fitting for the fit?

24 hours in and I can still see the game as being useful in an early years class.  Granted the graphics are not likely to set any graphics designers running for a security blanket but the concept of the game could easily be used to develop core strength and gross motor skills.  Like many Wii games you create your own character and this is a straightforward process.  The game is set in an island resort and the premise of community fitness could be extended to the classroom.  Gamers use the balance board and/ or controllers and there are two difficulty levels and 10 activities to choose from, my favourite being the tribal dance.

Having come across the game 'Junior Fitness Trainer' for the Wii and thinking it could be interesting for an early years classroom, I had a quick look for reviews.  I found just one (via the redlaser app on my iphone) and it was hardly complimentary with comments regarding basic graphics and difficult to use controls.  Not being one who takes what I am told as gospel I decided to buy the game and hand it over to my guinea pigs (daughters) to test it out.


Like any resource, you need to know this game before you would use it in a classroom.  I wouldn't specifically  bring a wii into a classroom just for Junior Fitness Trainer, rather add it to an existing school/ class game collection as while it seems fun and there are possible curriculum links. I believe there are other resources more fitting to the purpose.  As an additional activity it's perfect, as a context for learning I'm not sold.

video: why bird

The TEDtalk video that I had posted onto my blog (see previous post) prompted my light-bulb moment about the Curriculum for Excellence Principle of Depth.


It's fascinating to listen to Sugata Mitra discuss his research and to read more about how it was conducted and the conclusions drawn from this.  My first reaction to Mitra's work was acceptance: I've always believed that children can be the best guides in their learning and I initially thought that this proved it.  The children were clearly finding their way around the computer systems and through trial and error they were able to progress through their learning identifying where they could go next.  


Learning in this manner is the form of learning that occurs every single day of our lives.   This, of course relates to the work of John Holt (1982) who describes the process of early childhood development as an intuitive process.  We know from the work of psychologists such as Spalding, Lorenz, Schmidt and others that there are some key factors that must be in place for this intuitive learning to develop.  Montagu would further state that there is no human process that can take place without learning " and, of course, Maslow's 'Hierarchy of Needs' which was developed from the viewpoint that in order to reach full potential one must have a range of needs met.


So how does this relate to the Sugata Mitra video and the principle of depth?  As a novice teacher it is all too easy to observe the classroom practice of an experienced class teacher and underestimate the role.  When time comes for development practice it becomes clear that there are a multitude of factors which you were simple unaware of.  As a novice teacher looking at Mitra's work it may be easy to believe that, given the right resources, children will teach themselves but put into practice and the multidimensional process of this becomes apparent.  Children may engage with new and exciting equipment and they will, undoubtedly, learn from the experience but our role as the teacher is to develop this into a growing understanding; to build skills that can be applied in many areas.  What research has shown us is that children can be extrinsically motived to learn but it is our duty to take that motivation and nurture it.  Children may provide the learning but we must provide the depth to make it worthwhile.