After that session it was obvious to me that plans I had were too big! I am very good at having 'grand plans!'
The main problem is that I think the children need much more time to get used to this Wii game which might not be that easy to provide. I plan on having the teams of 5/6 coming in at lunchtime on a rota so that they can each get used to their role before our big day on Friday.
Their 'jobs' will be..
- Navigating on the Wii
- Taking photos on the Wii
- Giving clear instructions and directions on how to achieve the Wii objectives (2 children)
- Taking photos with digital camera to use for their reports
Last week they used Switch Zoo for part of their research. I'd prepared a ppt that had various photos of animals that live in the Serengeti with links to the info page about them. The children took notes about 3 different animals. Their task in literacy this week is to continue with their work on how to write paragraphs correctly by writing a factual report about each of the animals they chose. They will then type this up in our ICT session and will use it as part of their final session when they use 'ript' to create their final report. These ript pages will then be printed and made into a book that contains information about some of the animals in the Serengeti.
I also plan on having this finished book uploaded onto our DB so that they can share their work with their parents.
During the week we'll have 3 afternoon sessions about this project,
- geography - where in the world/landscape and how it's different to ours - use the Wii + utube videos
- an introduction to habitats and why these animals live there/endangered animals
- art - a map of the Serengeti with the animals they have written about
On Friday the big focus will be on the use of the Wii and the good teamwork necessary to get the best out of their Wii session - I'm thinking of giving rewards for the number of objectives achieved - ie the higher the number of objectives achieved the better the teamwork will have been. After each Wii session I'll download the photos taken with the digital camera so that the children will be able to use them in their 'ript' reports.
When the children aren't using the Wii they will be in the ICT suite creating their final report.
Don't stop having grand plans!I did have a few worries about the time needed to play/explore/learn the game before giving it a curriculum focus but your idea to give them lunchtime sessions is a good one.
Also, your focus on the teamwork/collaboration aspects is spot on in my opinion. Gaming is a perfect vehicle for these types of learning.
I can't wait til Friday!
Finally, I got a useful tip from @josepicardo who advised me to draft blog posts in a word processor first so you don't 'lose' them. He does it for his 'Box of Tricks' blog.
Good luck with your wanderings in the Serengeti.
My advice: take your time.
Don't go running through at such a pace that you miss out on some of the stunning scenery and experiences.
Agree with Dughall, that the collaboration and communication is paramount
Have fun!
Tim