I recently had the opportunity to attend the first Minecraft Education Summit sponsored by Microsoft FuseLabs and Connected Camps. A small, but diverse group of stakeholders gathered to look at questions surrounding the use of Minecraft for learning. It generated exhilarating and sometimes tense conversations about Minecraft’s educational use to date as well as recommendations and projections for the path Microsoft should take moving forward.
It was fascinating to hear all of the diverse things that people are doing with Minecraft and learn from each stakeholder as they shared their perspectives. It was no surprise that the points of view were widely varied and tensions surfaced as we dug deeper into pedagogical philosophies. Those differences raised new questions about semantics and community. This was apparent in both individual and group conversations. It even spilled out into the Twitter feed. While I don’t enjoy controversy, I found that unpacking these issues at the Summit was extremely productive in respect to examining and expanding my own thinking.
I will be unpacking my thinking and reflections regarding these questions in my next few posts:
Q1: What are the differences between teacher-driven and student-driven learning? Q2: When does a game cease to be a game and become a tool? Q3: Is there a difference between a teaching tool and a learning tool? Q4: Is the term “edu” problematic and, if so, why? Q5: Can a commercial platform, like MinecraftEDU, meet the needs of all?
I may even invite some colleagues with differing points of view to add their perspective. It’s easy to take a position but we cannot move forward if we are busy guarding our turf. My greatest takeaway from #MinecraftLA: I’m interested in finding our common ground and moving forward.
Knowclue and Vu Bui
Hang’n with Vu Bui, Mojang COO