My PLN

This is a picture from the Technology workshop that I went to in January. The presenter in the picture was teaching us about implementing Minecraft in the classroom! To begin with, Miencraft is a great game to encourage students to play as it is one of the very FEW games out there with zero violence, course language, sexual or drug references, etc. It does include combat, however it is in the context of survival, not glutinous graphic killing. It also gives you the option of "peaceful mode" so that younger students don't have to encounter enemies. Yet, the BEST part about this game is that teacher becomes facilitator while the student learns and explores! Here are some benefits for students that I came to learn after participating in this workshop.

Reading-each player has an inventory list which is a great way to encourage reading as each tool has a Tooltip and image to go along with it

Writing- there is a Book and Quill tool where students can keep a log, or communicate information to other players. By contributing to the Minecraft Wiki, older children learn to write informational texts in a collaborative, multimedia environment

Math- The crafting system can help in teaching basic math (e.g. "I need 3 Sugar Cane for Paper), which transitions to multiplication (I need 3 Paper and 1 Leather for a Book, and 3 Books for a Bookshelf, so I need 9 Paper and 3 Leather altogether") and division ("When I create Paper I get 3 at once, so 9/3 = 3 times per Bookshelf I'll have to create Paper"). Etc.

Geometry- the Minecraft world is only made up of cubes,yet the creations a student makes may resemble other shapes. Parental involvement can help teach children to recognize these shapes (cube, cuboid, square based pyramid, etc.) Also, counting the number of blocks that were dug out when making a 6x6x3 cave can help multiplication skills and understanding the concepts of volume and area.

And the list goes on!