Thursday, June 29, 2006
If it isn't one thing...
...turns out the gaming console has to charge, initially, for four hours. I should have opened it when it came...it would have been charged by the time Mom was awake, bathed, breakfasted and ready to pounce. As it is, she's napping now. Before she laid down she wanted to know "how much longer the thing has left to charge."
"Two hours and twenty-three minutes."
"Call me in two and a half hours, then."
"That's an awfully long nap."
"I'm going to need all the rest I can get to play the game!"
"I should hope not!"
We reviewed all the parts, took out the stylus and handled it and read the Brain Age instruction booklet after breakfast. The booklet is interesting in and of itself. It gives a brief history of the game, the theories upon which it is based, explains the types of exercises thoroughly, backs up what the exercise is supposed to do to one's brain with pictures, gives some very simple brain geography...Mom was fascinated with the booklet. So was I.
She no longer remembers that she expressed interest in the game after having seen a segment about it on 60 Minutes a week and a half ago, so I'll play the segment for her on the computer before we begin so that she can see people playing it and adopt a proper gaming mindset.
The game is preset in training mode, I guess you could call it. The instructions make it clear that once you have completed the exercises for a particular day you can repeat them but your score will not change nor will new exercises be introduced until the following day. Probably a good idea. The game also includes what I would call "pop quizzes", little "extra" exercises for fun and surprise.
The game stresses, in particular, the brain benefit of reading aloud. Mom registered this and I saw, out of the corner of my eye, her eyebrows go up. I initiated a short conversation on her reluctance to read aloud, anymore (for many years, in fact). And, it's true, she hasn't practiced in awhile so it's as awkward to listen to as it is to do, but I think I'm going to encourage her to read aloud, at least a little, when we read in the evening. When we "watch" the Bible DVD she mouths the words as the narrator reads. I don't suppose this counts, but I find it reassuring that she's following along and remembers beloved passages from long ago.
As part of the set-up for each "player", one must perform an interesting oral exam which is fully explained in the booklet; a simple mind trick. This involves speaking into the game, as well. There is a written alternate but Mom and I went over the exam in the book and she understands it well right after coaching. So, I'm a little anxious about how the set-up for Mom is going to go. I suppose we can delete and restart profiles as many times as we wish, if she doesn't snap to and understand what's going on the first time around when the computer speaks to her. I'm afraid she might rely on me to "translate", and that will surely screw up the audio training of the game that's going on in the background. We'll see how it goes.
Above all, I want the set-up and first trial of the game to be as stress free and "fun" as possible. I should record it as a podcast. I hope I remember to do that.
Later.
"Two hours and twenty-three minutes."
"Call me in two and a half hours, then."
"That's an awfully long nap."
"I'm going to need all the rest I can get to play the game!"
"I should hope not!"
We reviewed all the parts, took out the stylus and handled it and read the Brain Age instruction booklet after breakfast. The booklet is interesting in and of itself. It gives a brief history of the game, the theories upon which it is based, explains the types of exercises thoroughly, backs up what the exercise is supposed to do to one's brain with pictures, gives some very simple brain geography...Mom was fascinated with the booklet. So was I.
She no longer remembers that she expressed interest in the game after having seen a segment about it on 60 Minutes a week and a half ago, so I'll play the segment for her on the computer before we begin so that she can see people playing it and adopt a proper gaming mindset.
The game is preset in training mode, I guess you could call it. The instructions make it clear that once you have completed the exercises for a particular day you can repeat them but your score will not change nor will new exercises be introduced until the following day. Probably a good idea. The game also includes what I would call "pop quizzes", little "extra" exercises for fun and surprise.
The game stresses, in particular, the brain benefit of reading aloud. Mom registered this and I saw, out of the corner of my eye, her eyebrows go up. I initiated a short conversation on her reluctance to read aloud, anymore (for many years, in fact). And, it's true, she hasn't practiced in awhile so it's as awkward to listen to as it is to do, but I think I'm going to encourage her to read aloud, at least a little, when we read in the evening. When we "watch" the Bible DVD she mouths the words as the narrator reads. I don't suppose this counts, but I find it reassuring that she's following along and remembers beloved passages from long ago.
As part of the set-up for each "player", one must perform an interesting oral exam which is fully explained in the booklet; a simple mind trick. This involves speaking into the game, as well. There is a written alternate but Mom and I went over the exam in the book and she understands it well right after coaching. So, I'm a little anxious about how the set-up for Mom is going to go. I suppose we can delete and restart profiles as many times as we wish, if she doesn't snap to and understand what's going on the first time around when the computer speaks to her. I'm afraid she might rely on me to "translate", and that will surely screw up the audio training of the game that's going on in the background. We'll see how it goes.
Above all, I want the set-up and first trial of the game to be as stress free and "fun" as possible. I should record it as a podcast. I hope I remember to do that.
Later.
