Group items tagged

"Minecraft first came out in 2009; but just a few weeks ago it debuted on the current console generation. What makes this game endure, 5 years later - with over 15 million licensed players on the PC/Mac alone? It's awesome, that's what. If you're late to the party though, don't worry - this extensive beginner's guide has you covered."

"Teachers are already capitalizing on their students' fascination with the computer game Minecraft to teach everything from math to history. Now, a new add-on teaches kids to code their own modifications to the game. In his Wired article, Klint Finley explains how the creators of the add-on called LearnToMod hope their tool could be a gateway for students to discover a love of computer programming."

"Need more convincing that Minecraft can be a powerful tool for learning? Check out this fun video from PBS Idea Channel's Mike Rugnetta, who specifically (and very quickly) lists a number of ways the video game can and has been used to learn everything from physics to history."

"Mojang has released a fairly substantial update for the Pocket Edition of Minecraft, available for iOS and Android. This release focuses on adding more mobs, features and extended functionality, while also addressing the size of worlds and squashing any known bugs affecting the immersive experience. Version 0.9.0 contains quite the feature list, so be sure to check out the list below for a full run through."

" After three years in the making, the Minecraft version of Star Wars: A New Hope is almost done. According to the fans making the movie, the individual sets alone took six months to build - "no mods have been used, just custom textures and art." Here's their version of the original movie trailer, released in 1977:"

"GeoCraft enables schools and local businesses to work together to encourage learning about sustainability through Minecraft,  a hugely popular video game set in virtual 3D worlds made up of cubes of different materials. Using Ordnance Survey data, it would stimulate children to think about environmental challenges and ideas to solve these, and could be fed back to the local business to implement. Zoe tells us what's been happened since winning funding form GeoVation."

"Mr. Deissler (@MrDeissler) tweeted a link to a presentation deck by Jay Eitner (@iSuperEit). In it Jay touches on 3 technologies that are very important in STEM and STEAM educational environments - Makey Makey, Minecraft and Makerbots."

"A few weeks ago I presented at a teachmeet at the the Sydney Powerhouse Museum, AKA the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. The topic was STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) + X (STEM+X). The idea was to share some of the things you have done and/or are doing in your classroom or workplace around integrating STEM with other KLAs, for example, a STEM and PE project would be STEM + PE. When I was asked to present, I thought it would be a great opportunity to share how I've been using Minecraft in my classroom over the last few years and how it really can be used across all subject areas. Just like the 'play' within the game itself, what you do with it in the classroom is only limited by your own creativity and that of your students. Below I will share some of the cool things that my students and i have done and how they link to KLAs across the curriculum."

"My students come from a small, rural community and lack a broad understanding of the larger world around them. This inspired me to seek out a game, or online environment, that could provide more expansive experiences for them-a place that would allow them to explore, on their own or with others, and where I could embed history content for them to discover. On Twitter I came across an exploratory discussion of Minecraft's potential for school use. I dove in and began a journey that ultimately changed my perception of teaching and how I interact with my students. Minecraft is easy to use and implement in a classroom. It promotes student independence and creativity, but it is also an immensely collaborative tool that I have witnessed being integrated across all grade levels and content areas. Students can apply their understanding in truly unique and often unanticipated ways. Previously, my kids struggled with writing. Today, they are more creative and confident writers. Instead of getting 125 essays written in the exact same style with the same details, I now get unique historical narratives, rich with sensory experiences and observations made with their own eyes."

"In a few weeks, people around the world will celebrate Computer Science Education Week. Millions of kids and others will participate in an Hour of Code, a global call to action to spend an hour learning the basics of coding. Today, it's my privilege to announce that Microsoft has released a new Minecraft tutorial for Hour of Code, called Hero's Journey, that will be used in classrooms, at after-school programs, community centers and homes everywhere. The tutorial uses game elements loved by so many young people, and introduces a fun character called the Agent, to present computer science concepts in a fun and creative way. Learn more in a post today by Deirdre Quarnstrom, Minecraft Education general manager, and start planning your Hour of Code."

Today was Dr. Davey's first Maker Day, and an amazing one at that! Here's a look at our day. All of the Grade 1-Grade 7 students participated in today's Maker Day. Students attended two of seven different sessions based on their interests: Minecraft/Coding, Collaborative Art, Beautiful Junk, Positive Graffiti, Making Music, Lego/Blocks, and Egg Drop. Staff members paired up together to facilitate the learning at each of the sessions, and the students directed most of the learning based on their interests. I (Aviva) worked with an amazing Grade 4 student that led the Minecraft/Coding session, and even worked with small groups of students on coding the Arduino. It was really quite incredible! After two sessions, students reflected on the day and on their learning, and then extended the "Maker Learning" back in the classroom. Today was all about the Learning Skills, problem solving, creativity and critical thinking. As you can hear in our video reflection, there were also links to our classroom learning including Science (Structures) and Math (shapes, figures, and non-standard measurement). There was also a lot of Arts learning today (with creating music and creating works of art including the elements of design). What an amazing day!"

How deliciously, nerdily awesome! "@courosa: "New #Minecraft Mod Teaches You Code as You Play" #edchat #coding http://t.co/9OYpClXgAs"

"The first time linguist and game studies theorist James Gee played a video game, he failed many times over. But instead of giving up, he merrily persevered, choosing to exercise "learning muscles" he hadn't worked out since his grad school days. "Lots of young people pay lots of money to engage in an activity that is hard, long, and complex," he realized. Games were evidence that humans love learning. But why do they seem to love it more during Minecraft than in the classroom? A game, most simply defined, is nothing more than a set of problems that a player must solve in order to win. And whether played on a board, cards, a computer, an iPad, or a console, games have the ability to intrinsically shape the way we teach and learn language and literacy. "

"On this episode we'll be taking a look at the incredibly popular craft that everyone is into! No, not Minecraft... Papercraft! I'll be showing you how to make three perfect papercraft projects for beginners: A 3D folded Minecraft avatar, colorful swirly paper, and hopping origami paper froggies! Lets go!"

"The internet can be an ugly place, but you won't find bullies or trolls on Stuart Duncan's Minecraft server, AutCraft. Designed for children with autism and their families, AutCraft creates a safe online environment for play and self-expression for kids who sometimes behave a bit differently than their peers (and who might be singled out elsewhere). Learn more about one of the best places on the internet with this heartwarming talk."