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Tech Support
INTRODUCING://
TECH
SUPPORT
WELCOME TO TECH SUPPORT, a new department in ATPE News. As you know, ATPE’s slogan is Supporting Your Freedom to TeachSM. Each time we introduce
a member benefit or change an existing one, we put it to the test: How will the benefit support our members’ ability to serve
Texas students?
We hope you think this department passes the test with flying colors. Technology will forever be a huge part of our lives, and our goal for Tech Support is to uncover ways
educators across the globe are integrating technology into their classrooms. We also plan to investigate the gadgets and gizmos that are transforming students’ lives.
Please e-mail your suggestions for Tech Support articles to comm@atpe.org.
Wii works its way into classrooms
The Nintendo Wii is the hottest gaming system around. Perhaps you've haunted electronics departments to purchase one, or maybe you've "bowled" Wii-style. But are you aware of the Wii's potential classroom uses?
The Wii for the uninitiated
What separates the Wii from traditional gaming systems is the Wii Remote, a wireless controller that translates the user’s real-life
movement into onscreen movement.
The Wii console can also connect wirelessly to the Internet. For teachers, this means easy access to education games designed for use on the Wii. Find such games at www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/wiilist.htm.
How teachers are using Wii
Blogs devoted to educational technology are abuzz with accounts of Wii use in classrooms. One first-grade teacher in West Lafayette, Ind., used a Wii to teach geography. His students identified states and countries with the Wii Remote.
Three physical education teachers in Frankfort, Ill., won a grant to purchase seven Wii systems and plan to add the Wii Fit to their classes. Users stand on the Wii Fit, a balance board and scale, while following onscreen exercises, including aerobics, strength training and yoga.
DIY interactive whiteboards
One of the most-talked-about uses for Wii technology involves just the remote, not the console. Johnny Chung Lee, a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University, has devised a way to use the Wii Remote to create a DIY interactive “whiteboard.” While an actual interactive whiteboard costs hundreds of dollars, the Wii Remote sells for $35 to $50.
Lee’s methods are detailed at his Web site, www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii. Find videos of Lee demonstrating his idea by searching for “Wii whiteboard” at www.youtube.com.
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