No need to leave connected learning to the imagination. Well, sort of – plenty is left to students' imaginations! Teacher Jacqui Murray in southern California spells out in a blog post exactly how she uses Minecraft for students to work on reading comprehension, writing and problem-solving. She agrees with New Jersey K-8 teacher Marianne Malmstrom on what makes Minecraft so great for learning: … [Read more...] about A teacher on what teaching in Minecraft looks like
Marianne Malmstrom
Dealing with distraction with the HELP of digital environments
Learning how to be present, attend to others, know what's important in a given moment and stay focused on it has always been a vital part of growing up. "The ability to focus is a secret element to success that often gets ignored," according to an article in Mind/Shift that cites the work of psychologist Daniel Goleman, an author of a book about this. Because this piece about distraction leads … [Read more...] about Dealing with distraction with the HELP of digital environments
Minecraft & the shared, creative safety of gaming, social media
Reporters and reviewers write about Minecraft as if it's just like any other videogame. Even this highly readable piece about its creator (Markus Persson, aka "Notch") and its parent company (Mojang) by Harry McCracken in Time magazine doesn't cover what makes it different from other games specifically for its kid (and parent) players. But he does bring out this extraordinary differentiating … [Read more...] about Minecraft & the shared, creative safety of gaming, social media
Mining Minecraft, Part 3: Safety & citizenship in games (do try this at home!)
Guest post by Marianne Malmstrom I’m thrilled by the competency and resourcefulness of my young students. But I also feel an urgency to inform parents and teachers that our children need us to be present and involved online. Just as in “real world" spaces, they require supervision and guidance in virtual spaces. They don’t know to ask for permission to make accounts, connect with friends, … [Read more...] about Mining Minecraft, Part 3: Safety & citizenship in games (do try this at home!)
Mining Minecraft, Part 2: Brilliance when students drive the learning
Guest post by Marianne Malmstrom At the Elisabeth Morrow School, we have been on a journey to help our students develop the essential skills of creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking and citizenship. We turned to virtual worlds and MOGs because these are the same skills many young gamers practice through immersive play. Initially, we used these spaces largely for curriculum … [Read more...] about Mining Minecraft, Part 2: Brilliance when students drive the learning