AARON MAURER @COFFEECHUGBOOKS WWW.COFFEEFORTHEBRAIN.COM

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WHO IS COFFEECHUG?

@COFFEECHUGBOOKS

HTTPS://AKA.MS/MINECRAFTEDUIDEAS

HELP CREATE THE #1 CROWDSOURCED MINECRAFT GUIDE FOR TEACHERS

DRIVING QUESTIONWILL MINECRAFT REALLY IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING?

YES

1. WEAVING AND MIXING 2. UTILIZE THE POWER AND STRENGTH OF GAMES 3. BUILD THE CULTURE FIRST!

WE MIX AND WEAVEYES, IF…..

KNOWMAD SOCIETY 3.0

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Technological  change  is  not  addi/ve;  it  is  ecological,  which  means,  it  changes  

everything.    

Neil  Postman

HOW SMART HAVE SMART BOARDS MADE CHILDREN?

UTILIZE THE STRENGTH AND POWER OF GAMES

YES, IF…..

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

I 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.

Girl, age 11-13

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.

Girl, 11-13

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

HONESTLY I THINK IF MINECRAFT WAS IN THE CLASSROOM THERE WOULD BE NOTHING UNFUN ABOUT IT

Boy, 14-18

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

Student

“SCHOOL-IZE”DO NOT

BUILD A CULTUREYES, IF WE…..

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

4 C’S SHOULD ACTUALLY BE

THE 5 C’S@pbjellygames @minegageedu

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

PATHWAYMINECRAFT IS ONE

OF STUDENT LEARNING

TEACHERSIT STARTS WITH THE

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!!!!!

@me

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?

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IT STARTS WITH US

BEFORE IT STARTS WITH

OUR STUDENTS!

CONNECTIONIT IS ALL ABOUT THE

NOT THE TECHNOLOGY

RESOURCES HTTPS://AKA.MS/MINECRAFTEDUIDEAS

AARON MAURER @COFFEECHUGBOOKS WWW.COFFEEFORTHEBRAIN.COM