Using Minecraft in the Classroom

 Using Minecraft in the Classroom

   

    Since my school is on Springbreak this week, I wanted to share one of my favorite technology tools to use in the classroom, Minecraft Edu.  If you have no experience with Minecraft Edu, you probably think the same thing I thought, "isn't that just a boxy game with monsters in it?"  Well, I'm here to tell you that there are monsters in it, but no, it is so much more than just a boxy game!  It is a beautiful way to engage your students while learning many different subject areas.  Minecraft
is considered a sandbox video game.  Players enter a world with endless possibilities because they have the opportunity to build, create, and mine within a 3-D realistic space.  Like the early video games, the visuals are boxy, but because everything is based on a cube shape, educational thinking and practices come easy.  

    Now I can write numerous pages on the game, but for this blog post, I will try to keep it simple. 

A Few Ways To Use Minecraft in the Classroom:

• Math- Since everything in the game is cubed, teaching volume, perimeter, shapes, adding, subtracting, and multiplication can be done pretty easily.
  
• Chemistry- Yes, chemistry can be taught.  In the educational edition of the game, there are tools within the game that allows students to break apart materials to see what it is made of at the atomic level.  For example, the student can put water into it to see that it comprises two-part hydrogen and 1 part oxygen.  They can also build materials using elements, and if it's unstable, it will explode.  
• Ecosystems and Biomes- The game has premade biomes, jungle, deciduous forest, tundra, taiga, desert, savannah, swamp, river, cold and warm oceans, and wastelands.  I have had my student create a habitat for an animal of their choosing, but they were required to pick the right environment based on the animals' adaptations and needs.
• Engineering Practices-  Students can create buildings and structures using numerous materials. 
• Coding- Have the students code the game for different enhancements by entering the digital coding section of the game. 
• Growth Mindset-  Students do not like failing, but as we know, failing is how we learn.  But, I have noticed that they don't mind failing as much in video games.  So this allows them to have that productive struggle in an environment they like and are "used to failing."
• There are many ways to use the game; go to this site for more ideas.
  
  

How to Get Started:

•  First, you will need to go to the Minecraft Edu site and make a free account.   You will be able to explore what they have to offer.  Read blogs, see lesson plans, watch videos, and more.
• Then, recommend visiting the Minecraft Edu site and going through the online training.  I did the training while we were quarantined.  The courses are broken down into segments, but it is over 10 hours of learning.  So you may want to do this over the summer break.  The lessons teach you the basics of how to play.  Then, it goes into applying the game to a learning environment.  
• Lastly, I recommend just playing with the game.  You can watch YouTube videos on anything you are interested in learning with the game.  Or, ask your students!  They will love to tell you how to do something. 

Implementing in the Classroom:

• There is an excellent chance that your students have a schema of the game, and you may have some great players, but they are most likely used to playing the traditional game.  When you begin using the game in the classroom, you will want to set your expectations early of how to play the game for learning.  There are many ways to set up the game to prevent distractions (which are taught in the online training), but you will still need to model the behavior for the kids.   I always give the expectation that if they misuse the tool, then they will lose the opportunity of using it that day (or longer).  
• There will be students with little to no knowledge of the game.   This is an excellent opportunity to pair students up and allow for collaboration.  
• You will need to talk with your technology director or principal for licensing access to the game.  
• Know that the game uses up a lot of energy when playing it.  I know that sounds silly, but if your students don't have their computers charged, they may not be able to play.  Or what I noticed is that I will have students lose the charge on their computers very quickly, and it was because they had Minecraft running in the background. 

There are so many wonderful things to share about this game.  If you ever want to collaborate with me, please contact me!