By Maggie
Have you ever wondered if Minecraft could impact your school life? Creativity plays a significant role in Minecraft if you would wish to play single player or multiplayer. Sandbox games like Minecraft allow the gamer to control their avatar which allows creativity to come through. Although teachers might be suspicious of a video game, Minecraft has many potential benefits for learning.
Minecraft is useful for schools in teaching or merely to test your creativity. Most games have a straightforward quest or mission, but Minecraft doesn’t have this. Games like Assassin’s Creed, FIFA 18, or Skyrim have quests or missions that you have to complete to continue the game, but Minecraft allows you to explore. Some new games have options to move around freely, but they still don’t have freedom in what you do. Games like Overwatch allow free movement, but you have the main quest and some offside quests. Minecraft doesn’t have required quests, but it has optional achievements. It allows you to be able to complete Achievements by doing certain things; they are not necessary, but a good challenge. Thus Minecraft would be an excellent game to play if you wanted to start on a blank slate and do whatever you dream of, which can be helpful in learning.
This open game can also help schools teach students and have them be engaged. Some blocks would be helpful for school! John Spencer believes that students could create worlds for the book that they are reading. “Let’s teach about forces and motion by using Minecraft,” shared John Spencer to his webpage. Some schools might not think as highly of Minecraft. John Spencer pointed out that “It’s no surprise that there is a second, more reactionary group of people who view Minecraft as “just a game.” What makes it any different than, say, Tetris or Angry Birds or FIFA 17?” However, Minecraft can also teach students how to work together. They could be playing on a server trying to survive the night, and they would have to work together to fend the mobs away while another mines or cuts wood. Overall, I do believe Minecraft will help students in many different ways.
Some schools already do use Minecraft Education Edition, and it does help students to learn. Many teachers enjoy this edition as it keeps the students engaged. “We owe it to our students to bring what they’re passionate about into the classroom,” said one teacher. The coders made edits to their script so they could make it kid friendly but still fun. They added the camera and the portfolio so the students could remember what happened in the class! They have also added more things that would help the teacher. For example, they added the Chalkboard that teachers could use to add extra goals and information. I think Mojang is doing a great job on Minecraft Education, but I think they can still improve by adding more things to encourage the students.
Most schools do believe that Minecraft helps and it does impact the student’s creativity. These sandbox games allow the player to have an open mind of how to build and what style they will build in. Before you play a game, think about if it helps you think of things beyond the game. Don’t underestimate the power hidden under the games.