ISPPcraft: Minecraft in Education

Hi folks!

Recently we introduced Minecraft as a learning tool in elementary, and the student response has been so exciting you may have heard it all the way across town. Rarely does a teacher get such a motivated response from students, and surely it has something to do with the fact that Minecraft is a computer game... a fun one at that. Does this mean students are wasting valuable school time fighting zombies and digging virtual holes?

To assume so would be to underestimate the immense potential of the "virtual sandbox" that Minecraft provides... a living world of building blocks, where your lego-esque creations can grow vegetables, build working machines, model real world architecture or prototype big ideas while working collaboratively with large groups.




Historically there have been many debates over whether students should be allowed computer games in school. Parents and teachers alike have passionate perspectives on the dangers (violence, addiction, inactivity) and benefits (collaboration, creativity, problem solving) of gaming. The use of minecraft at school is a carefully thought out decision that focuses on its use as a learning tool, with a special version of the software that allows teachers a great amount of structure and control over players. Our elementary MinecraftEdu server uses custom worlds designed by or with teachers to support learning in direct connection with student's unit of inquiry. Check out some of these lessons that have been created by other educators already!

Here are some thoughts on Minecraft at school from Ms. Chelsea Woods, ISPP's technology director:

On violence collaboration  

This is a topic that falls close to our hearts because we want a peaceful world for our children, and we worry that if our children play games that include violence, they will exhibit violent behaviors. While Minecraft does allow survival game modes in which players can fight on teams or individually, it does not promote violence. We provide guidance for our students on developing peaceful solutions and strategies for managing conflict throughout our curriculum, and Minecraft provides an additional environment for developing collaborative relationships and problem solving skills so that our students can grow as responsible global citizens. 

On addiction balanced self-management  

Our children need support to develop balanced self-management. Whether they love studying, gaming, social networking, reading, sports, YouTube, 'hanging out,' or something else, the role of parent and teacher is sometimes to re-direct attention from personal interests to academics, sleep, or some other balance-creating focus. Our intent as parents and educators is to educate our children so that they will be able to find their passions, and make balanced self-management choices now, at university, and beyond. 

On inactivity being physically active 

Physical activity is an important factor in personal and academic development. For some of our learners, a passion for sport or active play makes physical activity a regular part of their day. For others, support is needed to find physical activities that provide the benefits of being active and the engagement needed to get the learner to engage in the activity. While playing Minecraft, students are not being physically active (unless they have desks like these!). They are, however, being mentally active, and Minecraft can be considered a worthwhile activity along the lines of reading, studying, art, music, science, and mathematics. 

On creativity and problem solvingPlaying Minecraft requires creativity, research, and problem solving. When you ask people what they do in Minecraft, they will often give you a perplexed look. It's not because they don't do things. It's because it's difficult to know where to begin. It's because there is too much to explain, and you might not get it anyway. Minecrafters use code, plugins, mods, command blocks and more to change the nature of their environments and control their worlds.  

Parent of a Minecrafter? Before you judge it, play it. Really. Sit down with your Minecrafter and make a world, build a crafting table, survive the night, learn to use red-stone, dig for gold (or, even better, diamonds!). Ask for a world tour. Prepare to be amazed at what your child can do and create. Be amazed at what YOU can create! 

Chelsea Woods
Technology Director

The students excitement and motivation for creation is only one of the many reasons we're excited to be using minecraft as an educational tool. I hope you'll try it out, or drop myself or Chelsea an email if you have any questions.

Happy crafting!

-M (& C!)