KitGuru KitGuru.net – Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards
As if the world needed any more indicators that Minecraft is one of the most impactful games ever released, every school above primary age in Northern Ireland is going to be given free copies of Minecraft for all the students to use. This is all part of a new project put together by CultureTech, the organisers of the NI innovation festival and will be funded by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.
The move will see some 214 schools given hundreds of copies of the game and its' expected that some 50,000 children each year will be able to have a play around with the game in order to make something. It may be that they just run around and blow each other up, but if Minecraft has shown us anything, it's that for ever troll, there's 10 master builders just waiting to be born. [yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNjdQ6KqDlE']
As well as encouraging creativity though, it's hoped that different teachers will use the game in different ways to teach their various subjects. History for example could charge young people with rebuilding classic works of architecture in the game, or maths could utilise the red stone to teach basic programming.
The version of the game that's being given out to schools is Minecraft Edu, a specialised version designed with schools in mind that makes it easier for teachers to manage projects and keep kids creative, rather than destructive. Teachers will also be provided with specialised training on how to play the game, how to teach it and how to stay on top of what the kids are doing.
For schools that don't have powerful enough computers to run the game however, CultureTech will be rolling around the country with specialised vehicles with several built in PCs for children to have a go on.
This is the biggest educational Minecraft rollout, but it won't be the last. CultureTech is looking to partner with other schools around the world to help give other children in different countries the same opportunities.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: This seems like a pretty exciting project. I can't help but admit to being a little jealous of the next generations of school children. They get to learn with games like this and soon they'll be learning with VR too. Gits. That's a lot better than having the VHS machine rolled in.
Minecraft PH now available free.. just Google search “Minecraft full torrent”
I can’t see how this ‘helps’ in education in any way shape or form ..
Kids are becoming way too dependent on technology (and yes the argument of ‘everything is technology based’ i agree with to an extent) but at the same time kids aren’t learning anything by ‘building’ on minecraft
What is the actual purpose of this?
Actually, they can and are learning many things in Minecraft – for example, in one of the cases above, they are learning base 1 math via creating a calculator in Minecraft, which beyond just teaching you 1+1=2, it can teach you WHY 1+1=2.
I remember using real blocks. 1 long stick meant 10. little block meant 1’s. Then we added them all together and it was a pile and we counted. But this was done in Elementary.
Once they are out of Primary School which this article says the kids get Minecraft after primary school its a little late to be teaching addition…
They should know that by then. Or else they are hooped.
That math example was just an example, not the entirety of possible uses. Minecraft is the best game for kids ever,hands down. It fosters creativity and critical thinking/problem solving. Its not like pong, or mario bros, or any other game (well now there are many clonish type game)at all. It can be used like your realsticks you seem to infer are superior, or like many other things you couldn’t even dream of. It grows with the kid, and with mods, it can motivate kids to learn computer skills like file manipulation and downloading/web nav, and even programming if the kid decides he wants to make his own mod. You may think programming isn’t important cause you never did it in your school designed to train factory workers(if your in the us) but I assure you, it is.
Learn about a thing before you spew your malformed opinion on it please. Especially while trying to be contrary to a far more informed poster than you.
I totally understand that cleaning up blocks is harder than cleaning up minecraft. It would save much time. You do not need to repeat that it could be used for those block system that I mentioned.I said it without saying it. That’s the only thing you got right with reading in-between the lines.
They should just bring it to elementary school then. Here in Canada I see that its already installed on a number of library computers.
I understand that you are emotionally tied to the topic and you have a deep love for minecraft. But I am a subscriber to kit-guru. I really like computers and see it not as a hazard. The rest of what you said is probably aimed at the original guy and I got the target for it. Its okay. I was almost feeding some of the negativity but it was only constructive criticism. I read my comment at final before pressing enter and came to the conclusion that they should bring it to primary school. But this is how the net works… we probably would be friends in real life.
Edit: My example was to show how archaic the old method is… and how things change. The original guy probably does not remember what or how he learnt in elementary.
What I am saying is, there are applications that smart teachers could devise that apply to higher level learning, like examining the functional logic circuits and cpus people build in the game world to teach basics of hardware engineering..which would be high school and college curriculum, but I am sure there are applications in between as well.
I am not emotionally tied to minecraft. I am emotionally tied to people posting negatively about things because they don’t understand to full possibilities of application. Its one of my pet peeves, sorry.
You have the monopoly on veganism do you? Your attitude stinks. You may have valid points but they are lost in your rude and uncalled for delivery.
I have no Patience for looking the other way while people commit crimes against the living. That’s for animalnrights, although I am not sure what your point is here.
I also have no Patience for people reacting and posting things without knowing, calling out things as bad because they are new. which I think, I didn’t reread this, was what I responding to here.
I don’t want a good attitude, I can’t change what the morons I reply to think but maybe I can get others reading to realize the idiodic core of these peoples arguments. If they also think I am a jerk in the process, that’s fine, I am willing to pay that price with my anonymous identity. Look ,people are selfishbidiots that will believe whatever makes their life easier. I wont change them either way. I try to consider the ramifications of all my actions , everyday. I am on the lookout always in daily life for hown i can improve the world for those around me. So i read peoples stupid words on the internet and its MY chance to react, my chance to call out stupidity i see an am gentle with in real life all thebtime. I dont consider my actions here having much negative ramifications beyond making some closed minded idiot mad. And I am OK with that.