Tag: minecraft

  • How Microsoft is Poised to Destroy MinecraftEDU

    As an elementary STEM teacher turned technology director, I’m extremely enthusiastic about the positive potential for students and teachers to use MinecraftEDU software to create powerful learning experiences. I’m extremely disappointed and sad, however, to learn about the changes and price structure which Microsoft is making to the “MinecraftEDU School Edition” set for official release on…

  • MinecraftEDU House Spanish Labeling Challenge

    Today I co-taught a lesson with one of our middle school Spanish teachers called the “MinecraftEDU House Spanish Labeling Challenge.” Students worked with a partner to build a house in MinecraftEDU, and then labeled items in Spanish using Minecraft signs. To keep the focus on building and labeling items in Spanish, students worked in a pre-configured MinecraftEDU world which…

  • Why Connected Camps ROCKS for Minecraft After School

    Our daughter Rachel is an avid Minecraft player. Last summer we paid to enroll her in the Connected Camps (@connectedcamps) online summer Minecraft camp and it was AWESOME. Even though Connected Camps is based in California and we live in Oklahoma City, the magic of the interwebs meant Rachel could fully participate in this virtual…

  • Our Daughter Plays Minecraft with International YouTubers

    Our youngest daughter, Rachel, has become a pretty amazing Minecraft guru in the past year.  I initially taught her to play, but the HOURS she has invested in playing, watching Minecraft YouTuber videos, and creating her own videos have catapulted her far beyond my own meager Minecraft skills into the digital stratosphere. She’s recorded some…

  • Podcast 434: Discovering Useful New Ideas as a Connected Educator (October 2015)

    This podcast primarily features a recording from the October 22, 2015, OACTE, OEQA, OATE Fall Conference in Edmond, Oklahoma, held at the University of Central Oklahoma. The recorded session was my breakout presentation titled, “Discovering Useful New Ideas as a Connected Educator: Tips for Using Flipboard, Pocket, Twitter and Nuzzel.” Check out the podcast shownotes…

  • How Much Minecraft is Too Much Minecraft?

    Do you have kids at home who love to play Minecraft? Our (now) 12 year daughter definitely fits into that category. This past summer we paid for her to participate in Connected Camps’ “Summer of Minecraft,” and Rachel really enjoyed it. Last night we recorded a 20 minute podcast, in which she reflected on her camp…

  • Podcast430: Minecraft Summer Camp with Connected Camps

    This podcast is an interview with 12 year old Rachel, who participated in the July 2015 Minecraft Summer Camp sponsored by Connected Camps of California. Rachel shares some stories about things that happened in Minecraft Camp and what she enjoyed about the camp. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to the official Connected Camps…

  • Learn About Coding & Minecraft: Saturday April 18 at PLAYDATE OKC (free!)

    Would you like to learn more about free apps students can use at school and at home to learn basic computer programming? (These include HopScotch and Scratch Jr.) Would you like to learn more about Minecraft and MinecraftEDU, including ways these programs can be used by students to create simulations, learn problem solving, and practice…

  • Explain Everything Minecraft iPad Project (Treehouse Challenge on Area & Perimeter)

    Today in STEM class my 4th and 5th graders used the iPad app “Explain Everything” for the first time to start narrated slideshow videos about the “Treehouse Challenge” project we’ve spent three lessons on last week and this week. It went great!    by  Wesley Fryer  This is the third semester I’ve taught students a variation of an…

  • Great Class Castle Build in MinecraftEDU

    This afternoon after school we had our first meeting of “Makers Club” at our school for the semester. Generally we learn something new together and then students break up to work on different projects in our STEM classroom “Maker Studio.” Today, however, we opted to build a 64 x 64 block castle together (or at…