Images © Microsoft
This following section contains examples of how you can use Microsoft's X-Box 360 and X-Box One 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!
Coupling an X-Box with Kinect (Microsoft's motion sensing unit) allows users with a Kinect compatible game to interact and control the console without a controller, instead using gestures and voice commands. This can be particularly useful in developing both the gross motor skills and oral language of children.
A Kinect unit for X-Box 360
Check out the ideas for using the following games in the classroom:
Kinectimals
Integrated Units: Animals
Kinectimals requires players to befriend and interact with an animal and teach it to respond to voice and gesture commands. Watch the official short advertisement video and the 2010 E3 Kinectimals Launch video.
Check out Canadian teacher, Jen Deyenberg's blog entry about how she used Kinectimals with her primary class during their integrated unit about animals.
Note: This game and Jen Deyenberg's ideas can be extended outside of the classroom as Kinectimals is available as a stand-alone game for Android ($3), iOS (iPhone and iPad - $2.99) and Windows Phones ($3.49) and can unlock five new cubs in the X-Box 360 game!
Check out Canadian teacher, Jen Deyenberg's blog entry about how she used Kinectimals with her primary class during their integrated unit about animals.
Note: This game and Jen Deyenberg's ideas can be extended outside of the classroom as Kinectimals is available as a stand-alone game for Android ($3), iOS (iPhone and iPad - $2.99) and Windows Phones ($3.49) and can unlock five new cubs in the X-Box 360 game!
Kinect Sports: Bowling
Mathematics: Making to 10 & Subtracting from 10
So much better than using the regular ten frames, Kinect Sports: Bowling or any of the bowling games on X-Box are perfect for teaching junior years students how to subtract from ten and make to ten.
When bowling, students get to experience a fun and real-world situation wherein they can learn and apply basic numeracy skills. The basics of addition (counting on) and subtraction (counting back) can be taught, using the numbered pins at the top of the screen, as long as no-one gets a strike!
When bowling, students get to experience a fun and real-world situation wherein they can learn and apply basic numeracy skills. The basics of addition (counting on) and subtraction (counting back) can be taught, using the numbered pins at the top of the screen, as long as no-one gets a strike!
Kinetic Fitness Titles (Various)
Health & P.E. - The Human Body
There are a multitude of fitness titles that are designed for use with Kinect, such as Nike + Kinect Training, Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012 and Zumba Fitness Rush, that are great for teaching senior years students (in both primary and secondary schools) various health related curriculum, including exercises and related vocabulary (e.g. muscle names).
Combining work-out sessions with print outs of the relevant parts of the human body, students can highlight and name the various muscles they feel whilst working out and stretching and note down the name, number of reps or duration of each exercise/stretch.
Primary school image: The Human Body Outline (Back View) Secondary school image: The Muscles of the Lower Limb
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:
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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:
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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:
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.
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.
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.
Here are just a few ideas on how educators could use Minecraft in the classroom:
Literacy:
Integrated Studies:
Art:
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Mathematics:
Collaboration:
Programming: (Not MinecraftEdu)
Physics (Not MinecraftEdu)
Science
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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 howhere). 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