Nintendo has designed a game to flex those mental muscles through a variety of games, such as Sudoku and a Stroop Test. The game rewards users with additional unlockable content as you progress and improve your brain age. Your ultimate goal is to reach the age of 20.
According to Nintendo's own website " The Brain Age exercises are designed to stimulate your brain. Solving simple math and logic problems quickly, and reading aloud, have been proven to be effective methods of achieving this goal".
This game was developed by Professor Ryuta Kawashima as a result of his research with brain imaging. He designed activities and puzzles to help stimulate certain neural areas of the brain. This research resulted in the book Train Your Brain: 60 Days to a Better Brain. . The handheld version was later developed and the result is this game. Dr. Kawashima actually appears virtually rendered in the game. Through his work with brain imaging, Kawashima believes that "you improve your cognition by getting your brain to light up all over at once" (Thompson). Scientists may disagree with Kawashima's exact theory but they do agree that "you can get smarter and stay smarter by engaging in daily, brain-teasing activity" (Thompson).
Identified Need: To provide students a motivating means to stimulate their brains.
Learning Goals: To stimulate higher order thinking.
Technical Requirements: A Nintendo DS console, a copy of the game, batteries, replacement stylus.
Company & Pricing: Nintendo - DS: $129.99
Nintendo - Game: $19.99
Strategies for use with diverse learners in an inclusion setting: This is not a difficult piece of software to use. The students need to be trained on performing the Stroop test and handling the stylus. There is a manual to explain the numerous brain games. This software allows each user to go at his own pace. Difficulty increases with more use.
3 comments:
I need to stimulate my brain. If it is that good a program. students could use it as a bonus after doing their class work. But does stimulaing their brain help them with content. How would the two work together. Studetns are great at video games, but has it actually helped them at school? jeanne
I would love to try that game. It reminds me of this website lumosity.com that I tried. They have these games that help you improve cognitive abilities like attention, focus, etc. Working with the games help you then to do that with other things (ex. I noticed my scores when playing along with jeopardy went up after playing those games).
My boys have the game at home and I have played it. I am not sure it does all they say but it is fun and it may even help. Let's face it, it can't hurt.
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