8. Gaming in the Classroom

Last class I had the opportunity to learn from some self-proclaimed Minecraft nerds and I couldn’t help but think about my brother. My brother Finn is thirteen, taller than me,  and in the dictionary as the visual representation of a Minecraft nerd. I am thankful that I was able to get Finn on a call to share his experience and enthusiasm. Poor zoom-quality and zoom interruption awkwardness aside, I really enjoyed hearing Finn’s ideas and I love that he chose to bring Minecraft into the classroom. While this might confuse you more than educate you on the inner-workings of Minecraft because there are so many mechanics, I hope you can hear in his voice how exciting it can be to exist in the Minecraft world.

Ashley and Finn’s Almost 20 Morning Minutes: A Chat About Minecraft

To learn more, here is a guide that walks the player through the major game mechanics. In the description of the video on youtube are the timestamps for different topics. If you already understand the in game wood gathering and crafting  skip ahead! I have listed what is covered in the video below. Remember, there is a creative mode where some of these mechanics are turned off.

• Gathering Wood​
• Basic Crafting​
• Housing/Shelter​
• Tools & Weapons​
• Food (meat)​
• Furnace​
• Farming (plants)​
• Bed/Spawn Point​
• Armour​
• Mining​
• Exploring & Navigating​
• Compass​
• Map​
• Boat​
• Taming​
• Villages & Traders​
• Minecarts & Mechanisms​
• Biomes​
• Special Locations​
• The Nether realm​
• Strongholds​
• The End realm​
• Modes, Mods & Servers

Even just reading through this list had me thinking of all the potential for learning. However, I am unsure how I would actually implement learning through gaming. Truly, it is out of my comfort zone. I look forward to continued learning in classroom tech.

I hope you are feeling well. I hope you are hydrated. I hope you have a great day!

Credits: Feature photo by beasty . on Unsplash