NIST believes in the power of student generated inquiry. In our Makerspace we are exploring topics like Minecraft, Videogame Programming with Scratch, Robotics Inventions using Arduino, Remote Control, Electronics and hopefully soon, 3Dprinting.
But isn't Minecraft a game?
Yes, and so much more too!
But isn't Minecraft a game?
Yes, and so much more too!
Phase 1: Skill Development
In this phase, students will be introduced to, and coached up on, the skills necessary to take on more advanced fabrication and prototyping challenges. In the skill development phase, students will learn from peers who have more experience and expertise in navigating and building within MinecraftEdu. Student coaches will guide and model others who are looking to become more fluent and efficient in virtual design skills. The students in the Skill Development phase will be practicing and applying their craft within the Fabrication world, where they will be exposed to students with higher skill levels. By exposure to those with further-developed skills, along with peer coaches guiding them, students in this phase will be gradually released to greater degrees of virtual design independence.
Phase 2: Fabrication
In the Fabrication phase, students will have the design skills to efficiently build and craft models in MinecraftEdu. The Fabrication world will have a variety of choice-based options for students to design. In this phase, students will replicate or model objects that have already been designed off screen. For example, students might re-create a virtual model of a LEGO world that was build my other students in the MakerSpace. Or, they might learn about and build large-scale models of one or more of the following: wind turbines, the human digestive system, a car engine, a computer, a volcano, a human brain, the solar System, a human cell, a magnetic field, a pulley system, a famous painting or sculpture, an electric circuit, tectonic plates, a recycling plant, an airplane, etc. The focus in the Fabrication phase is on analyzing designs that already exists in the world and applying knowledge via replication. The Fabrication phase of one where students re-create content and build background knowledge.
Phase 3: Prototyping
The final phase, Prototyping, is where students take their exposure to previously thought-of designs, couple it with their continued skill development, and take it to the next level. Prototyping is where students begin to design and create their own ideations, conceptualizations and innovations. They will take their knowledge of how things work in the world and come up with new and previously unthought of models of design. In the Prototyping world, students are encouraged to use the “Makerspace between their ears” to bring their imaginations to virtual reality. Taking this a step further, their virtual Minecraft design might even be selected to become concrete reality, with the help of a 3D printer. The Prototyping phase is where student play with ideas, create and recreate their own concepts through a making lens.
In this phase, students will be introduced to, and coached up on, the skills necessary to take on more advanced fabrication and prototyping challenges. In the skill development phase, students will learn from peers who have more experience and expertise in navigating and building within MinecraftEdu. Student coaches will guide and model others who are looking to become more fluent and efficient in virtual design skills. The students in the Skill Development phase will be practicing and applying their craft within the Fabrication world, where they will be exposed to students with higher skill levels. By exposure to those with further-developed skills, along with peer coaches guiding them, students in this phase will be gradually released to greater degrees of virtual design independence.
Phase 2: Fabrication
In the Fabrication phase, students will have the design skills to efficiently build and craft models in MinecraftEdu. The Fabrication world will have a variety of choice-based options for students to design. In this phase, students will replicate or model objects that have already been designed off screen. For example, students might re-create a virtual model of a LEGO world that was build my other students in the MakerSpace. Or, they might learn about and build large-scale models of one or more of the following: wind turbines, the human digestive system, a car engine, a computer, a volcano, a human brain, the solar System, a human cell, a magnetic field, a pulley system, a famous painting or sculpture, an electric circuit, tectonic plates, a recycling plant, an airplane, etc. The focus in the Fabrication phase is on analyzing designs that already exists in the world and applying knowledge via replication. The Fabrication phase of one where students re-create content and build background knowledge.
Phase 3: Prototyping
The final phase, Prototyping, is where students take their exposure to previously thought-of designs, couple it with their continued skill development, and take it to the next level. Prototyping is where students begin to design and create their own ideations, conceptualizations and innovations. They will take their knowledge of how things work in the world and come up with new and previously unthought of models of design. In the Prototyping world, students are encouraged to use the “Makerspace between their ears” to bring their imaginations to virtual reality. Taking this a step further, their virtual Minecraft design might even be selected to become concrete reality, with the help of a 3D printer. The Prototyping phase is where student play with ideas, create and recreate their own concepts through a making lens.
Examples:
We have included several links to how we are using, or envision using Minecraft in the classroom. What wasn’t fully covered in the blog and videos by REID WILSON were some of the comments, quotes and dialogue that came out of the engagement. MinecraftEdu is where the experience happens, but most of the learning comes from student-centered reflection and dialogue that occurs offline and in-between the virtual sessions. |
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As is the nature of sandbox games, players can roam free, choosing objectives as they go. Because Minecraft has such open possibilities and potential, the student can choose how he or she wants to use it.
Just as the student has the ability to be creative, the teacher has the same. That can be overwhelming, but luckily, there is a tool for using Minecraft created by teachers for teachers. Click on the image to learn more or check out the Minecraft teacher for more ideas. |