This week in class we had a guest speaker from Colquitz middle school. We worked through the Minecraft world and were taught about the potential in-class uses the game obtains. We talked about mapping on the X and Y-axis. This also had students looking at social studies and planning/ math. This game does have potential misuses but when using minecraft.edu the teacher can take complete control of students’ tasks, abilities and materials used. This can lead to either student having complete freedoms or restricted access depending on the learning goals.
source: https://www.mojang.com
This game was extremely addictive in the first ten minutes of the classroom and was extremely fun. I found people quickly lost interest in the game while few became more interested with time passing. I found that certain people in the class found ways to drown other students. This led to frustration that lead people to quit… trolls. I think I would use this game in my classroom but rather selectively and clear expectations would be set out.
Minecraft is a game, there are ways to use it in educational ways. I do believe that the teacher must have a vast knowledge of the game if they hope to keep the students on track… and from drowning one another.
Thanks Again!
Ari Stevens