minecraft education: will it improve education? itec 2016

First Steps

1. Go to Minecraft Education and download the software - http://education.minecraft.net/

2. Download the Tutorial World - http://education.minecraft.net/tutorial/

3. Access to slidedeck and materials found at www.coffeeforthebrain.com/minecraft

4. Be ready for fun!

Will It Really Improve Student Learning?

Who are you?

Teacher/Instructional Coach → Maker → Experimenter → Coffee Consumer

Aaron Maurer@coffeechugbooks

AGENDA1. Overview2. Build a Foundation3. Build a Culture4. Brick by Brick5. Examples6. Tutorial World - Let’s Play

This Week’s VocabularyRethinking Minecraft, Rethinking Learning

Block

World

Biome

Tick

Player

Survival

Creative

Griefing

Key IdeasOverview of Why

GAME-BASED LEARNINGEngaging, immersive

Trial & error, persistence

Collaboration, Communication

≠ Gamification

Sources:1. https://www.npd.com/ 2. http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/publication/level-up-learning-a-national-survey-on-teaching-with-digit

al-games/ 3. https://www.sri.com/work/projects/glasslab-research

91%Of US Children Ages 2-17 years play video games1

9%of teachers in the US use games to teach on a daily basis2

12%Increase in learning outcomes using games and simulations3

MINECRAFT EDUCATION EDITION

Built on top of the core Minecraft

game

Student collaboration

features

Classroom management

features

WHY USE MINECRAFT IN THE CLASSROOM?

Tangible Learning Outcomes

Student Engagement

Collaboration

Creative Exploration

COLLABORATION

Working together to build, create, & learn

Minecraft: Education Edition is designed for students to play together – whether that’s working in teams to solve a problem, or collaborating as an entire class complete learning activities.

“To function effectively in increasingly complex business structures and organizations, employees must become more comfortable with ambiguity, take initiative, and be able to work in a team-based environment.”

IDC Skills Requirements for Tomorrow's Best Jobs (2013)

The World is their canvas

CREATIVE EXPLORATION

There are no step-by-step instructions in Minecraft – students must try, fail, and try again to achieve the result they want. This open canvas encourages independence and self-direction, where students are able to express themselves and their ideas in unique ways.

“Imagination is the source of every form of human achievement. Creativity is as important now in education as literacy and we should treat it with the same status”

Ken Robinson

Learn by Doing

TANGIBLE LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning-by-doing in Minecraft teaches students independence and perseverance, giving them great satisfaction and sense of accomplishment when they can demonstrate their knowledge

“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment. And Education should no longer be mostly imparting knowledge, but must take a new path – to seek the release of human potential”

Maria Montessori

EDUCATION FEATURES

Simple, Secure Sign-in

Easy Classroom Collaboration

Camera and student portfolio demonstrate learning and progress

Classroom management features like maps and chalkboards

Specialized education blocks to enhance teaching and learning

NPC’s provide additional in-game teaching assistance

Tutorial experience for first-time Minecraft educators

Sample lessons and ideas for learning activities

Students and Teachers use their Office 365 Education email accounts to log in to Minecraft: Education Edition, ensuring secure access to the game and student data privacy.

SIMPLE, SECURE SIGN-IN

An entire classroom can play in the world together (no separate server required), and a Friends tab makes communicating and collaborating even easier.

EASY CLASSROOM COLLABORATION

EDUCATION SKINS

Skins allow students to personalize their avatar, increasing student engagement and allowing educators to more easily differentiate students playing together.

CAMERAThe Camera allows students to take screenshots of their work.

The portfolio is a place where students can save the screenshots they’ve taken with the Camera and add notes.

PORTFOLIO

The Map view gives Teachers a view where they can see all their students.

MAP

Educators can use three different sized chalkboards to communicate learning goals, or challenge students with problems to solve within the game.

CHALKBOARDS

BORDER BLOCKSBorder Blocks help teachers define areas in the game that their students can build and play in.

ALLOW DENY BLOCKSThese blocks allow educators to set editable or read-only areas of the world – allowing, or denying students the ability to build.

NPC (NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS)NPCs can be placed in the game to provide information to students, give direction, and link to other resources.

A guided tutorial experience helps Teachers new to Minecraft navigate and do basics functions in the game.

TUTORIAL

SAMPLE LESSONSA library of sample lessons and ideas for learning activities is available online

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTSMinecraft: Education Edition requires:• Device: MacBook or Windows 10 compatible device• Operating System: Windows 10, or OS X El Capitan• Identity: Office 365 Education account for each player• Network: Wi-Fi or LAN to log in and for multi-player capabilities*

*NOTE: Students will only be able to play with other Office 365 Education accounts in the same school domain/tenant

Will It Really Improve Student Learning?

yes1. WEAVING AND MIXING

2. UTILIZE THE POWER AND

STRENGTH OF GAMES

3. BUILD THE CULTURE

FIRST!

Mix

KNOWMAD SOCIETY 3.0

TEXT

Technological change is not additive; it is ecological, which means, it changes

everything.

Neil Postman

HOW SMART HAVE SMART BOARDS

MADE CHILDREN?

UTILIZE THE STRENGTH AND POWER OF GAMES

WHY DO YOU PLAY MINECRAFT?

I LIKE HOW YOU CAN BUILD ANYTHING AND DO CRAZY THINGS I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD DO.

Girl, age 11-13

IT’S AMAZING THERE’S SO MANY PEOPLE USING IT IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. IT’S A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY NO MATTER WHAT IT IS.

Girl, age 11-13

THAT YOU CAN GET DIAMOND WEAPONS AND ARMOR. YOU GET TO KILL CREEPERS AND ZOMBIES. I LIKE TO BUILD MANSIONS AND ROLLER COASTERS

Boy, age 8-10

Girl, age 11-13I PLAY MINECRAFT BECAUSE I CAN FORGET ABOUT EVERYTHING AND PLAY A GAME THAT I GET TO DO WHATEVER I WANT IN. I CAN PLAY WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE ARE, WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE, OR WHERE YOU’RE FROM. I’VE MADE THE MOST AMAZING FRIENDSHIPS FROM THIS GAME.

IF YOUR SCHOOL HAD MINECRAFT IN THE CLASSROOM, THEN WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TEACHERS TO

KNOW?

I'VE USED A LOT OF EDUCATIONAL 'GAMES' IN SCHOOL. PUTTING AN ANIMATED CHARACTER WITH A FUNNY VOICE NEXT TO A BUNCH OF MATH PROBLEMS DOESN'T MAKE THEM ANY MORE FUN. THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT TO KEEP STUDENTS INTERESTED IN MINECRAFT THEY HAVE TO USE ACTUAL GAMES (NOT LIKE A GAME AS A REWARD FOR DOING A PROBLEM ACTUAL GAMES THAT ARE FUN AND THAT STUDENTS WILL WANT TO KEEP PLAYING WAY AFTER THEIR TEACHER TELLS THEM TO STOP). MAKE SURE YOU KNOW IF YOUR STUDENTS ARE ENJOYING IT AND LET THEM BE CREATIVE WITH IT. I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT TEACHERS FIND SOMETHING THAT SEEMS COOL BECAUSE IT'S TECHNOLOGY AND USE IT. THEY ARE USUALLY A LOT MORE WORK THAN THEY ARE WORTH AND THE STUDENTS END UP GETTING BORED OR NOT LIKING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. TEACHERS NEED TO KEEP THEMSELVES FROM GETTING EXCITED ABOUT THINGS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENTS ARE ENJOYING IT, IF THEY AREN'T THEN STOP. FINALLY, TEACHERS NEED TO REALIZE THAT SOMETIMES IT'S EASIER FOR THE STUDENTS TO LEARN IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY (TEXTBOOK, PAPER, PENCIL). IT'S OKAY TO DO IT THAT WAY SOMETIMES SO THE STUDENTS DON'T GET TOO BORED WITH THE NEW STUFF EITHER AND CAN STILL LEARN THE THINGS THEY NEED TO LEARN AT THE PACE THEY NEED TO LEARN THEM.

WATCH THEIR FACE AND DETERMINE THEIR EMOTION. IF THEY LOOK CONCENTRATED OR FRUSTRATED THAT IS GOOD. IF THEY ARE HAPPY AND EXCITED OR SURPRISED THAT IS ALSO GOOD.

Boy, 8-10

MAKE SURE WE ARE INTERACTING WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CLASS WHEN WE PLAY IT. IT IS MORE FUN THAT WAY.

Girl, 11-13

Boy, 14-18HONESTLY I THINK IF MINECRAFT WAS IN THE CLASSROOM THERE WOULD BE NOTHING UNFUN ABOUT IT

DON'T COMPLETELY RESTRICT WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO. MINECRAFT IS ABOUT FREEDOM AND CREATIVITY

Student

Do Not Schoolize

BUILD A CULTURE

ELEMENTS OF A QUALITY LEARNING CULTURE

▸ allows students to be curious

▸ allows students to be playful

▸ allows students to be risk takers

▸ allows students to be persistent

▸ allows students to share

▸ allows students to be treated like a person

@pbjellygames @minegageedu

4 C’S SHOULD ACTUALLY BE THE 5 C’S

5 C’S▸ critical thinking

▸ collaboration

▸ communication

▸ creativity

▸ Common Core

BRICK BY BRICKHOW DO I START?

SIMPLE IDEAS TO START

▸ Students blog/journal their role playing adventures

▸ Students create models of the curriculum

▸ history

▸ book

▸ science ideas

SIMPLE IDEAS TO START

▸ Math - perimeter, area, volume

▸ Students screencast their own work - 21st century skills

▸ Student choice

▸ Rollercoaster

▸ Build a mall/store/city(supply chain)

▸ Digital Citizenship

▸ Zoo or Jurassic Park

EXAMPLES

Minecraft is one pathway to

engage student learning

TEACHERS

IT STARTS WITH YOU

@me

WE CANNOT FIT A SQUARE PEG INTO A ROUND HOLE. DO NOT FORCE MC INTO THE CLASSROOM JUST BECAUSE IT SEEMS COOL AND FUN. BARF!!!!!

FIND AND DETERMINE A

LEARNING OUTCOME

▸ If Minecraft works, then you have an entry point.

▸ The challenge with any tech is to determine if it will develop the skills and student learning, NOT just increase engagement.

▸ Engagement is important, BUT engagement does not always translate to learning.

ASK YOURSELF

▸ Could Minecraft make a positive impact on engagement and motivation in your classroom?

Describe one area of your curriculum where you can integrate MC.

▸ Where might you identify opportunities in your curriculum to include Minecraft?

▸ Describe a passive activity

that you currently have your students complete that you can make more active?

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING

▸ What are your plans for building your world?

▸ How will your world tie into your standards?

▸ What do you think will be the most difficult part of your build?

▸ What kind of mode are you going to use?

▸ What type of starting world are you using and why?

▸ What problems are you running into planning, building, or managing?

IT STARTS WITH US BEFORE IT STARTS WITH OUR STUDENTS!

SUBJECT: Science/BiologyGRADE: 6th

EXAMPLE LESSON

River Ecology Simulation

RIVER ECOSYSTEM PROJECT:in teams, model a river ecosystem and present to class, use field work as baseline for measurements

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:• Understand salmon habitat

requirements

• Topography and cubic volumes

• Current and water flow (how use of dams affect ecosystem)

MINECRAFT: EDUCATION EDITION DEMO

Get in touch!Twitter: @coffeechugbooks

Email: aarmau@gmail.com

www.coffeeforthebrain.com

Examples of MinecraftJeanne Caudill

Build 3 Little Pigs home

XBOX Minecraft

As you can see, these children are engaged!

When we begin using Minecraft, we start in small groups using the Xbox.