Tech Article 1: Technical Setup

Hey everyone,

It's "The Tech Guy" here, and today I'm kicking off Article 1 of my technical series for the work done on our Minecraft setup, with the aim to help and inspire other technical minds, regarding how Minecraft can be setup and utilized in a school.

Setting up Minecraft in most instances is a majorly basic task if you have no desire to modify the game or its parameters in anyway. However should you wish to modify the game and the settings it runs from, the setup can get a little more complicated, and in turn you will require better hardware the crazier you wish to get. This process is then considerably more difficult when running the server inside of a school, and yet another tier of difficulty is involved if running the server inside a school, and wishing to communicate with the outside world.

So far we have our server running internally only, but we plan to soon extended our capabilities to being able to run the program amongst other institutions across Victoria and New South Wales.

Running Minecraft with verified Minecraft accounts inside State schools can be a little tricky, as all student traffic is filtered, and Minecraft traffic is filtered out. To get around this, it was necessary for me to modify the batch script used to start the server, and inject an unfiltered proxy into the Minecraft client, so that traffic could therefore be passed, and accounts verified.

As our setup is currently only being used internally, it made the initial setup quite easy, though we were to have our share of problems, mainly due to the fact that we were going in blind.

Technical specifications of initial setup:

-Dual Core Windows based VM with 8GB of RAM

-Running CraftBukkit as our server
-Running manually through a batch script with several modifiers
-Up to 24 players connecting at one time
-Running several administration based plugins

.bat file used for launching our servers:
 

java -Xms4G -Xmx4G -Dhttp.proxyHost="PROXY" -Dhttp.proxyPort=800 -Dhttps.proxyHost="PROXY" -Dhttps.proxyPort=800 -jar craftbukkit.jar -o true --nojline

PAUSE

Plans for the Theme Park

Keeping everyone on the same page meant the teams had to quickly sketch out a plan for the adventure park which is being built for the grade 3 students.

In line with our current thinking the teams were asked to create a rough outline in a digital format.

At the end of the process we checked that all members of the team could articulate the design.

Plan for Week 9 Session 6

Week 9

Session 6

We have moved things to this week to make up for last weeks altered session.

Out of World

Glossary 20 min

Building a Glossary of  Minecraft Vocabulary

·         Terminology linked with Minecraft eg griefing

·         Moving

·         Building

·         Technology of Redstone

·         Terms for survival

·         Terms for adventure mode

Whole group task

20 mins of dictionary development - begin defining the words the groups have already identified. Write definitions for each of the words under the heading identified last week. Extension: add pictures to support the definitions. Take picture from net and Minecraft screen captures (command shift 3)

Design of structure using paint 20 min or until finished

In World

Project time

Using the plan of their structure designed in paint use this to construct the interactive structure 20 min

Team focus

Project time – all teams will be set to task on the structures to build interactive structures

This sessions focus is:

Learn the communication skills of working as a team.

 Implementing effective delegation and responding to team leader.

 Taking directions from team mates.

Negotiating and valuing the opinions of team mates.

The best laid plans of mice and men…and Minecraft, Reflection Week 8 Session 5

Reflection Week 8 Session 5

The best laid plans of mice and men…and Minecraft.

Well, this week we had many unforseen factors that drastically changed the plan and what we were able to run. Moving into our new buildings and staff absence meant we had to change things up. We did manage to run an hour of Minecraft. I amazed myself! Gene and Peter were not available and I managed to log on and get it all running.  Students were logged into single player for some free “sandpit” time in Minecraft.

Lucky for me, a year nine student named Ben had a free period and offered to help me out. After playing on their own for 20 minutes, the studetns then logged into multiplayer and entered Ben’s world. Ben had built a world and constructed a dwelling in the world. He then invited the year 5 students to visit his world. He had strict entrance “laws” which he verbally outlined to the students which they agreed to. In they went!

Ben guided them in the world, giving suggestions, ideas tips and pointers on how they were interacting with his world and dwelling. He was supportive, encouraging, engaging and very clear on the etiquette he expected of the students in his world. There were a few glitches and kids “accidently” destroying things so he was firm when he needed to be.

Ben’s interactions with the students were exactly what we are aiming for our year 5 students to do with our Year 3s in the next phase of the project. However in this session the two groups both already had Minecraft knowledge. Our future groups will be Minecraft skilled students teaching novices. The glossary/dictionary we are working on will be of great use in our next phase. I am really excited about moving into the next phase.

Minecraft Screen Captures

Minecraft Creeps into Our Other Virtual Worlds

At Doveton College we use a 3D Virtual world with our students in Y6/7/8.  The other day I found Minecraft Characters had been built in the Virtual World.  I think they might be taking over.

The Minecraft Teams Wiki Address

This will be the address for the Wiki students use to create the terms and definitions for their online Minecraft Dictionary.

https://mashupstuff.wikispaces.com

REFLECTION Week 7 Session 4

REFLECTION Week 7 Session 4

Glossary/dictionary session was great and proved to be a great way of getting the kids to think about the Minecraft world and language that connects them with it. It was amazing to see them come up with lists under the headings (headings listed in this week plan) and how the terms related to the different modes in Minecraft.

The structure of the generating the word/dictionary lists changed. We went from written charts to a word document that each group worked on limiting them to 20 words or terms. We also allocated one heading per team rather than getting all teams to work under each heading.

Working electronically means we don’t have to transfer the docs at a later date. We can cut and paste. We are yet to decide how to put the dictionary/glossary together……We (we means Peter and Gene) are thinking perhaps a WIKI or Google doc? Will keep you posted!

Plan Week 8 Session 5

Week 8

Session 5

We will be asking for an extra hour with the Minecraft group. Period 2 Tuesday

Recess will be open to any students who choose to stay from the group. And the scheduled hour will be for the structured program.

 In the extra hour and recess the students will be given the opportunity to have free sand pit time or start building their project if they choose to. In our observations the students seem to be in one of two categories,

 Minecraft skilled – want to get in and use all the elements of the software

Lower skilled – need to use the program more freely to increase develop and enhance their skills.

This time is geared to give them the opportunity to do this.

Tuesday period 3 structured hour plan

Whole group task

20 mins of dictionary development - begin defining the words the groups have already identified. Write definitions for each of the words under the heading identified last week. Extension: add pictures to support the definitions. Take picture from net and Minecraft screen captures (command shift 3)

Project time – all teams will be set to task on the structures to build interactive structures as outlined in the previous week.

Team focus groups

 We will be working with one team at a time in ten minute blocks, to develop communication skills. Our aim is to enable them to relay their understandings to other students. How to relay information to others (year 3 students)

This sessions focus is:

Learn the communication skills of working as a team.

 Implementing effective delegation and responding to team leader.

 Taking direction from team mates.

Negotiating and valuing the opinions of team mates.

Photos "From The Outside Looking In"

Students building a Roller Coaster in teams.

Team manager assisting team keep on track and moving in the same on the ten minute build project.

Plan for Week 7 Session 4

Week 7

Session 4

Out Of World

Session focus is to a generate lists of words that are specific to Minecraft.

In small groups generate lists of words or terms that are specific to Minecraft. Write them under each of the headings (below).

Long term goal - These lists will form the basis of the Minecraft dictionary (student created). In the following weeks the out of world sessions will focus on its creation.

Activity

In teams of 3-4, each team will begin with a chart that has one of the headings below written on the top. In 1 minute intervals the teams will be asked to write as many words related to the heading (and Minecraft) as they can. At the end of the minute, the charts will be rotated through the groups. In the next minute they are to add many words as they can to the next chart. Repeat until all teams have written on each chart.

Collect charts, words generated will form basis for next session.

Building a Glossary of  Minecraft Vocabulary

·         Terminology linked with Minecraft eg griefing

·         Moving

·         Building

·         Technology of Redstone

·         Terms for survival

·         Terms for adventure mode

In World

Start Minecraft project

Start designing the adventure playground for the grade three students that will become part of the project in the next term.

Week 6 Reflection

Week 6 Reflection

 What a great session. The sand pit time helped to settle the students get the need and excitement to “play” out of the way and they were focused and ready to complete the building task for the session.

There were a number of teams who worked brilliantly and the leaders were very effective in guiding and managing their teams. We saw excellent delegation of tasks and a real sense of excitement about the set task.

Having the set time frame for parts of the session (see planner) ensured that the teams managed their time and “got on with it.” All but one team finished the construction in the build phase.

Needs identified

1. We need to up skill a number of the students in the use of Minecraft  tools and to use each other as troubleshooting tools.

2. We need to build a Glossary of Minecraft words, terms and vocabulary. The students can use this with each other and also when they move into the mentor phase for younger students. This will be a great reference tool. The glossary needs to include the terms and kid friendly definitions (written by the students themselves)

Task Two

Exercise Two 10 Minutes

The server was switched to creative mode.  The students were organised into teams of four. One was the manager and the other three the builders.

The task to build something you would find in a house.

The student teams were given one minute to decide what they were going to build.

Team 1 A table

Team 2 A roller coaster

Team 3 A tree house

Team 4 A table

The ten minutes started.

Teams began building

Team 2 started their roller coaster and their process was amazing.  I personally didn't think they would get very far in ten minutes but one student operated as the manager.  He kept everyone on task and his team listened to him. In ten minutes they had an operating Roller coaster. Unfortunately at the end of the ten minutes one student decided to blow it all up.  We knew this sort of griefing could happen and we were prepared for us.  Peter gentle took the student aside and the student was truly upset but his behaviour.

Team 4 didn't really start their table, they dug a hole, didn't listen to each other and went of and did their own individual thing.

Team 1 started a table, decided it was to easy and started to build a house.

Team 3 under a dictatorship built a tree house.  It was a remarkable structure and everyone contributed to the structure all in awe of the Minecraft guru who lead their team.

Student Refection.

Students were then asked to reflect on there work process.  The students prefer to work in Creative mode and build things.  They decided they needed to listen to each other better. They wanted more planning time before starting something. It was annoying when people griefed others work.  They want more hours to work in Minecraft.  How come we didn't run a Minecraft Club at lunch time.

Sink or Swim

Our first serious day in Minecraft has finally arrived.  All the accounts were set up and every student had a computer.  

During our research period, Peter Mahoney at the Power House Museum suggested letting the students have sandbox time for twenty minute in the initial session to just explore and learn. This session is run in survival mode.

Excercise One 20 minutes 

Within two minutes the room was at fever pitch.  Students were cutting down trees, making holes to hide in and shouting instructions to each other to support the newbies.

I asked one student what he was doing and he told me he was digging a shelter with "that guy."  I asked him who, that guy, was and he point to the Avatar on his screen.  I went around the room and found the Avatar the first student was working with and asked him about his experience. This student was also unaware of "who" he was working with, to him it was just the other Avatar.

Another student quickly showed every one how to chat online and a whole new level of communication exploded.  The noise level in the room didn't change but more information was going backward and forward.

As Naithan was monitoring our server he noticed that one student had tried to enter a command to "nuke" our server.  Little did the student know that Naithan was in control of our world.  

Quotes From The First Serious Day In Minecraft

"This is boring because I only get to do it once a week."

"I dug a big hole and I can't get out."

"Who's the dirt person."

"I'm not building a table.  It is to easy."

"You need to punch me so I can work out who you are.  But don't kill me."

"How do you build that?  Oh hang on. I know. I can do it myself."

Mathematical Understanding

Mathematical Understanding – spacial awareness, area, construction, volume… Interaction with Minecraft can only serve to enhance a student’s comprehension of mathematical skills and concepts.

Katie Salon, professor of design and technology at Parsons The New School for Design