Introduction to ComputerCraftEdu Introduction to ComputerCraftEdu This wiki article covers the basic concepts of the software, using the robots, and programming. You may also find the following pages helpful: ComputerCraftEdu is a new way to learn computational thinking inside Minecraft. Players take control of powerful but clueless turtle robots in the game. Whether you are completely new to programming or you already have some experience, ComputerCraftEdu is an easy and fun way to learn important real world skills and get creative on a whole new level. ComputerCraftEdu is a collaboration between TeacherGaming, Dan200 and E-Line Media. Installing ComputerCraftEdu ComputerCraftEdu is a free modification to Minecraft that requires either MinecraftEdu (1.7.10) or regular Minecraft (1.7.10) to work. If you are using MinecraftEdu ComputerCraftEdu can be downloaded from online mods directly from the launcher. If you are using regular Minecraft You can download ComputerCraftEdu here. Installation checklist for regular Minecraft:
Unfamiliar Landscapes: Coded Illustrations | Center for Student Work Twelfth grade students at High Tech High in San Diego, California created artwork using computer coding for an exhibition entitled “Unfamiliar Landscapes.” The students chose subjects on which to focus their art which ranged from police brutality to noise pollution to post-traumatic stress. They used computer code—an unfamiliar landscape—as their framework for research inquiry and media art representation. For the first eight weeks of class students studied a programming language called Processing, considering design, color, content and context of their artwork. Using code they were able to change the width and appearance of a stroke, gradually learning more code to represent the subject matter. The series of illustrations featured above show the first landscape sketches of the 12th grade class using a customizable dynamic brush tool.
15 Incredible Architectural Feats Made in Minecraft With more than 70 million copies sold worldwide, it would be unfair to refer to Minecraft as just a simple game of textured boxes in a pixelated 3D world. After acquiring the makers of the game (Mojang) in 2014, Microsoft announced on Tuesday, January 19 that it also acquired MinecraftEdu, the official educational version of Minecraft, which is used as a creative tool in more than 10,000 classrooms in 45 countries around the world. The infinite possibilities that the game offers have led millions of people around the world to make and share their greatest creations: cities, buildings and even the reinterpretation of historical structures. Minecraft's impact was recognized in 2015 when the Centre Pompidou dedicated an exhibition to its creative potential for children and adolescents. We've rounded up 15 of the best models created on the platform. Beijing in 1751 The project is already available on MinecraftEDU to teach history, language and geography, according to its creators. Adamantis
GUEST BLOG: What is Computational Thinking and Why is It Important? A New Role for Students — Megan By: Guest Blogger In today’s technology-driven world, the role of the student is changing. Teaching used to be focused on learning facts, but now we are changing how we teach so that students can do more than just learn information…they use the information! Students today are less fact-memorizers and more innovators, creators and thinkers. Computer programming allows students to learn programming languages, which are integral to many jobs of the future. Computational thinking is a cornerstone in all coding programs today. Decomposition Decomposition is when you break something down into its basic parts. Pattern recognition Pattern recognition is when students find order to something and then analyze (follow) the pattern to the logical answer. As humans, we tend to search for patterns in things in order to make sense of them. Abstraction Removing unfit or unhelpful information is truly a valuable skill for students to have. Algorithms Why the computational thinking method? Why the four steps?
Minecraft: Researchers urge teachers to embrace game as tool to teach maths, art, geography Updated Teachers should use the hugely popular children's digital game Minecraft to help teach maths, design, art and geography, research from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) shows. For years studies have warned of the dangers of letting children have too much time on electronic devices. But researchers at QUT have urged educators to embrace the game, which is hugely popular with primary school children, to assist their learning. Associate Professor Michael Dezuanni said his research has shown that Minecraft should not be limited to children's playtime. "I've had the opportunity over the last couple of years to work with a couple of schools using Minecraft in the classroom," he said. "We've seen some real success with engagement, problem solving students, with design and their creative work. "The teachers working with those students have been quite impressed by the way students work with the game as well." Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek.
Google for Education: Computational Thinking Computational Thinking (CT) is a problem solving process that includes a number of characteristics and dispositions. CT is essential to the development of computer applications, but it can also be used to support problem solving across all disciplines, including math, science, and the humanities. Students who learn CT across the curriculum can begin to see a relationship between subjects as well as between school and life outside of the classroom. CT involves a number of skills, including: These skills are supported and enhanced by a number of dispositions or attitudes that include: Confidence in dealing with complexity Persistence in working with difficult problems Tolerance for ambiguity The ability to deal with open ended problems The ability to communicate and work with others to achieve a common goal or solution See our Computational Thinking Concepts Guide for a printable version of this list, along with teaching tips for each concept.
For the Hesitant Teacher: Leveraging the Power of Minecraft If there’s any video game that has successfully made its way into the classroom, it’s Minecraft. There’s a small subset of teachers using all kinds of digital games in interesting ways, but the blockbuster hit Minecraft and its educational counterpart MinecraftEDU have reached much wider audiences. But getting started with MinecraftEDU can be intimidating for teachers who don’t consider themselves “gamers” and aren’t sure how to harness the engagement and excitement of Minecraft. Luckily, there’s a robust and global Minecraft teacher community to supply tips, support and even lesson plans. Teachers who already use Minecraft in the classroom love it because of the flexibility it offers — almost any subject can be taught with a little creativity. Zimmer and other experienced Minecraft teachers say it’s important to manage expectations when using Minecraft in the classroom. Each vignettes tells a loose story about some aspect of Dark Ages history. Use MinecraftEDU.
Lesson Plans | GETTING STARTED WITH MINECRAFTEDU ISTE NETS - Digital Age Skills 1. Creativity and Innovation Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes Create original works as a means of personal or group expression Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues Identify trends and forecast possibilities 2. Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems 3. Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. 4. 5. 6.
Feed The Beast Wiki Minecraft is finally fixing its huge gender problem Children play Minecraft at a Microsoft store in Bellevue, Wash. (David Ryder/Bloomberg News) When Pauline Stanley's 6-year-old daughter, Isabell, started playing Minecraft, she was excited to join her fellow first-grade players, who'd become obsessed with adventuring around the game's vast digital universe and building with Lego-like blocks. But there was one problem: In the boundlessly creative world of one of the most popular video games, the only character she could play was Steve, a bulky man with short, dark hair and a 5 o'clock shadow. "Only having boys is telling everybody this is a boy game only," said Isabell, who knew girls in her class who had quit playing the game. It's a shortcoming that has long plagued the Minecraft franchise, which Microsoft bought last year for $2.5 billion after it sold more than 50 million copies and become a massively popular children's game and in-class teaching tool. [What is Minecraft and why did Microsoft just spend $2.5 billion on it?]
Microsoft Released A New Website to Help Teachers Use Minecraft in Their Classes July 10, 2015 Minecraft is an immersive learning environment that has started as a game about creating, exploring and managing resources before it becomes one of the leading educational learning platforms for students. A few days ago, Microsoft, Minecraft’s parent company, announced the release of a new website, Minecraft for Education, geared towards providing teachers with a forum where they can share their ideas about how they use Minecraft in their teaching. ‘Minecraft in education is a way to teach, learn and inspire. It’s students visiting ancient civilizations to create and play out their own stories. It’s exploring mathematical concepts like perimeter, area, and volume by breaking and placing Minecraft blocks. Here are some examples of how some teachers are using Minecraft in their classes: Elementary students in Seattle are learning foundational math skills by calculating perimeter, area and volume in Minecraft during a Saturday math program.
MinecraftEdu Takes Hold in Schools Illustrations by Peter & Maria Hoey Walking through a vast network of medieval streets and houses, it’s easy to get lost. Luckily, I can fly. So I can see that up ahead, a team is building a castle with parapets and a wide moat. I’m in Minecraft, of course—the phenomenally popular, open-ended game that places players in a world in which they can live and build things infinitely. There aren’t any express objectives or any real way to win in Minecraft. MinecraftEdu Minecraft’s worlds and possibilities are truly endless—and increasingly, so are its educational adaptations for school use. “Minecraft is like LEGOs on steroids,” says Eric Sheninger, a senior fellow at the International Center for Leadership in Education. These days, MinecraftEdu is the premiere source of educational resources for the game. Prebuilt worlds expose students to places like the Forbidden City of the Ming Dynasty and Virginia’s Jamestown Settlement. Costs Embedding the Common Core Five Outstanding Worlds Mods
Minecraft in Education Minecraft in Education: 30 ideas for using Minecraft in the classroom It is well documented how using games in a classroom context can facilitate collaborative learning, promote problem solving and stimulate an engaging learning environment. One methodology that demonstrates all these elements is Game Based Learning. What is Games Based Learning? Equipped with a variety of blocks, approx. 1 metre squared, students can create anything from a rudimentary hut to a bustling city. Versions Minecraft (Vanilla) - vanilla version of Minecraft is the original and most basic version of Minecraft - this is the version your students will be most familiar with. Using Minecraft in the classroomThere are several applications for using Minecraft in the classroom from supporting literacy to teaching mathematical concepts. 2. Business / Economics3. Citizenship4. Computing5. 8. Avoid the arrows by selecting the correct answer. 10. History12. 13. 14. Literacy 16. Maths17. Music22.
Like Minecraft? Try these 7 engaging world builders, too Eco, Oort Online, and a host of virtual worlds to keep students busy, and learning With the popular explosion of Minecraft among middle schoolers and beyond, it’s worth noting that it isn’t the only open world virtual environment with educational value. Nor is it always the most ideal game for teaching every concept, leading other games to pick up the slack. As a result, inspired educators and students are taking notice and branching out. “Nobody stays with with one game forever,” said Marianne Malmstrom, an advocate for the use of virtual environments in education and a technology teacher at The Elisabeth Morrow School in New Jersey. “Who plays only solitaire?” We spoke with several educator gamers about the current landscape of virtual games and what players can expect of the future. Oort Online. Next page: A virtual world that teaches sustainability