The past few months has seen the Consolarium being mothballed until we have found a new home for it. This has meant that it has not been quite so easy just loading up a game or two and keeping up-to-date with what's new in the games and education field. No excuse though for not sharing the games that I think will be appearing in a classroom near you in the near future...
Here's the first in a series of updates: Professor Layton and the Curious Village. I heard about this some time ago but have not yet purchased it. After spending some time looking at the dedicated website and the Nintendo site feature this is something that will be rectified asap. Have a look at this, an amazing and beautifully crafted puzzle driven narrative mystery that could easily become the contextual hub for a cross-curricular exploration/collaborative story:
I really believe that games such as this and others like Phoenix Wright and Hotel Dusk have the capacity to become mainstream drivers for curricular investigation and context creation. I have seen children of 'all abilities' engage with games in the classroom in different a different way to how they might engage with what they view as traditional school work. These tools have the capacity to flatten the stratified hierarchies that children are put into in school and where they know their place. Wouldn't it be great to give the children the chance to break out of where we put them? I believe that these games and approaches can help us create contexts in which all learners have no awareness of their own ceiling.
Have a go at the wolf and chicks game in the 'Game Demo' section and even download the clock, it's pretty cool.
Here's the first in a series of updates: Professor Layton and the Curious Village. I heard about this some time ago but have not yet purchased it. After spending some time looking at the dedicated website and the Nintendo site feature this is something that will be rectified asap. Have a look at this, an amazing and beautifully crafted puzzle driven narrative mystery that could easily become the contextual hub for a cross-curricular exploration/collaborative story:
I really believe that games such as this and others like Phoenix Wright and Hotel Dusk have the capacity to become mainstream drivers for curricular investigation and context creation. I have seen children of 'all abilities' engage with games in the classroom in different a different way to how they might engage with what they view as traditional school work. These tools have the capacity to flatten the stratified hierarchies that children are put into in school and where they know their place. Wouldn't it be great to give the children the chance to break out of where we put them? I believe that these games and approaches can help us create contexts in which all learners have no awareness of their own ceiling.
Have a go at the wolf and chicks game in the 'Game Demo' section and even download the clock, it's pretty cool.
Managed it in 13 moves - after a few tries I have to say. This looks addictive! Just right for the summer holidays
Posted by: Margaret | May 28, 2008 at 10:57 PM
Great game - used the demo in class with my HA maths set. They loved it. Still haven't quite got the solution yet. Where doing on whiteboards.
Need DSs
:o)
Posted by: Nic Hughes | June 03, 2008 at 08:53 PM
Have just ordered Professor Layton so will be able to carry out 'development' work over my holidays. How dedicated am I? Hope the sun in France does not stop me seeing the screen!!
Posted by: Margaret | June 20, 2008 at 08:48 AM