Teaching the Nintendo Generation: Innovation Creates a Collaborative Classroom

Camilla Gagliolo has a passion for her job. She tries to engage her students and make them excited about coming to school. One way she does this is by using Nintendo DS in her classroom! Here is what she shared with us about using this fun tool with her kids.

Students today have access to many mobile devices that could be used in the classroom. They prefer learning online and want to learn with devices they have and use everyday. Obviously, they prefer to learn with games.

Here are the top four things that elementary students use and do:
#1 Online and computer gaming
#2 Downloading music
#3 Communication by email, instant messaging and texting
#4 Maintain a personal website.

Why did Camilla choose to use Nintendo DS with her students? Check out this video made at the Robin Hood Primary School in Birmingham.


Nintendos are a great tool to use in the classroom because many children have them, they are relatively inexpensive, students know how to use them, there are many available software applications, it includes a built-in networking application called Pictochat, the learning is entertaining and games encourage learning.

Some immediate benefits to using DS were: limited or no training needed for teacher or students, networked classroom instantly, learning is transparent, allows for differentiation, teachers can tutor one on one without other students knowing, low cost and multiplayer downloads.


Here were some of the ways she used the DS in her classroom: student response system, math questions, skill practice, morning warm up, discussion questions during read aloud, finding evidence in the text they were reading, paperless classroom, station work, tutoring one on one, shared learning/instant networking, grammar practice and review.

Doesn't this sound like a classroom you'd like to visit or attend? What a neat idea!