A Whole New World With Minecraft

Purpose & objective

Minecraft: Education Edition is an educational version of Minecraft designed specifically for classroom use. Minecraft: EE was developed by Microsoft and Mojang as a teaching and learning tool that allows students to participate in unique and creative learning opportunities. This session will provide attendees with information about using Minecraft: EE to teach state standards.

I will begin the session by discussing what Minecraft: EE is, how it can be purchased and accessed, and the technology requirements needed to use the program.

I will then share the benefits of using Minecraft: EE in schools. These benefits include student engagement, mastery of Georgia Performance Standards, and teaching students skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. I will share a brief video of our students discussing Minecraft: Education Edition and what they perceive to be benefits of the program.

I will also share the specific differences between Minecraft and Minecraft: EE, including the designated educational features of Minecraft: EE. One difference is that Minecraft: EE provides additional inventory options, including signs, boards, a camera, and the portfolio tool. Using Minecraft: EE, students can take “pictures” of their creations, add captions, and export these pictures into a portfolio, which can then be uploaded to a learning management system.

Attendees will participate in a brief Minecraft activity to become more familiar with the basics of the program. I will provide laptops with the program for attendees to work in groups to learn beginning functions of the program, including how to join a world, how to move, and how to access and use items in the inventory and tool bar.

To give attendees ideas about using Minecraft: EE with their students, the presentation will include examples and pictures of collaborative lessons planned with classroom teachers and designed to support the Georgia Performance Standards. I have used Minecraft: EE with students in kindergarten through fifth grade and will provide at least one example for each grade. Lesson ideas include: kindergarten community helpers, first grade sources of light, second grade push and pull roller coasters, third grade fraction houses, fourth grade book settings, and fifth grade Hoovervilles.

In addition, I will share information about lessons we have designed as critical thinking challenges. For example, I taught students how to build a word and use redstone circuits to make the word flash. I will share the Minecraft: EE monthly challenges and how to implement them school-wide.

My presentation will address common challenges that educators face when implementing Minecraft: EE with students. One common challenge educators cite is student assessment. I will share assessment tools I have used, including checklists and rubrics.

To conclude, attendees will be given resources to help begin their Minecraft journey both as a player and as an educator. The resources I have found to be particularly helpful include the Minecraft: EE website, the My Minecraft Journey on the Microsoft Educator Community site, and various books and YouTube channels.

Supporting research

https://education.minecraft.net/impact/