Journal 5: Brain Training With Video Games (Nets T- 1)

Boehmer, Curtis. (2011). Brain teaching with video games. Learning and Leading, 38(5), 28-30. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-february-march-2011.aspx

Brain Ware Safari is a program used to help students develop their underlying mental processing skills. This program is about attention skills, visualization, sequential processing, the ability to see patterns and understand the relationships, and other basic mental processes. The program is backed by a study that showed an average of four years of cognitive growth in three months. The program used video games in order to keep students engaged. Video games are usually not viewed as a tool for learning, but research has shown this video game helps students to think, solve problems, and overcome difficulties. It provides practice and automaticity of skills. It is a tool to help kids think better, improve their intellectual ability, and to develop their cognitive skills- the building blocks of thinking. "Technology provides the means to develop mental processing skills, so that students come to the classroom with the ability to take in and integrate the information and insight the teacher provides."

1. Do our brains have the capacity to change? Does this program work on all students?

Our brains have the capacity to change but with the right kind of training. Each brain is unique benefiting in different ways depending on our strengths and weakness. This program has worked on struggling students, gifted students, and students in between. The author tried the program on his struggling language-delayed students and the improvements changed the minds of even the nonbelievers.

2. What are some of the drawbacks to this program?

The program takes time and results in the students are gradual and sometimes unnoticeable. Some teachers said the students work had been subtle and gradual that it did not pop out to them, but when reviewing the grade book the student's performance was rising. Therefore teachers need to know they cannot improve the student's cognitive skills alone without the help of technology. This program requires intensity and repetition. Teachers need to understand there may be times when students lack motivation in the program. As the tasks become challenging students notice their success slow down this may cause frustration. This is when teachers must monitor the students, offer suggestions, and encourage them.