Teaching with Minecraft -- Part Two

Teaching with Minecraft -- Part Two

And so the listing continues:

Here are more links for you to follow --

1) This first is an article -- we ourselves have worked on building Shakespeare's Globe in Minecraft.(It is a challenging project and best done over a term and as a group project.)  I also like the periodic table of the elements assignment -- but then, I am a science and math nerd and am married to a scientist so, smile, you can take that with a pinch of salt!: http://blog.k12.com/educational-technology-and-tools/transforming-way-we-learn-why-minecraft-amazing-learning-tool#.UhtgURtONs0

2) Speaking specifically to the question of MinecraftEDU -- here is an article from Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/minecraft-in-classroom-andrew-miller  -- please note the comment about using Minecraft to teach ration and proportion -- it is on often overlooked by teachers but one that Minecraft does very well. The use of blocks can be mimiced by the use of 1 block legos or by other 'real' world bricks.

3)Betcha never thought of this as an application in Minecraft: http://gettingsmart.com/2013/01/how-minecraft-is-teaching-a-generation-about-teamwork-the-environment/ -- Environmental education and scarce resources as well as cooperative learning! In survival mode, Minecraft is a game par excellence for these skills AND, if you have kids who are 'HUNGER GAMES' fans, there are MODS ( Go here) which will allow your students to play the games -- which you can then turn into discussions about the book/movie/game. There is A LOT of material there, believe me.

4) The following is an article by a student whose instructor used MinecraftEdu -- I include it so that you can see what is being done and how students are reacting: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shajed-ahmed/minecraft-computer-game_b_3579651.html

5)http://teachingwithminecraftedu.blogspot.com/ -- a Minecraft teaching blog

6)http://www.examiner.com/article/minecraft-homeschool-incredible-educational-minecraft-inspiration-from-all-over -- this is another collection of weblinks to Minecraft teaching ideas. Yippee!!! Rabbit trails!

7)https://blogs.oracle.com/arungupta/entry/introducing_kids_to_java_programming  -- and this, of course, was my FIRST teaching idea, using Minecraft to introduce and encourage the learning of programming skills... the kids learn anyway but not in an organized manner. Here is a more directed suggestion.

Now I am off to get more coffee. Have fun until next we meet.