Where's Waldo?

Where's Waldo? Can you spot the #evomc16  participants in #SLMOOC16  taking place throughout the month of April? (More of us are presenting, but these are the ones who had got their photos in by the time the organizers decided to make this graphic :-).

Find more information at 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SHsoYS6KW2vQDRIq-nA16mTYlRYHlB3V_22WM4wWwTw/edit?usp=sharing

 
This will be on our reading list for next year's  #evomc16 , or maybe we should offer ourselves a badge for writing one ourselves.  More information at
http://press.etc.cmu.edu/content/teachercraft-how-teachers-learn-use-minecraft-their-classrooms

Download the pdf here: 
http://press.etc.cmu.edu/files/Teacher-Craft_Dikkers-etal-web.pdf

#evomc16

#evomc16
Minecraft to become testing ground for artificial intelligence experiments
"Although AI specialists may get the most out of the platform, Microsoft stresses that AIX will also support simple programs that children can create, and the firm has promised to provide a range of teaching materials."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35778288
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35778288

#evomc16 participant Nathan Beyerlein has let me know he's posted at TEFL Express on the interview we recorded and...

#evomc16  participant Nathan Beyerlein has let me know he's posted at TEFL Express on the interview we recorded and archived here 
http://learning2gether.net/2016/02/28/nathan-beyerlein-interviews-moderators-of-evo-minecraft-mooc-for-teflexpress/. Thanks to those who participated and to all who have contributed to making EVO Minecraft MOOC a great learning experience and now-thriving community of practice.
http://teflexpress.co.uk/blog/tefl-and-minecraft/

#evomc16

#evomc16  
Anyone interested to meet me tomorrow, March 6th at 1400 UTC, on my server?
I can tell you a few words about data types in Minecraft and I will show you the basic commands of ScriptCraft.
I don't know if it's OK to say it here, but we'll have some drinks also (quite strong ones) :)

I'm still working on my Survival reflections, but here's the beginning of it:

I'm still working on my Survival reflections, but here's the beginning of it:
 http://booklady9.edublogs.org/2016/03/01/minecraft-in-survival-mode/
#evomc16  
http://booklady9.edublogs.org/2016/03/01/minecraft-in-survival-mode

Melanie Ruiz posted an "informative" link on the Minecraft in Education community here

Melanie Ruiz posted an "informative" link on the Minecraft in Education community here
https://plus.google.com/+MelanieRuiz2301/posts/KPF34CV7axK

I see that Beth S O'Connell liked the post there as well :-)

It's to a post by Jim Pike called Getting Started with Minecraft in the Classroom. He introduces some useful tips for using MC with students categorized by elements for success, lesson types, levels of interaction, and what Aaron Schwartz would call Geekery.

Under levels of interaction he lists lower, mid, and high levels. He calls low-level interaction "mindcracking" where students run around and do things, seemingly without purpose, but where they also make discoveries. Mid-level is "I see, I do" where students are shown things and perform tasks as instructed, and in so doing learn to build and create on their own. High-level interaction is where the teacher had better stand aside, because now the students are designing, planning, building creatively to solve problems, and researching how they can learn and do more.

This got me thinking about a number of things. One is that we might each ask ourselves where we are on this scale after #evomc16  . I would put myself at mid-level but many in our group are exhibiting high level skills.

I'm thinking also that such a framework could guide our lesson planning for next time we do this in #evomc17  - perhaps we could have three levels of badges according to criteria aimed at roughly these levels, with tasks designed to help participants to the next level.

Finally, this puts me in mind to Ito et al. Hanging out, messing around, and geeking out, available as a free e-book here:
https://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/titles/free_download/9780262013369_Hanging_Out.pdf

Well I made it into the survival server this afternoon. My blog is here. #evomc16

Well I made it into the survival server this afternoon. My blog is here. #evomc16  
http://yvonneh.edublogs.org/2016/02/06/evo_mooc-minecraft-server-6-survival/

I guess this slide show from the presentation I gave last night for a convergence of #evomc16 and EVO Techn-CLIL...

I guess this slide show from the presentation I gave last night for a convergence of #evomc16  and EVO Techn-CLIL will do as a state-of-the-session posting to take us in to endgame for Weeks 4 and 5. The session was recorded at https://www.wiziq.com/online-class/3496069-3-feb-webinar-with-vance-stevens and I'll blog about it shortly.

It seems clear that participants who are engaging here are able to figure out how to play the Big G Game of EVO Minecraft MOOC, and this presentation will show you what to do if you're not already doing it.

We have more sessions lined up for Sunday Feb 7 and we'd like to plan more, server parties and tours. Beth S O'Connell will be conducting a tour on Sunday and we'd very much like to be invited to tour Mircea Patrascu 's world in Week 5. We'll create events for anything we plan, and you can see what we're planning (waiting for confirmation on times) at
http://missions4evomc.pbworks.com/w/page/104666848/Live_events

If you want to give us a tour, please let us know. If you want to know when to find when people are available, use the Doodle link in the right hand sidebar. If you have any questions, ask. If you suffer sudden demise in survival mode on our server, don't worry, you'll bounce back, and someone will show you how to store objects in a chest so you'll have some resources available for next time.

See you soon in world
http://www.slideshare.net/vances/a-convergence-of-minecraft-and-clil-57860221

Week 4 #evomc16

Week 4  #evomc16

Last week’s unexpected six-day winter vacation completely derailed my schedule and plans for work and study.  Who wants to work when there’s a blizzard and homemade chili in the kitchen?  Not me.  So, I was not as efficient as I could have been, but I did drink a cup of tea for three hours Monday morning, caught up on sleep and thought about homework and reports.  Most of which I got done in an exhausting 48-hour marathon on Thursday and Friday.

Saturday was an interesting day; I woke up to read that the White House had announced a $4 billion computer science initiative for K-12 students.  Computer literacy is now a basic skill.  We’ll see how it plays out.

Later in the morning, I went to Microsoft’s  #HacktheClassroom , which I feared would be a two-hour advertisement, but it was not.  There was, as usual, a lot of data, but I took away two new things that I want to use in a future classroom:  Code.org and OneNote.  Code.org has online computer science fundamentals and an “hour of code” with Minecraft https://code.org/mc.  I have always ignored OneNote on my computer, but it apparently can be extremely valuable in a classroom (with computers), and I would like to explore how to use it.

This morning, I took a tour of Thorsten Groß and his students’ Minecraft Ricarda-Huch-Schule.  Impressive but very intimidating.  However, I did learn how to jump, which I did not even know was possible because I always fly.  I want to add a basketball court to my ranch before we go into survival mode.

Later, I spent hours in survival mode alone.  My first try was ended by a zombie on the first night.  Oh well.  In my second try, I lasted for five days and five and a half nights and then was killed by a zombie.  I could not find coal for fire, only diorite, and the nights were spent huddled in a hollow with a sword.  And I didn’t eat at all because there were only rabbits which refused to be food.  They just got mad and jumped away.

On the last night, with only half a heart, I knew it was over.  A zombie was jumping up and down on the ledge in front of me, and then a second one came at me from the right.  All I had was a stone sword, and it didn’t work to my advantage this time.  I learned a lot about gathering and crafting, and realized I am at a real disadvantage without a mouse.  I am really clumsy right clicking with my touch-pad mouse while crafting, and I need to practice before going into multiplayer survivor.

After reading everyone's great posts and article.

After reading everyone's great posts and article. I put a little blurb on my blog about the new Minecraft Education Edition.

I call it 'A Guarded Rant' :-D
#evomc16

http://www.jkuhn72.com/#!MinecraftEdu-A-Guarded-Rant/c24lz/56a28baa0cf2009838b7bece

The link to video and audio archives of Jeff's riveting introduction to Minecraft and its value to educators across...

The link to video and audio archives of Jeff's riveting introduction to Minecraft and its value to educators across disciplines is available on #learning2gether  

I'm still waiting for the recording of my introduction of #evomc16  given at MoodlePalooza last week, and slapping my forehead that I didn't simply make a Camtasia recording at the time.
http://learning2gether.net/2016/01/17/learning2gether-with-jeff-kuhn-on-minecraft-an-introduction-to-whats-possible/

Minecraft is not a game...it's a toy :)

Minecraft is not a game...it's a toy :)

It has been great seeing the EVO flourish this week and I'm excited for everyone to join the Minecraft server and start building. We may be the only EVO that gets to play with a toy! I got to thinking about this idea while on the server earlier today so I thought I'd post.

Minecraft isn't a game. It is digital software and in common parlance we call it a game or videogame but it's not. Game is a tricky word to define. After all it is a word that covers Chess and hide-and-go-seek. However most game designers and academics agree that games have four defining traits: voluntary participation, rules, a feedback system, and a goal. Past these characteristics it is challenging to define the word game.

Minecraft has none of these defining characteristics. In a theoretical way it has more in common with a rubber ball than Super Mario Bros. Toys, like Minecraft or a rubber ball, have no rules, goals, and a rudimentary feedback system if one at all. Wil Wright, who made The Sims and SimCity (also a toy!) defines something as a toy when the user determines the use and limitations of the object.

Minecraft captures Wil's idea beautifully. I think it is what makes it so captivating. Not only in-game with what we can build but outside the game via mods we can alter Minecraft in profound ways. In that toy sense what we can do as players and teachers is up to us.

So for those new to Minecraft don't be shy, you can't break our toy and who ever heard of making a mistake with a toy? It can't be done.

It's going to be fun!

#evomc16

I thought I could tag these to #evomc16 "photos" but that was not an option.

I thought I could tag these to #evomc16   "photos" but that was not an option. After all the caption work I'm posting anyway.

Dreams, inspiration, and challenge: Writing in voice to articulate a way forward for EVO Minecraft MOOC 2016

Dreams, inspiration, and challenge: Writing in voice to articulate a way forward for EVO Minecraft MOOC 2016, 
http://advanceducation.blogspot.ae/2015/12/dreams-inspiration-and-challenge.html, #evomc16, #learning2gether

There are a number of treats posted at http://learning2gether.net/2015/11/29/learning2gether-with-moodle-mooc7/,...

There are a number of treats posted at http://learning2gether.net/2015/11/29/learning2gether-with-moodle-mooc7/, mostly relating to the #Learning2gether Episode 303 presentation given by Vance Stevens at Moodle MOOC #MM7 on #evomc16 EVO Minecraft MOOC and #gamification in teacher professional development.

Your choices for recapitulating this presentation range from a Camtasia recording on YouTube of the original WizIQ recording, to a 45 min distillation of the talk in mp3 format which you can stream or download, and play as an accompaniment to the slides which are available via http://slideshare.net/vances.
https://youtu.be/tBPhpYghs9E

Just an idea for a Smartphone Badge in #evomc16

Just an idea for a Smartphone Badge in #evomc16  
http://www.independent.ie/business/technology/tech-gaming/someone-made-a-smartphone-in-minecraft-and-it-really-works-34252452.html

Latest dispatches from Bronwyn Stuckey, one of our #evomc16 co-moderators this year.

Latest dispatches from Bronwyn Stuckey, one of our #evomc16  co-moderators this year. This post is like a falling leaf to a multi-hued forest floor in autumn as 2016 EVO Minecraft MOOC starts layering its new skin onto the old one :-) Fellow co-moderators, please add more!