Minecraft. I'm sure you have heard of it... at least if you are in communication with someone under the age of 13. But did you know that educators are using the game to teach common core math standards?
According to an article posted on the NPR site, the game Minecraft is being used to help apply and practice common core math standards. The article goes over a 5th grade "classroom" in Louisville, Kentucky in which the teacher has their students practice math concepts while playing the game. The article focuses on the common core standard of, "graphing points on the coordinate plane to solve real-world and mathematical problems".
As a gamer myself (more so when I was younger, but I still presently dab a little into the gaming world when time allows) I find it very interesting that more and more teachers and educators are utilizing games as learning tools. Whether "players" are thinking of it or not, they are applying a lot of lessons learned into their gaming sessions. For example, playing Minecraft allows you to work geographically in your (virtual) surroundings. Although you may not notice it as you are playing, you are working on your spatial skills. In other games such as Battlefield or Modern Warfare, you are working on hand-eye coordination and are learning how to follow tasks in a certain order.
I am glad that games are being used more in educational settings and I hope to see this trend continue. Games are fun, you can learn from them, and you can definitely grab student attention with them. That is a win-win for this teacher!
References:
- Katayama, Devin. "In Louisville, Ky., Minecraft Teaches Math." NPR. August 3, 2014. Web. Retrieved on August 6, 2014.
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