Educational things kids have done in Minecraft that weren't intentionally educational

[Sarah CB]

I have some serious Minecraft concerns - mostly around how obsessed my boys are with it. However, they end up doing a lot of what I would consider to be educational without meaning to.

 

For instance, older ds has created a number of different settings from novels. He created a whole underground city from Gregor the Overlander. He has one world where he's created the Hunger Games.

 

A couple of weeks ago, the two oldest boys were playing in the same world and they had created a whole feudal system with a castle, peasants, farmland, knights, etc. They explained how one ds would grant land to another and the other would give him knights and they had the peasants working, etc. As much as Minecraft bugs me I don't think I could have come up with an activity that would help make the concept of feudalism stick that would have been as effective as their Minecraft game that day.

 

I've used it a big in co-op as well - but more intentionally. I had the kids build the Hagia Sophia.

 

Have your kids surprised you by how educational Minecraft is turning out to be?

[elegantlion]

Yes. Ds is using Minecraft to build the setting for the story we are writing together. He's explained it in great detail and starting building it last week.

 

My only issue with Minecraft is it makes my motion sickness kick in when he starts spinning around showing me everything. At least this story doesn't have any cliffs like his usual creations.

[Halcyon]

I have issues with it too, mostly with the obsessiveness as well. That said, my boys work together on their worlds, and discuss how to approach different challenges and creations. This alone pleases me: their teamwork and discussion.

 

I am curious to know how I could "encourage" them to build particular worlds. :bigear: I know nothing about it.

[Sarah CB]

Yes. Ds is using Minecraft to build the setting for the story we are writing together. He's explained it in great detail and starting building it last week.

 

My only issue with Minecraft is it makes my motion sickness kick in when he starts spinning around showing me everything. At least this story doesn't have any cliffs like his usual creations.

 

That's really cool! What a neat way to make writing come alive.

[ccolopy]

It's indirect, but DS has learned a lot about programming from the guys he plays with. I have no idea what he actually builds. :)

[Sarah CB]

I have issues with it too, mostly with the obsessiveness as well. That said, my boys work together on their worlds, and discuss how to approach different challenges and creations. This alone pleases me: their teamwork and discussion.

 

I am curious to know how I could "encourage" them to build particular worlds. :bigear: I know nothing about it.

 

You're right - the teamwork has been neat to see. When we're at the music school the kids have about an hour where they're in the waiting room with about 4 or 5 other homeschooled kids - most of whom have iPads or iPods and play Minecraft. On first glance it looks bad - a bunch of kids sitting there staring at screens, but they are talking together the whole time, working together and showing each other things. It's actually a really dynamic time.

 

The kids know that I can sometimes be convinced to allow them extra time on Minecraft if they're working on something that I think is cool - like the setting of a book or a historical reenactment or a historical structure. That's about as much encouragement as I give - plus, I guess I'm more willing to have them show me what they're up to when it's something I think is cool.

 

For our co-op class I had five kids in our TOG class who all love Minecraft and bring iPads to co-op so I allowed them to work on their historical building while we had our dialectic discussion.

[Sarah CB]

For awhile my kids were on a kick of learning about various types of rocks, minerals, and other types of materials. My youngest started a rock collection, read books about rocks, etc. all on his own.

 

I am continually surprised by how much they know about random things from Minecraft. My mil was here last month. She was reading a book and it mentioned obsidian. She asked whether anyone knew what obsidian was and she got a big earful from the boys. I think she was pretty impressed by their knowledge. I didn't tell her they learned it from Minecraft ;)

[CyndiLJ]

OK,now I am intrigued and need to go see what Minecraft is! I know...I know...I am a total loser and culturally ignorant.

 

Cindy

[MBM]

My son and his two friends are videotaping walk throughs of the video game they play which they then post on YouTube. A brother of one of the friends makes about $100 per month with his video walk throughs. It's not a sure thing, but at least it got my son thinking in a different direction.