Image: Jared C. Benedict Aido 2002 at en.wikipedia CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0
There are a myriad of video games for both Windows and Mac PCs that students can use both in the classroom and at home that are both fun and educational. Check out some of the ideas below and get playing today!
Angry Birds Angles
Teaching students about angles and how to correctly use protractors is so easy when using the following ICT tools and one of the worlds most popular games, Angry Birds! Read the step-by-step guides below to install Angry Birds and the relevant interactive projectors below.
Introductory Activity
'What's my angle?' by Mark Robinson is a brilliant flash object that introduces angles, protractors and how to measure angles of various sizes.
Regardless of whether the tool is used in whole class, small group or individual setting, students simply need to be taught the two rules:
Students should explore the concept of angles and how to use a protractor before embarking on the angry birds approach detailed below.
Regardless of whether the tool is used in whole class, small group or individual setting, students simply need to be taught the two rules:
- One of the two "0" lines on the protractor must be placed on one of the rays originating from the vertex
- The protractor's mid point must be placed at angle's vertex.
Students should explore the concept of angles and how to use a protractor before embarking on the angry birds approach detailed below.
Angry Birds Angles
Given its popularity with young children and adults, Angry Birds should be used in the middle and senior years classrooms to teach students about angles.
Generally speaking,
Angry birds is available on a variety of platforms. Read below for which platform(s) is best suited for the particular classroom learning setting.
Whole Class Learning Scenario
For the following whole class lesson, teachers will need:
Generally speaking,
- in the middle years, students need to classify angles to be more than or less than another angle
- in the senior years, students need to be able to estimate angles within 10 degrees and mark and measure angles with 2 degrees.
Angry birds is available on a variety of platforms. Read below for which platform(s) is best suited for the particular classroom learning setting.
Whole Class Learning Scenario
For the following whole class lesson, teachers will need:
- An interactive protractor for use on an IWB.
- TeamBoard Draw installed on a Windows/Mac/Linux PC (which contains the interactive protractor).
- Angry Birds (free or paid versions):
- Windows/Mac/Linux: Angry Birds for Chrome browser or
- Windows/Mac via BlueStacks (a free version of Android for Windows or Mac PC's. Once you have installed BlueStacks, link your Google Account to BlueStacks, download any Angry Birds from Google Play and then run BlueStacks in Windowed Mode by clicking the box next to the exit/cross)
- iOS and (i) a PC with Reflector/AirServer running in Windowed Mode or (ii) Apple TV connected to an IWB or TV running in Windowed Mode.
Depending on the version of Angry Birds installed on the device, the bird's trajectory:
Teachers should:
At this point the teacher must activate an interactive protractor (such as the one contained within TeamBoard Draw's Annotate function). This can be done by the following steps:
- May be shown as the user pulls back on the bird in the slingshot (as pictured right in Angry Birds Space), or
- Only after the first bird has been launched, then the previous shot's trajectory will be shown.
Teachers should:
- Open Angry Birds (making sure that it is running in Windowed Mode so that you can access the task bar/clock area).
- Choose a level.
- Get a student to aim a kamikaze bird by holding their finger/mouse on the bird in the catapult, and then dragging their finger/holding the mouse click and moving the mouse backwards to build up power.
- Ask the student to let the kamikaze bird go to see if their aim was successful (if all of the pigs are not defeated/eliminated, users will be given another shot but this time the trajectory of the unsuccessful attempt will be shown on the screen).
- Ask the student to return to their table/floor.
At this point the teacher must activate an interactive protractor (such as the one contained within TeamBoard Draw's Annotate function). This can be done by the following steps:
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As pictured below, the full TeamBoard Draw/Annotate toolbar will appear and can be moved anywhere on the screen as a floating toolbar.
- As pictured above, place the centre point of the large protractor (interactive or handheld) onto first dot of the trajectory, keeping the "0" line horizontally in line with the top of the slingshot to measure the size of the angle.
- Ask the class to discuss in pairs if the think the angle of the trajectory needs to be increased or decreased.
- Determine how many degrees they believe that the angle should be increased or decreased.
- Close the TeamBoard Draw window (and any other TeamBoard windows that pop up).
- Choose a student to launch the next kamikaze bird using the student's or class' thinking.
- Repeat all of the above steps until the pig(s) is/are defeated or the user has no more kamikaze birds remaining.
Small Group/Individual Learning Scenario
Angry Birds can be used on any platform for use by students in both small group and individual settings.
Students simply need:
- A protractor
- Access to a PC containing an interactive protractor (e.g TeamBoard Draw)
AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
Depending on the version of Angry Birds installed on the device, the bird's trajectory:
Students should:
- May be shown as the user pulls back on the bird in the slingshot (as pictured right in Angry Birds Space), or
- Only after the first bird has been launched, then the previous shot's trajectory will be shown.
Students should:
- Open Angry Birds.
- Choose a level.
- Aim a kamikaze bird by holding their finger/mouse on the bird in the catapult, and then dragging their finger/holding the mouse click and moving the mouse backwards to build up power.
- Let the kamikaze bird go to see if their aim was successful (if all of the pigs are not defeated/eliminated, users will be given another shot but this time the trajectory of the unsuccessful attempt will be shown on the screen).
- Place the center point of the hand-held or interactive protractor onto first dot of the trajectory, keeping the "0" line horizontally in line with the top of the slingshot to measure the size of the angle.
- Determine if they need to increase or decrease the size of the angle.
- Determine how many degrees they believe that the angle should be increased or decreased by.
- Launch the next kamikaze bird.
- Repeat steps 3 to 8 until the pigs are defeated or the user has no more kamikaze birds remaining.
ST Maths (USA & Canadian Schools Only)
ST Maths is a brilliant insight as to the role that visual imagery plays in teaching and learning mathematics. Watch the following TED Talk introducing why ST Maths was created.
As discussed in the Ted Talk above, words can be a major hurdle for students to achieve success in Mathematics. Therefore the MIND Research Institute created a visual approach to learning and teaching mathematics in the form of its ST Math software.
Image © MIND Research Institute
ST Math teaches mathematics through visual math games that are interactive and give visual feedback.
As ST Math removes words, it is also highly valuable when teaching mathematics to ESL/EAL students as well as pre- and emergent readers.
As ST Math removes words, it is also highly valuable when teaching mathematics to ESL/EAL students as well as pre- and emergent readers.
It is also an ideal mathematical game for young children to play as not only is it based on years of research surrounding the human mind, players must solve mathematical problems to navigate JiJi the penguin through a series of problems and puzzles.
Watch the video below to see ST Math in action:
Watch the video below to see ST Math in action:
ST Math is only available to schools and is available in three forms:
Play sample ST Maths games here, browse the MIND Research website, and then request more information from MIND Research here.
- ST Math K-6: Site | Info Flyer.
- ST Math Middle School Supplement: Site | Info Flyer.
- ST Math High School Intervention: Site | Info Flyer.
Play sample ST Maths games here, browse the MIND Research website, and then request more information from MIND Research here.
Minecraft
Minecraft's graphics may look like they belong to a game straight out of the 1990s (remember Castle Wolfenstein?) but there is no denying just how much it is loved by kids.
Minecraft is often referred to as a sandbox game, as players can do anything and build anything using their imagination.
Watch the videos below to learn more:
Minecraft is often referred to as a sandbox game, as players can do anything and build anything using their imagination.
Watch the videos below to learn more:
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As shown above, Minecraft allows users to:
In both modes, users must develop and use problem solving skills without clear instructions, such as:
Minecraft's Creative mode is also being used by councils and the United Nations to include residents in the town planning and urban redevelopment processes! Read more about the projects here.
- Build, collaborate and share worlds using unlimited amounts of items (Creative mode).
- Use their initiative to survive in a randomized open-world without supplies (e.g. cutting down natural resources, farming, mining and building structures). Each day lasts ten minutes so players must quickly make themselves safe from the monsters, zombies, skeletons and creepers that come out at night. If a player dies they respawn (Survival mode)
In both modes, users must develop and use problem solving skills without clear instructions, such as:
- in order to build a pickaxe to mine more efficiently, the player must first punch down trees to harvest wood, mine for ore, build a craft table, and build the tool themselves.
- to eat, one must not only hunt for meat (the primary food source in the game), but they must also build a furnace and add fuel for cooking.1
Minecraft's Creative mode is also being used by councils and the United Nations to include residents in the town planning and urban redevelopment processes! Read more about the projects here.
A Multi-Platform Game
Minecraft is a paid game can be played in single- or multi-player modes across a number of different platforms:
An older Java-based version of Minecraft called Minecraft Classic is available to play for free but it does not contain many of the features discussed above.
Public vs Private Servers
Players can play in private (paid) or public (free) servers. However, players and educators must note that if they choose to use the off-the-shelf versions of Minecraft (above) and play in the public servers, they may:
Minecraft is a paid game can be played in single- or multi-player modes across a number of different platforms:
- PC/Mac/Linux (with a free demo mode)
- Xbox 360
- Xbox One
- Playstation 3
- Playstation 4
- iOS (Minecraft: Pocket Edition)
- Android (Minecraft: Pocket Edition).
An older Java-based version of Minecraft called Minecraft Classic is available to play for free but it does not contain many of the features discussed above.
Public vs Private Servers
Players can play in private (paid) or public (free) servers. However, players and educators must note that if they choose to use the off-the-shelf versions of Minecraft (above) and play in the public servers, they may:
- build or view things that others may find graphic or inappropriate (e.g. many public servers are rife with “penis statues” and other potentially disturbing images)
- encounter “Griefers” (players who tear down other players’ creations) and need to know how they can report greifers who will then be banned for a set period of time
- chat with strangers as Minecraft contains a chat feature that allows players to interact with one another, which may expose them to social networking risks such as cyberbullying, online predators and profanity.2
Minecraft & Education
Given the popularity of Minecraft, educators around the world are finding numerous ways to use Minecraft in the classroom. If you plan to use Minecraft in the classroom:
Here are just a few ideas on how educators could use Minecraft in the classroom:
- Ensure that the use of Minecraft fits within your relevant curriculum, as is demonstrated in this Minecraft unit planner and shown in the ideas below.
- Create a Minecraft lesson student and parent guide and permission note.
- Create a professional starter activity to guide students, staff and parents in learning the required basic crafting skills.
- Meet all of the considerations listed further below.
Here are just a few ideas on how educators could use Minecraft in the classroom:
Literacy:
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Mathematics:
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Integrated Studies:
Art:
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Collaboration:
Programming: (Not MinecraftEdu)
Physics (Not MinecraftEdu)
Science
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Minecraft vs MinecraftEdu
If educators are looking to use Minecraft in their classroom via desktop and laptop computers, they should consider using MinecraftEdu. MinecraftEdu is an official paid educational version of Minecraft created/modified by teachers to include tools and content for classroom use. Unlike Minecraft, MinecraftEdu is only available for Windows, Mac and Linux PCs.
Watch the videos below and then scroll down to read about the available ready-made resources for MinecraftEdu.
Watch the videos below and then scroll down to read about the available ready-made resources for MinecraftEdu.
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MinecraftEdu provides a wide range of resources (designed by teachers) across a variety of subject areas and age levels, to enable educators to learn the basics, discover best practices, and customize their students' MinecraftEdu experience.
These also include the ability for users to import structures such as the Roman Coliseum and London's Globe Theatre (pictured above).
These also include the ability for users to import structures such as the Roman Coliseum and London's Globe Theatre (pictured above).
MinecraftEdu Mods
From this section, users can download various student and educator-created mods.
One such example (shown in the video below) is the 'Wonderful World of Humanties' installation packet for MinecraftEdu which has been designed to engage students in their discovery of ancient history and geography. After installing this packet for MinecraftEdu, students can discover areas themed to ancient civilizations, go on quests, meet characters from history, and collaborate to build themed projects from history.
From this section, users can download various student and educator-created mods.
One such example (shown in the video below) is the 'Wonderful World of Humanties' installation packet for MinecraftEdu which has been designed to engage students in their discovery of ancient history and geography. After installing this packet for MinecraftEdu, students can discover areas themed to ancient civilizations, go on quests, meet characters from history, and collaborate to build themed projects from history.
Another example of a MinecraftEdu installation packet is the Fair Trade Rainforest Farm that has been designed to teacher Year 5 & 6 students about the fair trade system. It includes:
During the game, players play in the same map and work as a team harvesting wheat, sugar and cocoa beans and selling cakes, cookies, cocoa and bread to the various fair traders in the game.
Players can also find:
- a map designed for the topic of rainforests
- a trading style game.
During the game, players play in the same map and work as a team harvesting wheat, sugar and cocoa beans and selling cakes, cookies, cocoa and bread to the various fair traders in the game.
Players can also find:
- information blocks that contain rainforest facts and links to different websites (e.g. there is an area that is currently being deforested and the information block tells players about deforestation and how it’s effect the world’s rainforests).
- locations with characters that provide information (e.g. an ancient ruined temple with a tribesman that they can talk to find more information about the rainforest).
Purchasing MinecraftEdu Accounts
Watch the video below which shows how to purchase a MinecraftEdu account, including identifying the educational discounts. |
Accessing MinecraftEdu
Watch the video below that will guide educators through using MinecraftEdu and its various features. |
Minecraft Mods
Minecraft can be modified to include and/or remove various features. Whilst there are a plethora of Minecraft mods freely available on the internet, LearnToMod has created a program to teach students and adults how to create program/code (in Java and Blocky) to create their own mods. Watch the videos below to learn more:
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LearnToMod launches in January 2015 (with a Beta available now). A three-month subscription can be pre-ordered for $US30. Each additional month costs $US10. Access more information here.
Considerations Before Using Minecraft in Schools
Before using Minecraft in the classroom, educators should make the following considerations:
- Does using Minecraft fit within the curriculum that you are required to teach (see the ideas listed above and access a Minecraft Unit Planner here)?
- The cost. Access a cost guide here.
- Play Minecraft (access a quick guide to surviving Survival mode here).
- Read about other educators experiences of using Minecraft in the classroom to develop an understanding of the complexities of the game and access YouTube videos for Minecraft and MinecraftEdu teachers..
- Gain feedback from students and parents on their positive and negative Minecraft experiences.
- Contact the school's IT Administrator or Coordinator to (i) determine whether the school's computers/devices and bandwidth can meet Minecraft's or MinecraftEdu's system requirements and (ii) to install Minecraft on a school computer.
- Choose to use either Minecraft (all platforms) or MinecraftEdu (Windows/Mac/Linux only). As Minecraft it is a paid off-the-shelf game, schools may be able to save money as the students may have already purchased personal accounts to play the game. A purchased license for Minecraft is also transferable to MinecraftEdu and vice-versa. Schools are allowed to give students access to Minecraft or MinecraftEdu to use at home only if they are using it to participate in a structured learning program or activity organized by your school or organization, for example connecting to a school server from home to complete 'homework' outside of the school day. Access an easy-to-follow guide for purchasing Minecraft accounts for students here and a more in-depth guide here.
- Choose to use either your own personal Minecraft server (see Step 8) or join a maintenance free Multi-School Minecraft server.
- Contact the school's IT Administrator or Coordinator to determine if they permit and have the skills to set up a Minecraft server (for a small monthly fee user can choose who has access to the game and configure settings - e.g. no violence, swearing, etc.). Access a comprehensive guide to setting up Minecraft servers here and here. They must also determine the version of Minecraft that each student is using to ensure that their version number matches the version number of the server that the school is using. They must also set up a white-list of users who will be able to access the school's Minecraft server (learn how here). They may want to install Craftbukkitt to allow for the future use of plugins. including these essential 5 Minecraft Plugins for educators.
- If using Minecraft, also give students a list of protected private servers they can access (Free: Massively@joykadia and GamingEdus, Paid: Craft-Academy Educational Minecraft Model).
- Establish a set of fair rules for the use of Minecraft and discuss the following real examples of student disputes when using Minecraft in school (here and here).
- Ensure students are using a suitable avatar name (in MinecraftEdu) and any associated choices are discussed.
- Give the students and teacher supporting resources to assist their understanding of Minecraft such as Minecraft Wiki and BukkitWiki to help them when they are experiencing difficulties completing any tasks. Teachers and parents can read this sample Minecraft Beginners Guide to learn more about the Minecraft game-play.
- Set time-limits for playing Minecraft outside of school in partnership with their parents.
- Educate staff, parents and students that if they play in public worlds/servers, they may:
- build or view things that others may find graphic or inappropriate (e.g. many public servers are rife with “penis statues” and other potentially disturbing images)
- encounter “Griefers” (players who tear down other players’ creations) and need to know how they can report greifers who will then be banned for a set period of time
- chat with strangers as Minecraft contains a chat feature that allows players to interact with one another, which may expose them to social networking risks such as cyberbullying, online predators and profanity.2
Timez Attack!
Timez Attack by Big Brainz is the ultimate video game for Windows and Mac that has been designed for students to learn or consolidate their knowledge of multiplication, division, addition and subtraction.
Check out the video below and download Timez Attack today!
Check out the video below and download Timez Attack today!
Second Life with Sloodle & Moodle
Educational blogger Johnny Kissko raised the interesting idea of using the virtual world of Second Life in educational settings so that students can use avatars to:
For an in-depth discussion of how Second Life could be used in educational settings, check out Johnny's detailed blog post here to learn more.
- Attend virtual excursions
- Design virtual manipulatives like homes, clothes, and vehicles
- Participate in and re-enact historical events
- Visit virtual representations of real-life places.
For an in-depth discussion of how Second Life could be used in educational settings, check out Johnny's detailed blog post here to learn more.
Sloodle
Unbelievably, universities and schools are also exploring how to combine Second Life with Moodle (the online learning management system) using Sloodle which links students’ avatars to their Moodle user accounts.
Sloodle allows teachers to maintain their teaching preferences for traditional online course management through Moodle and still monitor student progress while students actively participate in Second Life's 3D world.
Sloodle is being used so that students can:
Download Details
Sloodle is free and comes in two parts:
Click here to access the downloads and installation guides.
Unbelievably, universities and schools are also exploring how to combine Second Life with Moodle (the online learning management system) using Sloodle which links students’ avatars to their Moodle user accounts.
Sloodle allows teachers to maintain their teaching preferences for traditional online course management through Moodle and still monitor student progress while students actively participate in Second Life's 3D world.
Sloodle is being used so that students can:
- Participate in chats in Second Life using the accessible Moodle chatroom. Discussions can be archived securely in a Moodle database
- Present webpages and slides (which can be uploaded to Moodle) then viewed in Second Life as part of a live presentation
- Complete assessments: The quizzes are set, tracked and graded by the teacher in Moodle and students complete the quizzes in Second Life (a more engaging 3D environment). Students can take quizzes and then receive Second Life “rewards” based on their response.
- Vote and see results in Second Life as well as in Moodle
- Write notes directly into their Moodle blog from Second Life
Download Details
Sloodle is free and comes in two parts:
- The 'server-side' modules which you download and install in Moodle, and
- The 'in-world' tools which you obtain and use in Second Life or OpenSim.
Click here to access the downloads and installation guides.
Carmen Sandiego
This following section contains examples of how you can use video games on a PC or Mac in authentic learning scenarios (or at least in engaging ways, prior to students then applying the learned skills in more authentic situations) within your classroom and at home!
Emerging on the world's stage in 1983, the world's most hard to catch criminal, Carmen Sandiego, is still at large!
Visit this website to download and play various free and paid versions of 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?' for Windows and Mac or click here for 'Carmen Sandiego™ Adventures in Math' for the Wii!
Visit this website to download and play various free and paid versions of 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?' for Windows and Mac or click here for 'Carmen Sandiego™ Adventures in Math' for the Wii!
Point & Click Adventures Using Scumm VM
Remember the old 1980s point and click games like Police Quest and King's Quest, in a time before video games had recorded oral narration and character monologue & dialogue, where video gamers had to use their reading and typing skills to solve problems? Or how about the game below from the Tom Hank movie 'Big'?
Click on the images above , below, or here to play it!
Well for owners of a PC or Mac, these games are legally still available to download and play! Check out these guides to get your students reading and typing to complete games and solve puzzles!