South African school gets Kinect for the classroom

[froggyboy604]

Microsoft's Kinect hands-free controller for Xbox 360 has found its way into a South African school.

The tech giant is trialling the benefits of the peripheral in classrooms, starting with Lakeside Park Primary School in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal, Xbox Gaming SA reported.

The programme will see eight teachers being trained and equipped with an Xbox 360 and Kinect. The lesson activities will involve English-based games, seeing that many students speak another language.

The programme has already shown some promising results, according to the school.

"Shy learners, who take months to speak up in class in their mother tongue – let alone in English, were already shouting out to classmates to 'jump' and 'duck' with no inhibition," said Lakeside Park Primary Deputy Principal, Karen Kirsten.

The Kinect controller has been a huge success since its launch late last year, with over ten million units sold. The hacking community has also been quick to embrace it, using the device for everything from real-time 3D modelling to robotics.

iAfrica

I bet they mostly be learning verbs and action words since the Kinect is all about moving around in front of it.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

I think africa needs something more then a kinect. seriously though I see this being stolen very quickly.

 

[froggyboy604]

Indeed, I see the Kinects being stolen very quickly, and sold on eBay, or pawn shops by the robbers since the poor rather have food, so they use the money from the stolen Kinects to buy food.

I think books will be better since they are less likely to get stolen then anything high tech.

 

[Logan18]

Books are often times destroyed or vandilized. They could find a way to make sure the Kinect motion camera cannot be stolen, like GameStop does with their consoles that are available for play while at their store.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

Books are often times destroyed or vandilized. They could find a way to make sure the Kinect motion camera cannot be stolen, like GameStop does with their consoles that are available for play while at their store.

Africa is crime ridden, if something is going to be stolen. there going to steal the kinect, wires, and the outlet for the kinect.

 

[froggyboy604]

I see the TV and Xbox 360 most likely being stolen along with the Kinect since criminals will sell them for money to buy food or guns to commit more dangerous crimes like "Armed bank robbery with guns which they got by selling stolen electronics".

 

[hissae2]

I don't see how this is gonna help them.

 

[Sinocard]

I don't see how this is gonna help them.

HOW don't you see? It's encouraging children to learn, by using games. If they have fun while playing, and learning is the only way they can play.... Well, it's pretty obvious how it's helping them.

Your comment was like saying "I don't see how braille helps blind people"

 

[thiefraccoon]

I'm sure they considered having stuff stolen out of school.
This is great news. Good news about video gaming, not ones about a kid killing his mother because she took away his xbox.