Minecraft for Learning
by Colleen Worrell, Secondary Technology Integration Coordinator
Punching trees, creepers, cobblestone, enchanted pickaxes, and defeating the Enderdragon? Welcome to the world of Minecraft!
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| Students playing Minecraft in cafeteria after school |
Chances are, if you know a child between the ages of 6-16, you have heard of Minecraft. This digital game is like having a virtual set of Lego blocks that can be used to create whatever the player might imagine, from the mundane (a table for their house) to the spectacular (new worlds and creatures). It is a sandbox game that can be played online with laptops and desktops, mobile devices, and video consoles, so users can collaborate with friends as they create or survive in their virtual world.
In existence since 2009, Minecraft captured the attention of teachers and researchers well after it garnered a loyal following of young gamers. Recently educators have begun to explore ways to use it in the classroom. Nick Bilton’s NY Times editorial “Disruptions: Minecraft, an Obsession and an Educational Tool” (9/15/13) is a good introduction to the challenges and possibilities of using Minecraft as a learning tool. Here are some ideas Edutopia blogger Andrew Miller shares on Using Minecraft in the Classroom.
For me, both as a mom and a teacher, there are two clear benefits that make the game a learning tool, whether used in school or for fun outside of it: (1) kids learn to collaborate to achieve their objectives, and (2) kids exercise their capacity for being imaginative and inventive (read a blog post by Alexander Hiam of UMass Amherst on the importance of this!).
Today kicks off a month-long series on Minecraft in Education at Connected Learning. The series asks us to think critically about this question: Is Minecraft the Ultimate Educational Tool?. Check out some of the events in this series if you are interested: Minecraft in Education: Leveraging a Game-Based Learning Environment for Connected Learning.
Who knows? This series could help Hopkinton educators, students, and parents find ways to use Minecraft as a learning tool to support HPS' mission: "learn, create, and achieve together."
