Our Minecraft Journey

I must confess, I love playing Minecraft. I purchased the Edu version last year and installed it on a set of laptops at our middle school. Although I usually go for software that is free or low-cost, I was intrigued by the multitude of possibilities for this sandbox-style game. Indeed, our journey has been an exciting one, and the students have done more with it then I ever could have imagined.

The enthusiasm was of course originally generated by the students, and the initial investment (approximately $20 per computer) has been well worth it. Fortunately, I had already been teaching a game design, class and we had some grant funds to get Minecraft going. For support and ideas, I relied on the MCEdu wiki and the wonderful Google+ group for MC educators here in Vermont.

Many opportunities exist to utilize Minecraft in the classroom as a curriculum tool and can easily be found with a google search; 3rd grade teacher Jim Pike, for example, has been using MC to teach Common Core math skills. However, with the often overwhelming demands on today's teacher, finding the time to fit MC into the regular school day can indeed be a challenge.

For several years, our school has been running a highly successful afterschool enrichment program, so a Minecraft club seemed like a natural fit. Actually, I have found that incorporating MC into an existing topic can help keep the online activity focused on creating and building. In Amusement Park Design Club, students make marble roller coasters and K'Nex ferris wheels, and then create an entire park in Minecraft; in Electronics Club, students learn how to solder circuits and LED's and then make Redstone creations in their Minecraft world.

My biggest 'ah-ha' with Minecraft however, has been the opportunity for our students to develop and practice their social skills. Our program serves a wide variety of students, several of whom receive special services or who don't always 'fit in.'  When they are all working together on a server, they must find ways to interact and build a negotiating process. They set the rules for themselves and also consequences for those who do not follow them. They are constantly sharing and asking questions and offering suggestions. The journey is not always a smooth one, but it is those very challenges that I think truly can open up whole new worlds.

Motivation in middle school

Internal motivation is elusive and variable. Teachers are often charged with the overwhelming, and I feel unrealistic, task of developing internal motivation in all of their students. Of course we all want our students to love learning and enjoy coming to our class. We use 'hooks' and KWL charts to connect with their interests. But what do you do in middle school classroom when young people are developing their identity and look for approval from their peers?

One strategy I found useful was to have students fill out a Google Forms survey asking them about their interests and social networks. I like using google forms at the beginning of a semester to gather some information and let students share in a format in which they are already comfortable.  I discovered that my students' interests ranged from snowboarding to drawing, listening to music to playing video games.

Based on this information, I chose a sports-related video to introduce a topic. The 'sporty' students were totally engaged, even offering to research a specific fact. However, another student put her head down because she had "no interest in the topic" and other students gave me blank looks when I asked them a question. What to do then? After the discussion, I had students begin working on their individual projects. With my prior knowledge, I was able to go over to the student who had put her head down and let her know that she could make her project all about music. That set her off and running. She was excited to do research, successfully completed her web map, and was certainly internally motivated. (On the other hand, the 'sporty' students who earlier showed a lot of enthusiasm, struggled greatly with independent work).

Lesson learned? You can't please everyone all the time, and frankly, we teachers shouldn't have to. I like this article which suggests that, sometimes, it's just about getting the work done. Students don't always have to be creating the most unique/best/innovative work. Yes, we should keep our expectations high and support students to achieve their goals. But we also need to feel okay about 'good enough' and not get burned out from the constant strive for perfection.

Project Based Learning

Project based learning (PBL) is certainly not a new concept, but with the greater focus on personalized learning plans and differentiated instruction, I think it can serve a variety of purposes. But what does this actually look like in the classroom?

I teach an Elective course for 8th graders on the topic of creating with technology, so my perspective may be of limited scope. However, the creativity, problem-solving and peer-to-peer learning I have observed in my students may be a point of inspiration for many. For example, I have students with Asperger's who are not only designing their own fully functioning (and fun!) games, but continuously helping each other out. I have students with ADHD who can stay on task to make their robots move and dance. Of course, I also have students who get 'lost' or feel stuck when they can't think of what to do next. In these times, I try to have faith in the process and be supportive without 'coming to the rescue.' I may ask them, "What are you interested in?" or remind them that this kind of deep thinking can be frustrating. However, I do believe it's essential for them to struggle and work it out for themselves.

Currently, my students are working in seven different software platforms and each student's project is self-selected. Am I an expert on any of these platforms? Nope. My strategy is to seek out basic tutorials and try them out myself, and then let students figure things out. I often say "I don't know, let's find out together," or I suggest that they google their question. I also greatly encourage them to ask each other for help, and this type of peer to peer learning is so meaningful and creates an environment of shared responsibility. I am still struggling with the grading process and am thinking about the ideas presented by Matt Weyers and Jen Dole in the Edutopia article, "Matching PBL With Traditional Grading."

My overall goals are for my students to take ownership of their learning and to be empowered through creative design. It's certainly not a perfect system, but I have seen tremendous outcomes, and the experience has, I hope, encouraged an internal motivation to learn.

Structured chaos

I am still learning. That's what I tell myself, and that's what I say to my students when they are working on their projects and getting frustrated. I believe authentic learning is a messy process by which young people struggle to dig deep for meaningful experiences. Some days seem to 'work' while others leave me feeling doubtful of this structured chaos.

I worry that students see 'failing' as something negative, as a mark against them, or a signal of lower value. I feel strongly that students need to fail. They need to learn from their mistakes, and not be overly 'coddled.' It's hard, I admit, to listen to a student say he/she can't do it or 'this sucks.' Our first instinct is to rush in and help them, but I find that if I step back and let them work through it, they feel a much greater sense of accomplishment. I agree with Joshua Block's post on Edutopia that "students' discomfort is an organic part of learning and creating." 

How does this work in a traditional classroom setting or school system with emphasis on testing?  Truthfully, I do not know. I only know that flexibility is essential, and that what works well for some students can be particularly troubling for others. For students who have not been pushed to really think about their own learning and take ownership of their mistakes, it can be a challenge. I think it's really important, however, to give students opportunities to fail, and then succeed.

Introduction

For the past six years, I have been designing and facilitating STEM experiences for middle school youth through an afterschool program in a rural, low-income community. I am constantly inspired by the creativity and ingenuity of my students, and am excited to share what I've gleaned from these experiences and to showcase their work.