Trying To Move On

Gaming was created to be accessible and fun to people of all ages and abilities, and was inviting as well as being sophisticated. The Nintendo Wii has a compact design that makes a natural addition to any entertainment setup. One of Wiis drawing factors is the remote control and its motion-sensing technology to entice people of all ages. The remote could be your steering wheel, a tennis racket, or a weapon depending upon your game of choice.

The Nintendo Wii is more than about gaming it features a compact design that makes it a natural addition to any television setup. The Wii is backward-compatable to all Nintendo GameCube games and includes four ports for controllers and two slots for memory cards. A self-loading bay plays single or double-layered 12 cm optical discs for the Wii console, as well as 8 cm Nintendo GameCube discs. Relatively small about the size of 3 DVD cases stacked up on top of each other, and it can be laid out flat or in style by the use of the console stand. The Wii console communicates wirelessly with the Internet via wireless or a Wii LAN adaptor, and can communicate via wireless technology with the Nintendo DS.

The Nunchuk builds on the simplicity of the Wii Remote and goes an extra step to meet the needs of gamers. The Nunchuk connects to the Wii Remote via the expansion port and is used in conjunction with the Wii Remote. In many of the games the players will use the analog stick of the Nunchuk to move characters, and perform specific actions. Both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk are somewhat dependent on each other, and therefore allowing players to hold them in either hand. This grants accessibility seldom seen in other game controllers.

The Wii uses Bluetooth technology and allows you to stand as far as 30 feet away, and up to four Wii Remotes can be connected at once. The Classic Controller which is sold separately allows the player to play classic games available through the Wii Shop Channel.

Wii console revolutionizes how games are played, and will provide an offering of a variety of entertainment, information and communication channels. The Wii menu allows for integration among the entertainment lives of each family. For fun, the Wii Remote can be personalized by a fun 3-D character called a Mii, and Miis can be stored in the Remote, and then transported to a friends house to be played on another Wii.

Potentially the Wii has a bright future. The cost will be an advantage over other systems, such as Ps3 and Xbox 360. Another major advantage is the appeal to normal or classic gamers. The Wii Remote with the Nunchuk is the catch for the non-gaming market, providing for a fun and interactive physical game, as if you were the action on the monitor.

The graphics are lacking to some degree, and have been compared to the original Xbox which werent very well liked. Between the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii the games on the Wii look bad to the human eyes. Gamers want the graphics to look as real as possible. In time these graphics will become available. The more knowledge gained then more work will be done to achieve better graphics.

Overall the Nintendo Wii is a good source of entertainment, and its future looks bright. Nintendo is all about fun, and thats the Wii, fun, engaging, and even gets a person up and moving around while still in the living room.

Carrie Fleharty is a mild-mannered school librarian, who loves moonlighting as a writer. She has written many articles, and is currently fine-tuning her craft. She has taken many workshops and classes on the art of writing, and has a modicum of success. She continues to work very hard in learning her craft. While not writing or playing with books, she's home with two Boston "Terrors" and recently added two adopted kitties. Carrie practices a deeply spiritual life, and attempts to incorporate her spirituality among the experiences of being human. She uses her spiritual teachings to impart her hard learned knowledge to others through her writing. Her articles will reflect her hobbies of bicycling, birding, hiking, nature, sports, her spirituality and her joy of living. She is currently working on a book that exposes the aspects of changing her focus from half-empty cup to a full cup.

Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone - TEHRAN -- From the choir loft, a haunting aria rises and falls through an air thick with ceremony and incense. At the altar, candles illuminate a large painting of the Madonna and Child. It is nearly midnight on New Year's Eve, yet it is standing room only at St. Sarkis Church in downtown Tehran.

If you walk into the modern classroom, you will be hard pressed to find one that is not equipped with at least one computer, if not more. The computer is becoming a permanent fixture in the classroom, and some schools are even giving students laptops to use for school purposes. This is not surprising considering how computer driven our society is, but many parents and grandparents are surprised when they learn that computer games are being used in the classroom.

What purpose do computer games in the classroom serve? Are they simply there to fill time in place of board games or outdoor playing, or do they serve an educational purpose? While games are often used to fill those times when students need something entertaining to do, they do serve a very important purpose.

Children enjoy using the computer. In fact, long before most kids have thought about school they have been on a computer. Video games, both computerized and on the television, are also extremely popular with children. Children will play computer games, so why not use them to reinforce educational material while they play?

Computer games in the classroom do not replace the teacher's role. They are used for practice and drill in most situations. Even though some subjects can be taught exclusively on the computer, such as typing, other subjects can be practiced and reinforced by playing computer games. Take spelling as an example. When students need to practice their spelling words, a simple computer game like hangman could be used to help them practice in a fun, relaxed manner.

Educational software can be used in the home as well as the school. You know that your kids love to play on the computer. Imagine giving them a game to play that is fun while at the same time works to strengthen their math skills. Both you and your children's teacher will approve of that type of screen time!

Educational computer games can also help strengthen the thinking skills of students. Games that ask students to solve mysteries are a great way to develop critical thinking skills in a fun, supportive way. These types of games are the ones that kids can play and learn without realizing that they are learning something!

When using computer games in the classroom, it is important to monitor what your students are doing. For example, you may find that a student always plays the basic math game that he knows he can win. He doesn't really need to practice in spelling, so you might encourage him to embark on a history mystery game instead. Whenever possible, computer games should be used to work on skills that a student needs to strengthen.

As with any computer use, playing computer games must be balanced with other learning. Most children would be willing to play games all day long. This, of course, is not a good way to educate students. On the other hand, never allowing a student to play on the computer could be harming him. He will be missing out on valuable practice time and a fun way to approach learning. The balance should allow students to play, while at the same time providing traditional instruction throughout the school day.

So the next time you walk into your child's school and see her on the computer, don't worry. She is being entertained, challenged and learning at the same time! Computer games play a vital role in a well-balanced classroom, so take some time to thank your teacher for allowing your kids some time to play!

Computer games for classroom and home. Huge selection, discount prices and low shipping at All Educational Software.com

Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone - Chapter 14: Israel-Hezbollah WarThe war between Israel and Hezbollah shook the landscape in the Middle East.