Part 1:
An effective Minecraft lesson will incorporate a wide range of different things including the following:
1. The students will take ownership of the project. These lessons will be mainly child lead and not teacher led. Though the students can ask for assistance from the teacher, the children are given a creative space to complete the project in their own way.
2. The lessons will incorporate the 21st Century Skills – These 21st Century skills of Creativity, Collaboration, Computational thinking/Critical thinking and Communication are skills that are going to be necessary for our students to have when they enter the world of work. These skills are the skills that separate us from computers/bots and are what make us unique and priceless in specific roles. It is crucial that we as teachers introduce these skills into our lessons from a young age to highlight their importance and plant an interest in the children’s minds.
3. The lessons will integrate a range of subjects- Minecraft works best when it is being used in a thematic approach. One where the content is taught through different subject areas and different active methodologies. The children can then bring their knowledge to the world of Minecraft and combine this knowledge with their Computational Thinking.
4. Inclusion of creative space – Minecraft allows for creativity and it is important to promote this when students are building out their worlds. Everyone’s build may look different but it is the journey that matters.
5. Caters for a wild range of abilities- The teacher can support each student depending on their ability. It allows for high achievers to work on and continue building while the teacher supports those who require it.
Part 2:
I have worked in a range of different schools, some that have a lot of ICT and others that do not. Integrating Minecraft into schools differ from the child’s ability and the school’s resources. Some schools may require more unplugged lessons before diving into the world, while other may jump into JavaScript and challenge themselves in that way.
Technology is a huge asset in the classroom for the childrens learning. In the schools I have been in, I have seen Technology used for Learning and for Teaching. It is crucial that we integrate both into our classrooms. Most of the children in our classrooms use the medium of technology in their lives outside of school and it is the medium that is best to grasp their attention and lead to effective teaching.