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- February 15th, 2011
Kinectimals in the Nursery Setting
- Derek Robertson
- Comments: 2 Comments »Tags: Consolarium, edutalk, game based learning, games based learning, gametolearn, Kinect, LTS, micrsoft
At the Consolarium we have a long history in trying out games built for entertainment in the educational setting. This has been particularly true of games such as Nintendogs and Eyepet. These games were most definitely built for entertainment but the educational potential within these superb digital experiences is fantastic. As always, we continue to look to see what else can be explored in the games world in terms of its appropriate use in teaching and learning contexts…
The Kinect system for Microsoft’s Xbox360 games console was something that we greatly anticipated, particularity when we saw how the game Kinectimals might allow us to continue the theme of caring and nurturing for a digital creature/pet that was central to the experience in using Nintendogs and the Eyepet. If you haven’t seen Kinectimals then have a quick look:
As you can see we have the most wonderful participative world that has no controller but the player/players themselves! Just what, we wondered, could such a resource bring to the classroom and how it could support opportunities to develop rich learning experiences within Curriculum for Excellence.
Having shared this idea and proposed pilot project with the delegates at the LTS Early Years conference in November 2010 we were approached by Judi Regan from Menzieshill Nursery School in Dundee who said that she’d be more than willing to try out the resource in her setting. This agreed and after a discussion about its possible use we loaned the kit out to the school and let them get on with it. Alas, as is often the case with educational technology in schools, some technical issues presented some small hurdles that had to be cleared before any teaching and learning could be addressed! Issues related to linking up the audio to a pair of old PC speakers were eventually rectified and it was all systems go (apart from a scratched disc that had to be replaced)!
The resource was introduced to the staff by Judi and Louise Reid at last week’s in-service day and this was followed up today by me when I spent all morning working with various groups of children and their workers in order to set up profiles and start them on their journey with Kinectimals. It must be said that initial reactions to the resource from the children varied from bemusement to excitement but with very many of them wanting to know when it would be their turn!
Lousie Reid (Acting Head) and Judi Regan will be sharing their experiences via guest blogposts on our site over the next few weeks as well as through their seminar at the Game To Learn: Take 2! GBL Conference in Dundee on Saturday 19 March. Come along to hear their story and in the meantime have a listen to our chat with Judi about the early beginnings of their Kinectimals project.
Judi Regan discussion transcript
If you are also using Kinectimals in your seting we’d love to hear from you. Watch out for the developing story from the team and children at Menzieshill Nursery School.
Categories Early Years
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Thanks for this Derek.
Very useful!