9 – Brainstorm a story continuing from start

• Read the opening page of a story • Pupils in pairs think about the characters, places, what

happens next ideas    • Teacher asks them to use Pictochat to send up the

information, but carefully watching so they don’t duplicate others’ ideas

• Ideas collated very quickly on whiteboard

#10 – Create a flipbook animation or story

• Use Pictochat to draw a picture

• The next pupils can pull down the image and adjust slightly, using the erase and draw tools

• Pass the image on

• View the animation by scrolling to the first image using the LEFT button on top of the DS, then holding down the RIGHT button.

#11 – Change the personal message

• In the DS settings, change the personal message of the console to contain a fact

• In Pictochat, you can view everyone’s personal message by clicking on their name or square colour at the top of the window.

• You could choose a person from history and the others in the class have to guess who you are based on your personal message.

#12 – Using confidence scales

• In Pictochat, ask the class to draw a line across the screen

• Ask them to mark on the line at the start of a lesson, how confident they feel about the topic.

• At the end ask them to now mark on how confident they feel. • Did it change?• What should we do to move the marker up?

#13 – Plus, minus, interesting

• In Pictochat, after a discussion or community of enquiry, you can pull it together using plus, minus and interesting.

• What did you think was a positive idea?

• What did you think was a negative idea?

• What would you like to know more about that you found interesting?

#14 – Mind my French

• In Pictochat, the teacher sends a message with a deliberate mistake in it.

• The pupils correct it by either writing the correction or pullin down the original and adjusting it.

#15 – Create your own DS game

• Create your own version of a game, for example, Professor Layton and the curious village

• Use graphics software, greenscreen or Photobooth on the Mac to ‘put yourself into the game’.

Good day, sir! Are you Inspector Chemley?We hear the famous Mona Lott painting has been stolen. Is this true?

#16 – Change the language

• Many games have the option to choose the language at the start.

• Select another language and play a familiar game, but practising you language skills too.

#17 – Maths training races

• The Maths training allows up to 16 players to share one cartridge.

• They can compete to complete 10, 30 or 100 questions based on the four rules of number.

#18 – Nintendo DSi – cameras

• The cameras on the DSi can take photos and stores them linked to the calendar.

• Pupils could take photos of their DT projects, as they progress.

• Teachers could record snapshots of the pupils’ work for assessment – either DT models or of their writing in books

• Pupils could record photos to create a ‘How to’ guide to making their model.

#19 – Nintendo DSi – sound

• The new sound software on the DSi allows the pupils to record their voices and change them.

• Emotions – can they change the pitch of their voice to sound happy, sad, excited?

• The sounds can be played backwards – listening skills - create a secret message, reverse it and then get others to try and guess what you are saying.

If you would like to: • Contribute your ideas and tips to the presentation.• Let me know how you have used the resource.• Get in touch. 

You can email me or DM me on Twitter I am tombarrett 

Thanks for helpingTom Barrett 

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