I'd like to open up a can of worms.

I'd like to open up a can of worms. I like cans of worms. Let me start with one of my favorite quotes by A.L. Becker:

“Our ‘picture’ of language is the single most important factor…in determining the way we choose to teach one.”

Overwhelmingly, for both the lay public and the vast majority of language teachers, the underlying picture of language is a machine-metaphor. Language is conceptualized as a largely autonomous factory consisting of "rules, procedures, and lexicon" locked away "in the skull" of an individual. Virtually ever L2 textbook in the world tacitly reinforces this picture. In my opinion, this is the picture of language reflected in the Spanish lesson that Jo Kay linked to.

Many Japanese learners of English were first introduced to English with the notoriously silly sentence "This is a pen." The blatant banality is accepted because it presents what is considered a "core" sentence structure Subject + Verb + (article) Object. This approach is not limited to Japan nor EFL. When I was studying Arabic in college, we were presented with the following two sentences (which I'm giving here in English): Who killed Fadhal's dead horse?" and "What color is the blind janitor's jacket?" I kid you not. The rational behind these pointless sentences was the grammatical structures to be extracted and explicated.

By the way, here's a story. A couple of years ago I was visiting the southern side of my island of Shikoku and came across a small antique shop. As I entered I heard an old women in the back exclaim (with some alarm): "Ara! zis-iz-a-peng ga kita!" (Oh my! A this-is-a-pen [person] is here!") .

In contrast to the machine metaphor are pictures that see language as a set of socially shared and oriented to "practices" and resources, inseparable from the dynamic lifeworlds we inhabit, and which in some sense only exist "out there" in the social space between interactants. Competence is always shared and co-constructed, never personally owned.

So what is YOUR picture of language and how might that picture be reflected in the learning activities you design for your students?

Is it possible to dig a 1-block wide vertical shaft by removing blocks directly under you?

Is it possible to dig a 1-block wide vertical shaft by removing blocks directly under you? Or would a 2-block wide shaft be the minimum by allowing you to step to the side to dig?

A cool lesson plan example for learning Spanish in Minecraft!

A cool lesson plan example for learning Spanish in Minecraft!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saC6IFgRBrU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saC6IFgRBrU

A cool use of Minecraft for social engagement.

A cool use of Minecraft for social engagement.

https://plan-international.org/blog/2017/04/building-safer-hanoi-girls-minecraft
https://plan-international.org/blog/2017/04/building-safer-hanoi-girls-minecraft

Two of my favorite biomes side-by-side.

Two of my favorite biomes side-by-side.

I'm holed up in a cave for the night. Next time I'm on, I'll head south https://www.screencast.com/t/iytUmDDgr

I'm holed up in a cave for the night. Next time I'm on, I'll head south https://www.screencast.com/t/iytUmDDgr
https://www.screencast.com/t/iytUmDDgr

I finally found one of my students, an avid gamer, who had heard of Minecraft...after she made the leap from my...

I finally found one of my students, an avid gamer, who had heard of Minecraft...after she made the leap from my English pronunciation to her "maindokurafuto." She followed this acknowledgement immediately with "But I'm not interested in that."

I was chatting with Sura today which got me searching for something and I ended up at this article.

I was chatting with Sura today which got me searching for something and I ended up at this article. It's dated 2012 but the Author has newer articles on technology in education http://www.slate.com/authors.lisa_guernsey.html
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2012/08/minecraft_teachers_love_the_game_but_as_a_parent_i_m_worried_my_kids_are_addicted.html

Maha Abdelmoneim and Beth S O'Connell, for some reason I am unable to post a comment on your post at...

Maha Abdelmoneim and Beth S O'Connell, for some reason I am unable to post a comment on your post at https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BethSOConnell/posts/YFT9DUQCza3, but I have added a placeholder at our events wiki (the place where you find links to all the active and past doodle polls)
http://missions4evomc.pbworks.com/w/page/121439859/2018_Live_Events#MonFeb52000ESTvisittoVSTEserver

Booklady is a writer at that wiki, so you may add any further information there. Maha, there is a signup sheet for giving presentations here. If you or anyone else would like to give a presentation I would be happy to add you to the planning sheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EBBpjp6ofpfHz6i2eNVBEYBXXPLMgL3BEnBzZP9Deso/edit?usp=sharing

or if you want to create an event on the events page above, I can add you as a writer there.

Thanks for offering! Hope to see you in Minecraft tonight :-)

I would like to announce the discovery and mapping of an ocean mansion.

I would like to announce the discovery and mapping of an ocean mansion. (my first ever :) ) I would like to mount a "proper" expedition to explore and document, and would like to share the experience with anyone who would like to join me, and is willing to patiently approach it in the same manner... (not breaking any of the blocks that make up the mansion). This makes it a more difficult challenge, but for me, that's where the fun lies, esp. when you have a large group involved. (one "well-equipped" person COULD just cut their way in and grab the loot, and be in-and-out in 15 minutes leaving a chopped up mess; but that to me doesn't seem a good use of a rare resource in a community environment (one person's opinion))

So, "who's with me"?
(and I guess, if we are doing it, when are some good times?)

sorry - was sleepy and forgot to down-res... big file :(

Did anyone ever go back to the ocean monument for a second excavation session?

I went to one of the desert villages to trade with a librarian and a farmer today/this evening.

I went to one of the desert villages to trade with a librarian and a farmer today/this evening. To my utter delight the librarian upgraded and now sells an infinity enchantment book for the lowest prices I've seen of 10 emeralds. Woot :)
I took some pictures to show where the village is and I have a small cabin on the water there that you're all welcome to use. Coords are 7138.665, / 64 / 6316.503

Would you all still like me to host a get-together on the VSTE Minecraft server this Monday, February 5, at 8 pm EST?

Would you all still like me to host a get-together on the VSTE Minecraft server this Monday, February 5, at 8 pm EST? I got lost reading all of these posts and comments, and I can't remember how to access the signup sheet for get-togethers (or even what they're called, lol)

A map-eyed view of some of my creations

A map-eyed view of some of my creations .. had fun making a jungley watchtower today with a little help from Mattie! ;)

Went back down to collect some things the villages seem to want. String, for example.

Went back down to collect some things the villages seem to want. String, for example.

Potential language-learning tasks involving the MC game or its many associated resources (primarily available in...

Potential language-learning tasks involving the MC game or its many associated resources (primarily available in English).

1. Opportunities out-of-game to narrate (in writing or conversationally) events that occurred in-game.

2. Opportunities to read authentic texts out-of-game in order to solve in-game problems.

3. Opportunities to watch and listen to YouTube videos in the L2.

4. Opportunities to interact verbally, plan, strategize with other players in-game or with other players out-of-game (hopefully in the L2).

5. Somewhat unfocused opportunities for lexical expansion, that would need some sort of out-of-game attention, .e.g. learner makes personal dictionary of verbs found in texts. Defocus on "MC English."

Feel free to add to this partial list!

Ususual temple since it is half-buried.

Ususual temple since it is half-buried. Entering through the doorway puts you on the second floor. From there you can jump down. Or alternatively you have to excavate an entrance from a cave on the side (with skeletons and zombies).

Hi all, I'm looking forward to getting back into world this evening my time.

Hi all, I'm looking forward to getting back into world this evening my time. The time is on the Doodle poll I've posted for today and tomorrow. I've also posted one for the first two days in February. Find these polls at our #evomc18 live events page, http://missions4evomc.pbworks.com/w/page/121439859/2018_Live_Events#DoodlepollforTueWedJan3031

Scroll up from that entry to find the video we recorded when we streamed from underwater last Sunday. The stream was enacted when I saw that at least three of us would be online at the same time, so please fill in the polls so we can record more of our interactions there. If you don't want to put in all the times you'll be available, at least find times when you see other people there and add your name. If I'm around I might stream it.
http://missions4evomc.pbworks.com/w/page/121439859/2018_Live_Events#DoodlepollforTueWedJan3031

Another two villages and an ocean monument.

Another two villages and an ocean monument. The first of the two villages found today initially looked almost identical to "Hernadez" from yesterday. But the layout is different and the coordinates are different.

Is there always a temple associated with each village? If so, I'll have to go back to this one and look for its temple.

After days of swimming it was good to be on dry land again. And to find myself once more among humanity.

After days of swimming it was good to be on dry land again. And to find myself once more among humanity.

I find myself wondering what is the MINIMAL degree of technical savvy a teacher might need to use MC.

I find myself wondering what is the MINIMAL degree of technical savvy a teacher might need to use MC. I suppose that ranges form "almost none" to "serious MC skills and and server know-how." At the low-tech end, teachers could just direct their students to an already existing game-server...and perhaps join them there as a fellow MC novice and language-guide. The fact is that no instructional technology will ever become widely accepted, if it requires more technical expertise than connecting a laptop to a projector. Teachers have too many other things to do (and are paid too little) to become de facto tech-support experts. A key requisite for wide-spread adoption of any educational technology is that it not require any more technical expertise than is generally held by the general population of teachers.

I updated my reflections blog with an entry for today...

I updated my reflections blog with an entry for today...
reflecting (notes for the script (?) )

........2018Jan29................................................
Going back over what I was saying (in my head (going over it in my head, not "what I was saying in my head" (now cut that out!)))...

I just need to get "something" down to get started. Ideas --> scripts --> stories --> use of language --> something someone might be able to use.

Otherwise, inaction --> nothing.

One of the "big" discussions that occurs in Discord frequently, ( getting it working is a non-trivial effort, but it IS worth the trouble, IMHO - if you are not taking part in the audio interactions that occur there, you are "missing out" on a valuable part of the EVOMCMOOC experience ), is the idea of the list of the "key" words... the underlying concepts that kind of define "what's going on". And how it might be a good idea to have them "listed" "somewhere" "spelled out" and maybe "explained" to "various degrees" according to individuals needs/preferences. A kind of "concept map" if you will. AS I type this, the editor in the back of my mind is clearing his throat/tapping me on the shoulder/attempting to interrupt like there might actually be appropriate technical nomenclature (I saw a shirt on "that website" that said something akin to "I like to use fancy technical words that I don't really know the meanings of so that I appear hypotenuse.") ;) I know if I "go looking", you won't see this post for days. So, you get "this", now, and the accurate terms, "down the road" (maybe, if I remember). ;)

SO ...

let's start a list, not of keywords, but KEY words,

maybe "core" concepts... (no, I don't like that either, underlying... foundation... a priori ... (quit stalling)

- - - -
community

collaborate/collaborative

play

gamification (don't like that this one has been hijacked/commercialized/mainstreamed/misused/diluted/ruined)

immersive / WSOD

authentic

passion

motivate

(there are several "big" ones missing here, that I can't remember atm... placeholder)

scaffolding

flipped

peer

(lifelong) learner/co-learner/teacher/student (this is unclear atm, needs refinement)

- - - -
http://www.betterthanpants.com/sometimes-i-use-words-i-don-t-understand-to-sound-hypothesis-shirt#!

thinking about how I view the world...

thinking about how I view the world...
https://youtu.be/CK2FRxy_SEY
https://youtu.be/CK2FRxy_SEY

Almost inevitably during a long, multi-day swim south, I came across two more ocean monuments.

Almost inevitably during a long, multi-day swim south, I came across two more ocean monuments.

Cave leprechaun?

Cave leprechaun?

we were troubleshooting connecting with various versions of minecraft/realms earlier when I came across a version of...

we were troubleshooting connecting with various versions of minecraft/realms earlier when I came across a version of "Hinderval" stored on my realm that I had forgotten about (in it we were playing around with different transportation systems)... thought I'd post a pic...
(it's on the 5903 realm for anyone "in the know" ;), less hazardous than what has been there recently )

Breaching the ocean monument (underwater temple) was just plain tough and tedious work.

Breaching the ocean monument (underwater temple) was just plain tough and tedious work. Chip away, get zapped, go drink milk. Rinse and repeat. And drown. Lots of drowning.

#EVOMC18 has staged its first live-streamed event for this round of antics.

#EVOMC18 has staged its first live-streamed event for this round of antics.
https://youtu.be/dRn_RrrNPpA

Sura and I built a walkway out to the top of the closest monument. That's ThreeTempleIsland in the back.

Sura and I built a walkway out to the top of the closest monument. That's ThreeTempleIsland in the back.

Title

Look, Ma, I got HIGH-RES!!! Turns out it was that I wasn't playing the game fullscreen. Duh.

Look, Ma, I got HIGH-RES!!! Turns out it was that I wasn't playing the game fullscreen. Duh.

The cave/mineshaft under Mattie's shelter on ThreeTempleIsland is ENORMOUS! But also filled with spawners!

The cave/mineshaft under Mattie's shelter on ThreeTempleIsland is ENORMOUS! But also filled with spawners!

As I was interacting with Mattie today on Three Temple Island another aspect of the MC experience occurred to me.

As I was interacting with Mattie today on Three Temple Island another aspect of the MC experience occurred to me. Interaction often works best if the identities of "expert" vs. "novice" are more multifaceted. For example, in terms of English skills, I am the Expert and Mattie is the Novice. However, in terms of MC skills, Mattie is clearly the Expert and I'm the Novice. This uneven distribution of skills is inevitably part of the real world.

It's 1:00am.

It's 1:00am. Mattie is still building a new shelter on an island with Don. From the island, Don Carroll showed me see three ocean monuments lying slightly underneath the water over the horizon. Mattie can not wait to explore them. He would like to start with the one that Don, Dak, and Vance worked on. In this photo, Don was showing us the way to the three monuments when he got zapped by a guardian. Watch out!! Don Carroll, thanks for playing with Mattie. I totally fell asleep. Mattie built a pen for sheep and he's got lots of milk left in a chest for us to explore later. (Mattie says: "And there're some random animals in there, like horse, chicken, and most important, there's a cow on the side with the chicken that lay eggs.") Hope to see you on MC tonight 11pm Japanese Time.

More adventures with Mattie today ... Taming parrots and eating watermelon under Mattie's cool desert umbrella! ;)

More adventures with Mattie today ... Taming parrots and eating watermelon under Mattie's cool desert umbrella! ;)

Hi all.

Hi all. Welcome to week 3 of #EVOMC18. This is our Networking week but it seems many of us have moved on to clustering behaviors already. This morning I saw from the interactive map a cluster of workers building just south of the EVOMC18 spawn point, and Don Carroll a.k.a. Abu Fletcher has found even more temples.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/105443014753998852123/posts/7ShryEnTrwp

Meanwhile Doodle has shown that a quorum of miners will be online between 1400 and 1600 UTC today. I plan to try and stream from in world at that time using Discord for voice. The stream will come out on my YouTube channel. I have to go to work just now, but there will be more information about this posted at http://missions4evomc.pbworks.com/w/page/121439859/2018_Live_Events#Week3Jan28Feb03Networking.

Check it our and join us if you can, online or in the stream. If the stream works, there will be a recording. See you there :-)
https://www.screencast.com/t/Ei2XQdCS

Welldone

Welldone

Originally shared by Jo Kay

I had a lovely time mining with Mattie today.

First we went on a boat ride. Captain Mattie is very good at rowing.

Then we went diamond hunting and found 14 diamonds. Wooohooo!

After that, we a met very pesky Parrot who didn't want to eat our seeds, and found a good spot for a fishing shack.

Thanks for mining with me Mattie! It was lots of fun! <3

I just hit the MOTHERLOAD of underwater temples!!! Three located within sight of each other!!!

I just hit the MOTHERLOAD of underwater temples!!! Three located within sight of each other!!!

I had a lovely time mining with Mattie today.

I had a lovely time mining with Mattie today.

First we went on a boat ride. Captain Mattie is very good at rowing.

Then we went diamond hunting and found 14 diamonds. Wooohooo!

After that, we a met very pesky Parrot who didn't want to eat our seeds, and found a good spot for a fishing shack.

Thanks for mining with me Mattie! It was lots of fun! <3

The "party" is set up, ready to "rock and roll", or whatever the "hep cats" say.

The "party" is set up, ready to "rock and roll", or whatever the "hep cats" say... (can you dig it?)... here is a photo tour to serve as your "engraved invitation" to join us in-world to celebrate Rose's Brithday, ( and generally "make a mess" of her new build... WHAT???? ) ;)

(oops, I forgot to take a picture of the note where I said I'd help clean up...)

a better shot of the goal of the first phase of the expedition...

a better shot of the goal of the first phase of the expedition...
"the entrance"... (in glorious 4K)

Hold on a moment!
It looks like there's a monster there waiting to greet (poison) you!

a photojournal... "the monument"

a photojournal... "the monument"

Happy Birthday, Rose Bard! May your day be awesome, and filled with love from family and friends!

I started the day off in my igloo.

I started the day off in my igloo.

Progress is being made.

Progress is being made. Slow and at great cost. But progress. See all that structure below water. We (well mostly Dak) built that to access the temple itself. The basic engineering solution was to drop blocks of sand to displace the water, then surround the sand with blocks of glass. Afterwards, the sand is removed.

That's Vance and Dak on the platform. Both suffering the debilitating effects of guardian poison. Much milk was consumed.

This afternoon I hiked to a mountain temple in the snow.

This afternoon I hiked to a mountain temple in the snow. But for REALS. It has been said that virtual experience is like going to the finest French restaurant in the world and eating...the menu.

What are the relative advantages (and disadvantages) of real world experiences? vs. virtual experiences?

Are there materials through which the guardians may not pass?

After exploring the other temple yesterday with Vance, Dak, and Jane, this morning I decided I needed a break and...

After exploring the other temple yesterday with Vance, Dak, and Jane, this morning I decided I needed a break and went for a long (long) ocean swim. And found ANOTHER underwater temple! (I think this makes four that I've discovered.)

Some cuteness I need on my desk!

Some cuteness I need on my desk! ;) https://www.needcoolshoes.com/product/print3d/picnic#justforfun #minecraftirl #3dprinting

On a serious note tho - you can print models from Minecraft too - either via a service like Shapeways or if you have your own 3d Printer .. cool stuff! http://www.minecraftprint.com/

Today, after having a discussion with Dakotah Redstone, Maha Abdelmoneim, and Rose Bard, we realized that Minecraft...

Today, after having a discussion with Dakotah Redstone, Maha Abdelmoneim, and Rose Bard, we realized that Minecraft provides the context that EFL learners need. For Japanese and Taiwanese learners in communicative language learning approach, they often find themselves memorizing dialogues and role playing in classroom settings. They would be engaged in information gap task so that they can exchange for information that allow them to engage in authentic like conversations.

However, if we allow some class time or even lab time outside of class for learners to play Minecraft, it would resolve our issue of the lack of context in EFL settings where students are not surrounded in an environment to engage in authentic conversations.

Situated Learning: Minecraft provides the much needed diverse context for EFL learners to engage in conversations. For example, for the excavation of underwater temple, Don and I both got poisoned by the Gardians. He told me that I need milk. To get more milk, I asked: how do I get more milk? I was shown where the cows were and that the buckets of milk were in the chests. I was engaged in real conversation in that context and there was no need to pretend and role-play. Dak taught me to use sand to build a passage so that we can reach the temple entrance safely. He was proving instructions and giving directions, sometimes comments that were humorous. We talked about absorption of sponges, temple entrance, night vision and water breathing potions.

So, as a language teacher, what is needed is a clear goal of language learning for each context. Have in mine what the target vocabulary is for certain context, and what language functions and structures that might be involved and include that in the lesson.

Provide Comprehensible Language Input. We can either use Photos and Captions like what Don Carroll has done on G+ as content (as suggested by Dakotah Redstone) or we can do a video of players engaged in the excavation, or playing hide and seek, etc. and use it as a flipped classroom video for learners to watch before they come to class.


Opportunities for Situated Language Output. After in class lessons and discussions, retelling what they’ve watch, or discuss how they would do it differently, locate a lab and have students work on the same project (I.e. build an automated farm) in Minecraft in pairs or teams.

Production and language Feedback. Learners ac prerecord a video of their work in progress, or introduce what they’ve done. Limit their recordings to 3 minutes max so that the instructor and give corrective feedback on target grammar or usage or vocabulary...to the whole class.

We can build many different theme based lessons: farming, exploring underwater temples, securing villagers in the desert, horse riding, constructions, and etc. These videos can be videos from YouTube Minecraft Chanels or we can make the Xbox recordings ourselves.

Sorry I have to stop here. I need to take Mattie to Badminton practice.

Dakota made some fine progress displacing water to get down underwater.

Dakota made some fine progress displacing water to get down underwater. We still don't have an entrance to the temple itself but we're getting there. It's still plenty scary down there with monsters materializing out of nowhere.

It may be that the entrance lies elsewhere, for example, along the row of bioluminescent lights closer to the beach.

What you see here is not the temple per se but an excavation room that Dakota, Jane, and Vance built.

Vance and Dakota joined me at the underwater temple location.

Vance and Dakota joined me at the underwater temple location. Vance suggested building a pier out to the top of the temple, then Dakota did an amazing job of bringing in supplies and creating a great support base.

"What's this?" he exclaimed...

"What's this?" he exclaimed...

Is it correct that I can install my copy of MC on three of my computers? If so, how would I do this?

Let's say a student asked me about wanting to try learning English through MC.

Let's say a student asked me about wanting to try learning English through MC. And I am not going to use MC myself but would like to encourage this student to try it out on his/her own.

Is there a server that would be open to such a student, such that he or she could just buy a copy of MC, log on, and start exploring?

today's t-shirt...

today's t-shirt...

http://www.betterthanpants.com/english-can-be-weird...-but-it-can-be-understood-through-tough-thorough-thought-though.-shirt
http://www.betterthanpants.com/english-can-be-weird...-but-it-can-be-understood-through-tough-thorough-thought-though.-shirt

Hi all

Hi all,
Sorry for the mystery. I had to restart the server to troubleshoot the inventory bug and it took longer than expected to reboot and I had to leave the office.

It's back online and I have updated the PerWorldInventory plugin to see if it addresses the bug that some players have been experiencing.

The server is back online but the may or may not be squashed. Feel free to log in and report back whether the issue remains.

I received a message in world at approx.

I received a message in world at approx. 1700 Eastern (Jan. 24, 2018) that the server needed to restart, so I logged out. About 10 minutes later, the server still appears to be "undergoing maintenance" ? (unreachable) I am not sure how long these things normally take... just a heads up, in case someone was unaware.
:) Dakotah 'bandwidth-burning' Redstone

I am double-posting to "Server Information" & "Questions needing attention" as I thought both might be appropriate, depending on who was looking/reading...

Today I built a cobblestone shelter on the island by the temple.

Today I built a cobblestone shelter on the island by the temple. It's keeps out the zombies and the spiders, but doesn't help at all against one of the "sea" monsters who is perfectly capable of flying through the air and right through stone walls. After the attack you are left weak so that none of your tools are effective.

But I did manage to kill one of the ugly-looking beasts.