ISTE February 2011 issue article - Brain Training With Video Games

http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-february-march-2011.aspx I just read an interesting ISTE February 2011 journal article, Brain Training With Video Games, by Curtis Boehmer. He has worked over 30 years in a Michigan school with speech and language delayed students, and has sought effective ways to support their academic achievement. He certainly seems sold on an intensive, research-based intervention program using video games to teach attention skills, visualization, sequencing, patterning and spatial relationship abilities. The program does involve a 45 minute, 4 day a week commitment by the students, over a 12 week period. Boehmer admits that teachers of these students didn't see any visible progress until after 6 or 7 weeks, but then noticed academic gains from the students. I agree with Boehmer that the video games' inherent engaging format, repetition of skills, and integration of different abilities is what helps make it successful for these students. But he also admitted that after students "peak" at a certain point, they don't really show more gains unless their teacher steps in with encouragement, to spur them on to further achievement. It seems as if the combination of technology (to "hook" students and keep them engaged with repeated practice and the intrinsic motivation to succeed in the games) and human contact (teacher praise and encouragement) is likely the key to the program's success. I know in today's world, we can't fight students' attraction to video games - they are addictive. But I was glad to see that human contact and intervention also play a part in helping struggling students. Technology can be rather distant and sterile, and most everyone likes to share what they have learned or achieved with other people, or someone significant in their lives. So while I understand that "brain training" may be the way to proceed with students, I hope we teachers don't neglect that human touch. People still need people!