I have this phobia of losing my young son to a virtual
world. We hike, catch crayfish, through a ball around, fish, stack firewood,
play soccer, catch critters, and build things. I so want to avoid the scenario
where people sit around, supposedly spending time together, but each addicted
to their personal bluescreen device of which is absorbing the majority of their
attention. Thankfully, we have made it this far. However, I am not opposed to
gaming in limited doses and was happy to hear Mindcraft had an educational
side.
Nick Bilton wrote an interesting article, “Disruptions:Minecraft, an Obsession and an Educational Tool.” With a bit of humor, he dispelled the fear of Mindcraft as a
brain rotting, zombie killing gaming experience. He described it as a building
or crafting process combined with problem solving with even a creative mode. Kids
could also collaborate on their creative projects within the game. My mind was
able to accept the possibility that this would not turn my son into an obsessed
introverted gamer still living in my basement at age 36, with no desire to experience the outside world.
It
turns out that Mindcraft can be more than just a safe recreational and creative
experience. It is being used in the classroom as a teaching tool through
high school. One teacher explains in, “The MinecraftCell: Biology Meets Game-Based Learning” that they used the game to create a model “that could mimic the real properties of a cell, and
the real interactions between a cell membrane and the different chemicals used
to extract DNA, which students could experiment with in the game."
With a bit more searching, I realized there were many
teachers using Mindcraft as a teaching tool. MINDCRAFTEDU has
a great many resources available for download. All in all, I was convinced my
son could enjoy this game and the creative education experience it can bring
(after the firewood is stacked).
This was an excellent (and funny) video about the possibilities of Mindcraft in the classroom…
More Resources for Teachers…
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