This week in EDCI 336, we had local middle-school teacher and gaming expert Heidi James come in to talk to us. She showed us some of the ways she’s been using Minecraft in the class to teach competencies. My thoughts about gaming in learning, prior to the presentation, were rather traditional in that I saw it as a tool to engage students through competition and/or virtual rewards. However, Heidi’s presentation got me thinking about the ways in which gaming worlds can be used to explore topics in new ways (rather than simply be a motivating addition to regular teaching).

This is of importance given the unit planning I am currently undertaking for practicum. I’ve been informed that I’ll be teaching geometry to a Grade 6 class at Monterey Middle School. In spite of its blockiness (or perhaps because of it), Minecraft offers a way for students to create, manipulate, and explore geometry. Its blocks offer a simple unit whereby students can calculate the perimeter, area, and volume of their creations. In this scenario, Minecraft is more than simply an alluring coat of paint on a geometry lesson, it is a whole new means by which to interact with and understand geometry. I believe math is a subject in which students can flourish when they are allowed to tactilely discover, and one that causes many struggles when abstracted too much for real life. Although I am still in the initial stages of planning, I want my lessons to relate real-world examples of using geometry such as architecture. Minecraft seems to offer the perfect setting for such learning, however my experience with the game (especially in an educational mode) is limited. I hope to explore more the ways I can use tools like Minecraft in this unit and others. I’m starting to see a lot of possibilities here and I’m excited to learn more.