The Nintendo DS Comes To Class

Wouldn't it be fun if your school allowed you to do a math or english lesson on a Nintendo DS console instead of a boring workbook? If you go to school in Japan, it may already be a reality - for those of us living elsewhere, we can only hope!

A number of Japanese schools have recently begun testing using the Nintendo DS console with lessons created from actual workbooks to teach English, Math and Japanese to middle school students.

One of the schools that is leading the way in this test program is Tokyo's Joshi Gakuen, an all-girls middle school. Here thirty-two seventh-graders are learning to spell basic English words like 'cola' and 'hamburger', using the Nintendo-DS. When the girls get it right, the screen beeps 'good' at them and first five girls who complete the lessons correctly, are awarded colorful stickers.

The teacher says that the girls are showing real progress in a language that has traditionally been very tough to teach. Other Japanese schools are using the DS to teach Math and Japanese. Despite the fact that no games are allowed and the consoles are collected as soon as the lessons are done, students seem to be really enjoying this new and fun way of learning.

Since schools in Japan have full autonomy of how they teach the curriculum, this may never be widely adopted, especially give that most teachers and parent are a little skeptical (doubtful) about how you can learn while having fun. To us, it seems like the way things ought to be taught in the 21st Century - What do you think? Be sure to add your comments below.

Sources: Salon.com,Now Public.com