MakerKids Spotlight on: Minecraft
Minecraft is a popular video game that is sweeping the nation (and the world). Many parents have told us that while they don’t usually allow their kids to play any computer or video games, they do allow them to play Minecraft. Why? Minecraft has a number of educational benefits, and helps kids learn skills that allow them to be better ‘netizens’.
At MakerKids we have programs where kids get to play Minecraft together and learn new skills related to it, such as creating skins, setting up servers, and 3D printing objects they’ve created in Minecraft, as well as mod installation, what it takes to build your own mod, powerful server plug-ins, how to run a server, and more. We’ve been recognized for our expertise in teaching Minecraft — we received funding from Mozilla Hive to develop Minecraft curriculum resources for teachers, and developed a module that guides educators through teaching grade 3 students the Ontario Curriculum social studies unit of settlers in the early 18th Century using Minecraft, an engaging environment that kids get excited about.
We use Minecraft as a gateway to bring kids from the alluring virtual world back to the physical world and the people around them, e.g. through 3D printing objects they’ve designed in the game — a design environment they are already familiar with. Most of our Minecraft programs feature group projects, and kids work collaboratively in the same world to build things (such as an amusement park).
MakerKids’ Minecraft programs are a great venue for kids to meet and make friends with other Minecrafters. Here is a testimonial from a parent: “MakerKids came on my radar after Googling the game Minecraft, a game that my kids are very passionate about. What a lucky find! Every Thursday now my twin 9 year old boys play their favourite game with other fans in a safe, fun and welcoming atmosphere. The mandate that we are all “makers” and that creativity is the beginning of any great idea is apparent in the relaxed accepting vibe of the space and in the approach of the facilitators. Makers themselves, they seem to intuitively embrace and encourage what other classes and systems work so hard to repress. My boys flourish here and look forward to it every week. They show social skills improvement and more confidence since coming to MakerKids and finding their “tribe.” Happy children make me a happy and grateful mom. Thanks MakerKids (especially Brent) for creating programs for my quirky, “outside the box thinking” boys.” — Tammy Isbell
Other popular Minecraft activities at MakerKids include making Minecraft tutorial videos using screen video capture and uploading them to Youtube, and making paper or 3D printed replicas of kids’ Minecraft characters and then creating stop-motion animation videos together featuring their characters. We’ve also found that kids have an amazing ability to relate many different topics and projects back to Minecraft: we’ve seen pick-axe gingerbread cookies, creeper stuffed animals sewn together with electronics, Minecraft character robots, and more. Kids will always learn in their own world, where they are comfortable, where they know the rules, and where they can experiment. Today, for many kids, this world is Minecraft, a game about building, designing, and creating. Minecraft is unique in that it is collaborative, engaging, skill-developing, and more open-ended than any game before it. Here at MakerKids we are interested in turning interest-driven activities into new learning experiences.
[embed]https://youtu.be/MXO2Q5KSK2g[/embed]
Here are some upcoming programs at MakerKids where you can learn Minecraft:
Advanced Minecraft 10-week program
Do you love Minecraft? You may already have some amazing Minecraft skills, but In this program, you will do so much more with Minecraft than you realized you could. Minecraft is an amazing way to learn new skills and make new friends. Work with people in the real world collaboratively playing and building in the game and learn new skills every week such as mod installation, powerful server plug-ins, how to run a server, and more! By the end of this program you will have learned how to make Minecraft even more awesome while better understanding how computers and servers work and learning about core computer programming concepts, while collaborating with people equally excited about Minecraft.
Book now
