Our little stars are not working as quickly as our previous group.
we ahve had to have more Build session, therefore the basic lesson plans have been similar the last few weeks. However their enthusiasm is just as high. The main factor is that this group have not had previous exposure to Minecraft.
We have had to do a great deal more skill building and they are taking it all on board. The expert work shops are working a treat and the students are making a real effort to have a go and implement the things they learn in these sessions each week.
I do not have enough words of praise for our brilliant year 9 expert, he is a born teacher!
Team conferences, milestones and goal setting have all helped keep each build team on track.
Loving it more each week!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Plan Week 10 TASK 9
Week 10
TASK 9
Expert workshop
Mine Carts
Trouble Shooting – water/flood
Minecraft - Creative Mode
Build session – complete the interactive structures to be
used for tutoring year 3s
Out of world
Structure
Sit at same computer as previous week (computer # recorded
in student list)
Log into same server – all kids in the right world.
Instruction
Outline goal, purpose and aim of session. Build session.
Give explicit instructions to find each other in world.
Students are to do this in a set period.
Time management - Set timer 2 min to locate your team
Team conference
The team goal
Once they have located their team mates, they are to stop
(hand s off computer) and have a group team discussion, they are to redefine
allocated tasks. This will enable all team members to have clearly in their
minds what their individual responsibilities are to achieve the team goal.
In world
We want to see evidence that the students are using the new skills covered in the expert work shops.
Continue the construction.
10 minutes in, get students to stop and check o the progress of the team, reset goals and redefine roles if required. Continue to build.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Who is teaching who?
Ha the magic question.
Should you know more than your students?
No.
You should be the guide.
And we are lucky to be the guide.
Our students are really uninterested in who teaches them so long as they learn. They are confused about homework if it means learning things in Minecraft. Our school refuser is concerned about how he should prepare to lead next weeks class and what is important to for younger students to learn.
I learned lots of cool stuff about how various Redstone tools work.
Many students mimic Redstones tools which they learn by heart and then replicate.
We learn the building skills, mechanics, physics and circuitry all through the skills of our student mentor.. It is about developing ideas not copying the steps.
Now if I can find one to teach English, Maths and the rest of the curriculum we can all go home and relax. :)
Should you know more than your students?
No.
You should be the guide.
And we are lucky to be the guide.
Our students are really uninterested in who teaches them so long as they learn. They are confused about homework if it means learning things in Minecraft. Our school refuser is concerned about how he should prepare to lead next weeks class and what is important to for younger students to learn.
I learned lots of cool stuff about how various Redstone tools work.
Many students mimic Redstones tools which they learn by heart and then replicate.
We learn the building skills, mechanics, physics and circuitry all through the skills of our student mentor.. It is about developing ideas not copying the steps.
Now if I can find one to teach English, Maths and the rest of the curriculum we can all go home and relax. :)
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Plan Week 9 Task 8
Week 9
TASK 8
Year 9 Expert workshop
Floating building + Redstone Circles
Minecraft - Creative Mode
Build session – complete the interactive structures to be
used for tutoring year 3s
Out of world
Structure
Sit at same computer as previous week (computer # recorded
in student list)
Log into same server – all kids in the right world.
Instruction
Outline goal, purpose and aim of session. Build session.
Give explicit instructions to find each other in world.
Students are to do this in a set period.
Time management - Set timer 2 min to locate your team
Team conference
The team goal
Once they have located their team mates, they are to stop
(hand s off computer) and have a group team discussion, they are to redefine
allocated tasks. This will enable all team members to have clearly in their
minds what their individual responsibilities are to achieve the team goal.
In world
Continue the construction.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Peer Teaching to the Rescue!
During the last two classes we have had the pleasure of a student come into the Minecraft class to help and to peer teach. Though we knew that he was experienced in minecraft(who under the age of 14 isn't these days) we were pleasantly surprised by not only by his depth of knowledge but also his maturity and ability to explain and demonstrate concepts and then re explain for those students who "didnt get it". What we were absolutely blown away by was his enthusiasm for "things to prepare for next week" which in old school speak is also called "homework". Each week we write in his diary what we would like him to demonstrate for next week based on the direction of the class student questions and each week he had presented clearly and preciselt and has even spent time preparing working models to use in his demonstration(as you will see in the video attached)
What completely floored us was that students are now asking why THEY cant have homework too!
Here is a short video of our student in action.
What completely floored us was that students are now asking why THEY cant have homework too!
Here is a short video of our student in action.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
Kids teaching Kids
Our year 9 expert was once again the highlight of the session. He has grown in confidence and is able to engage all 18 year 5 students with his amazing work shops on minecraft skill building.
His role in this project is having a positive influence on him beyond this project/classroom setting.
Today he said he felt as though he had gained more confidence speaking to a group. He mentioned that his older brother really wanted to learn about technology subjects, like the ones he was involved in at Doveton College. He said that now that he had had this teaching experience, sharing what he knows and teaching new skills; he felt confident enough in his "teaching" skills that he would be able to teach his older brother how to do wood work and technology.
He also wanted to know if he would be able to keep working as part of our project in the long term.
:)
His role in this project is having a positive influence on him beyond this project/classroom setting.
Today he said he felt as though he had gained more confidence speaking to a group. He mentioned that his older brother really wanted to learn about technology subjects, like the ones he was involved in at Doveton College. He said that now that he had had this teaching experience, sharing what he knows and teaching new skills; he felt confident enough in his "teaching" skills that he would be able to teach his older brother how to do wood work and technology.
He also wanted to know if he would be able to keep working as part of our project in the long term.
:)
Plan Week 8 task 7
Week 8 task 7
Michael Year 9 Tutor - Tracks and
power rails
Next week, Floating building + Redstone
circles
Out of world
Full build session
in world
In of world
Creative mode
Student Structure/Grouping - Teams
Session Focus is on Designing their structures and the
features they will include.
Using Paintbrush software as a tool for design drawing and labelling
their design.
Structure as outlined in previous lesson plan.
Build! Build! Build!
Minecraft - Creative Mode
Build session – complete the interactive structures to be
used for tutoring year 3s
Out of world
Structure
Working in the design teams to begin construction of the
structures designed to be used as an instruction tool for the year 3 students.
They must include the Minecraft tools they have been working
on in the work shop.
Sit at same computer as previous week (computer # recorded
in student list)
Log into same server – all kids in the right world.
Instruction
Outline goal, purpose and aim of session. Build session.
Give explicit instructions to find each other in world.
Students are to do this in a set period.
Time management - Set timer 2 min to locate your team
Team conference
The team goal
Once they have located their team mates, they are to stop
(hand s off computer)and have a group team discussion, they are to redefine
allocated tasks. This will enable all team members to have clearly in their
minds what their individual responsibilities are to achieve the team goal.
In world
Begin/continue the construction
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Next Year and Beyond
We are currently looking for schools who might be interested in students working on a project on our Minecraft Server.
Our server has all the appropriate security features.
We are looking for schools in other states in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore and PNG
It would be our intention to design a project in collaboration with partnering schools.
Please contact us if you are interested in considering our idea.
Our server has all the appropriate security features.
We are looking for schools in other states in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore and PNG
It would be our intention to design a project in collaboration with partnering schools.
Please contact us if you are interested in considering our idea.
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