Wow I think a lot of people are just jealous they didn't have the privilege to have Minecraft at their schools. I think its a great idea and it puts aspects into kids lives that they would never think of. Heck I showed my sister(10 years old) Minecraft and she is building stuff way cooler than me. Plus Kids can go to their friends and show them what they built and express their inner creativity.
Because in every Minecraft addicts head:
'OH MY GOD I CAN PLACE BLOCKS I'M BEING CREATIVE'.
No. Hell to the no.
MinecraftEdu looks awkward and strange. And any project big enough to actually make people learn anything would take FAR too long and you can't quite go back to it . . . i've realised that I am only interested in projects in the first sitting.
Im in high school, and my computer math teacher said that we might be able to use minecraft to learn more about Java and Java Script by coding mods, etc.. Minecraft can be used as an educational tool. Calm down, John Proctor.
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NO, I'VE NEVER HAD KUMQUAT JUICE....yet.
I'll update this sig when I do!
I can't speak for everyone out there, but I reckon minecraft is actually a very nice program for design and other graphics based courses.
I know it's not an actual program made for learning, but designing things on a creative world can actually help broaden a students perspective on how to decorate an interior or exterior of a house for a real life project. They could be messing around building a cobblestone castle when all of a sudden they do something that sparks inspiration! I know it sounds completely far-fetched, but think about all the amazing mega structures and pixel art people have made. In a way, that's a form of architecture, taking what they they've learnt playing minecraft, students could grow up to be absolutely whatever they want in the design industry (to a certain degree).
I'm still in school, so I don't know what everyone else's take on this subject is.
I mean really, what would you exactly learn from playing Minecraft? Redstone logic? Basic geometry (a little too basic)? I mean, you can get to more advanced geometry with large Minecraft structures (domes, circles...) but those take more time then the duration of a normal class.
Only like 1% of students in school enjoy learning, mabye less. By adding this game into the teaching it becomes fun.
I'll say this if they let me play minecraft in school i wouldn't mind going.
My college has a video game course, covering history, community, influence, etc. Minecraft was featured this semester. I missed it..... *sob*
But I agree in that it develops creativity, may provide an outlet for exploring certain interests like architecture, art, computer science or digital media, or video game development even.
Spacial cognition is a huge part of Minecraft, and is a very helpful overall skill in day to day navigation, and in specialized careers or skills.
I fully support the use of video games, especially Minecraft, in education, but not as a sole means of teaching. It may spice up the classroom, but could also distract. In moderation, it can help. In excess, it could do the opposite.
It teaches creativity.
Alot of kids don't have that.
This.
Honestly, kids play too much "Incoming transmission of responsibility" and "Hayloes" these days. Kids need to learn to create and use their imagination.
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The fact that cats go bark is scientifically unproven to be 100% false.
Minecraft in school? Happens all the time at my school. And they don't even sign up for MinecraftEdu.
But seriously, I find this quite interesting. There have been attempts of using games not meant for education for education. I think Minecraft would be a good attempt at this... concept.
Besides, this is like for primary school. If it was aimed at higher grade levels, they would've taught the students how to manually create texture packs, make mods, or create complicated circuits using Redstone wiring.
Minecraft is pretty much educational for everyone. It's both the building blocks, and the creative wiring program that teaches kids alike. Pretty much how some people used ROBLOX as their source of project making (back in 08) and maybe it would go the same as for Minecraft.
Besides, the creativity is strengthened on the student through learning what it's like as an engineer, programmer, architect or artist at an early age. Basically, it teaches them how an artist molds items, how a programmer sets the pistons, then the engineer sets it up, the architect creating elegant houses.
There are many ups and downs to this who scenario.
I think that its has more downs than ups because it is going to bring alot of munchkins onto our nice little community forum here and burn it to the ground.
Firstly, this community is already burnt to the ground and secondly, I think many people would agree that teaching kids valuable life skills is much more important than making it slightly less bearable for internet nerds to chat to each other about stuff that doesn't matter (I'm aware that I'm insulting myself here so don't point that out).
25% outright refusing to "Play that crap with the **** block graphics"
60% just playing the game and refusing direction
15% doing a rush-job of whatever task/questions they are asked, then just playing the game
<1% who diligently do what is requested in the game to an acceptable level
Except that 25% has the choice of either playing a game with bad graphics or listening to an excruciatingly boring lecture (my math class jumps at the chance to play Mathletics games during class rather than reading a textbook, but wouldn't play at home if they were payed to do so).
Does this 60% just pointlessly doodle in their textbook and completely ignore what your saying in a lecture? No? Same would apply when teaching with Minecraft.
I assume that this 15% would do the same when doing a task in a textbook and then doodle away for half an hour.
Again, I assume only less than 1% of students would apply their knowledge to completing a task when using a textbook.
My opinion on using Minecraft (and other games) for teaching is that it should be used, but until scientists create a device that implants knowledge into peoples heads so it stays there forever and makes studying obsolete, there will always be a place for standard lecture and textbook lessons (so MinecraftEdu would be really epic, but should be used alongside standard teaching methods).
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No, there has never, ever been a sandbox game with a story or ending... except Grand Theft Auto... and Saints Row... and Red Dead Redemption... and Crack Down... and Assassins Creed...
I'ts ******** just allowing kids to play games when they should be doing work. It's like trying to convince eating candy and ice cream everyday for the rest of your life is a good idea.
I'ts ******** just allowing kids to play games when they should be doing work. It's like trying to convince eating candy and ice cream everyday for the rest of your life is a good idea.
But playing games is the work. Games can easily be made to be educational there's an entire genre for it. And a game like MC with no story or goal could be used to teach just about anything.
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No, there has never, ever been a sandbox game with a story or ending... except Grand Theft Auto... and Saints Row... and Red Dead Redemption... and Crack Down... and Assassins Creed...
I'ts ******** just allowing kids to play games when they should be doing work. It's like trying to convince eating candy and ice cream everyday for the rest of your life is a good idea.
It is not the same as it is controlled by mod/plug-in.
You do what the teacher says or you get kicked from the server.
Psh, they'll learn more useful things from Minecraft than in any of their other classes.
It would of been nice if I was allowed to play videogames in school, but it still wouldn't of stopped me from quitting. Really, the only good things were the science class (which only lasted 2 months) and the art class (which also stopped).
Yes, i remember this year on chemistry class we were learning about metal and metal compounds. one of the assignments was how does people convert the stuff they get from the ore into the metal by the procces of heating it... I based my answer entirely on how the furnace works... it was correct, thanks notch, your game taught me more than the chemistry book.
'OH MY GOD I CAN PLACE BLOCKS I'M BEING CREATIVE'.
No. Hell to the no.
MinecraftEdu looks awkward and strange. And any project big enough to actually make people learn anything would take FAR too long and you can't quite go back to it . . . i've realised that I am only interested in projects in the first sitting.
I'll update this sig when I do!
I'll update this sig when I do!
I can't speak for everyone out there, but I reckon minecraft is actually a very nice program for design and other graphics based courses.
I know it's not an actual program made for learning, but designing things on a creative world can actually help broaden a students perspective on how to decorate an interior or exterior of a house for a real life project. They could be messing around building a cobblestone castle when all of a sudden they do something that sparks inspiration! I know it sounds completely far-fetched, but think about all the amazing mega structures and pixel art people have made. In a way, that's a form of architecture, taking what they they've learnt playing minecraft, students could grow up to be absolutely whatever they want in the design industry (to a certain degree).
I'm still in school, so I don't know what everyone else's take on this subject is.
Somalia. Because it puts the ARRRR in anarchy! DOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOH.
I'll update this sig when I do!
Only like 1% of students in school enjoy learning, mabye less. By adding this game into the teaching it becomes fun.
I'll say this if they let me play minecraft in school i wouldn't mind going.
But I agree in that it develops creativity, may provide an outlet for exploring certain interests like architecture, art, computer science or digital media, or video game development even.
Spacial cognition is a huge part of Minecraft, and is a very helpful overall skill in day to day navigation, and in specialized careers or skills.
I fully support the use of video games, especially Minecraft, in education, but not as a sole means of teaching. It may spice up the classroom, but could also distract. In moderation, it can help. In excess, it could do the opposite.
This.
Honestly, kids play too much "Incoming transmission of responsibility" and "Hayloes" these days. Kids need to learn to create and use their imagination.
WOW WHAT. I'm really jealous that other schools have MineCraft.
Minecraft is pretty much educational for everyone. It's both the building blocks, and the creative wiring program that teaches kids alike. Pretty much how some people used ROBLOX as their source of project making (back in 08) and maybe it would go the same as for Minecraft.
Besides, the creativity is strengthened on the student through learning what it's like as an engineer, programmer, architect or artist at an early age. Basically, it teaches them how an artist molds items, how a programmer sets the pistons, then the engineer sets it up, the architect creating elegant houses.
Actually a lot of priests have interpreted Minecraft as being based off the Bible, so you could use it to teach religion.
Firstly, this community is already burnt to the ground and secondly, I think many people would agree that teaching kids valuable life skills is much more important than making it slightly less bearable for internet nerds to chat to each other about stuff that doesn't matter (I'm aware that I'm insulting myself here so don't point that out).
Except that 25% has the choice of either playing a game with bad graphics or listening to an excruciatingly boring lecture (my math class jumps at the chance to play Mathletics games during class rather than reading a textbook, but wouldn't play at home if they were payed to do so).
Does this 60% just pointlessly doodle in their textbook and completely ignore what your saying in a lecture? No? Same would apply when teaching with Minecraft.
I assume that this 15% would do the same when doing a task in a textbook and then doodle away for half an hour.
Again, I assume only less than 1% of students would apply their knowledge to completing a task when using a textbook.
My opinion on using Minecraft (and other games) for teaching is that it should be used, but until scientists create a device that implants knowledge into peoples heads so it stays there forever and makes studying obsolete, there will always be a place for standard lecture and textbook lessons (so MinecraftEdu would be really epic, but should be used alongside standard teaching methods).
But playing games is the work. Games can easily be made to be educational there's an entire genre for it. And a game like MC with no story or goal could be used to teach just about anything.
It is not the same as it is controlled by mod/plug-in.
You do what the teacher says or you get kicked from the server.
Modern punishments.
Yes, i remember this year on chemistry class we were learning about metal and metal compounds. one of the assignments was how does people convert the stuff they get from the ore into the metal by the procces of heating it... I based my answer entirely on how the furnace works... it was correct, thanks notch, your game taught me more than the chemistry book.
lolwut?