BBC Newsround comes to Fraserburgh!

Earlier last week LTS was contacted by BBC Newsround and asked if we’d be able to accommodate a visit by them to a school that has been using Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training. Apparently they had picked up on an article in The Scotsman that was questioning the costs of such a venture and the suggestion that schools were being ‘urged to spend’ on games consoles. At short notice Fraserburgh South Park PS were able to offer a venue for the ‘shoot’ and it was all systems go and up to the Broch everyone headed! The BBC crew arrive and duly made their way to the P.6 class who were to play the starring role. Fraserburgh South Park was one of the primary schools involved in our extended Kawashima trial that we carried out last summer. The school was, however, one of the control groups and after their go with the consoles and games they decided to allocate some of their own funds to purchase their own set of consoles and some games. The BBC engagement was interesting. They spent a bit of time interviewing me and asked me to remember that I was speaking to a young audience, Now, I thought I would manage that quite well but it became quite difficult to distil what we have been trying to do into a quick soundbite for children’s TV. I was directed in some way to saying that using the game was fun and better than boring maths but I don’t believe that that’s what it is about. There’s so much more to this than having fun with a computer game. They eventually got something that they were happy with and then made their way to the class. The eager Newsround stars of P.6 were very excited by the arrival of the BBC Newsround people and it must be said that each and every one of them conducted themselves in a manner that must have delighted their Headteacher. They were polite, friendly and very willing to talk openly about what they thought the use of games in the classroom meant for them. If the story about costs is what the BBC Newsround team were more focused on then I think they really missed the point. If you have a look at the clips on the Newsround website where the children are interviewed you can hear how much they think the intervention has helped them. Each response from the children was better then the previous one with one boy in particular talking about how the game has really helped him with his maths because he now feels much more confident and doesn’t feel that it’s such a struggle any more. Every time I hear comments such as this I smile. I have to ask Newsround a question though and it is was the decision to go on the costs issue the right one in terms of presenting this idea as an issue for debate to their audience? Shouldn’t they have been debating the efficacy of such an undertaking? I cant help feeling that they may have missed an opportunity here to present the real issue to their audience. Irrespective of whether the children were asked to look glum by the BBC people as they constructed their piece that talked about moving from old school pencil and paper (look glum please) to new school (games consoles and now smile) or if I was slightly disappointed about the focus of the piece the visit and subsequent coverage turned out to be another positive experience for Scottish children and further positive exposure of the work we are doing. One last thing, the Campaign for Real Education person they rolled out this time talked about schools having money to burn, this being a crazy idea and that children need to do maths - well have a look at this. On my arrival at the school I was told about a boy who was able to do the x20 game in Dr Kawashima in 9 seconds! Yes 9 seconds!!! I had to see this for myself so they went and brought this ridiculously talented lad to me as I couldn’t believe he had bettered my best time of 10 seconds! Who did he think he was! I watched him do it in 13 seconds but saw his profile and look for yourself…9 seconds: Brilliant stuff young man! This is why we feel games have a place in school. We believe that our work in this paricular context has helped make it an aspiration for children to be as good as they can possibly be at mental maths,. How can anyone suggest, with such fundamental zeal, that this is a crazy idea? Thanks to all in Aberdeenshire, Fraserburgh South Park and the BBC for a great day and for showcasing the innovative, yet informed, work with games and learning that we are willing to explore in Scotland.