Posts on “ minecraft ”

It’s a rare teacher who encourages students to visit another world when they should be focused at school. But that’s exactly how Joel Levin, a computer teacher at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, got his 2nd-graders engaged. Joel introduced the game Minecraft – in which players create new civilizations – with a simple instruction: “Think of this world as part of school.”  He shares, ”Over several weeks, students will collaborate, share limited resources, and create a functioning society.  Through the lens of the game, they will be introduced to the concepts of digital citizenship — each child must behave responsibly and treat his or her fellow players with respect.  Students wishing to learn more about the game are encouraged to practice basic research skills as they search the various wikis and forums devoted to the game. Joel become so passionate about using Minecraft in school that he ultimately teamed up with partners around the globe to create a version of the game, MinecraftEdu,  specifically for use in educational environments. According to minecraftedu.com, the game “is being used to teach more than just computer skills. It easily lends itself to science, technology, engineering and math explorations (STEM). But beyond that, language teachers are… Read the Rest»