2020 ISTE Presenter
2020 ISTE Presenter
Elevate your student's coding experience through Minecraft Education.
1.3 + Million Tutorial Views
Over 8.8K Learners
37K Hours Viewed
What's Included for Free?
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Amazing Minecraft World to learn in.
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Downloadable Certificate
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Teacher Cheat Sheet with Learning Sequence
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Knowledge Checks via Microsoft Forms
HOW DOES IT WORK?
It all starts with the cards
Stage 1
Slash Command
Using English as a coding language students use command blocks whilst developing important computational skills.
Stage 2
Branching & Else Statements
Using English as a coding language, students build visual representations of these concepts through the use of command blocks.
Stage 3
Block Coding
Students transfer their knowledge and use block coding to develop their code.
The coding cards are linked throughout the entire program. To start off you may like to use the unplugged activities made available when you purchase the cards to guide your students through learning about using commands as algorithms.
There are also opportunities for students to include images of different algorithms to visually display their understanding. Encourage your students to think and display their algorithms with the cards before moving into the game. You could also have students use their cards to create algorithms and then challenge other students to test. It is important that students move towards writing the algorithms to the specific context of their game.
From here, students have the required skills to move on to block coding using Microsoft MakeCode design, build, test and play their own gaming scenarios.
Learn inside the game
We think the best way to learn is by doing. Jump into our Learn to Code with Commands Training World for walk-through tutorials on each trigger and command. Also, explore and finish some pre-designed gaming scenarios before building your own game to share with others. Each section of the world is linked to our lesson plans and provides video tutorial to assist learners.
Progress with our lessons
We have it all planned out for you. Each command and the triggers come with a guided lesson. Your students will have access to:
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Scaffold explanations
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Guided video tutorials
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An example to follow in the training world
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Plus an opportunity to show their understanding.
Like the cards, the lessons are colour-coded to display the difficulty level aligned with literacy and numeracy skills.
Green Beginners
Orange Intermediate
Purple Advanced
Blue Expansion
v9.0 Digital
Technologies Alignment
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 4, students create simple digital solutions and use provided design criteria to check if solutions meet user needs.
They follow and describe simple algorithms involving branching and iteration and implement them as visual programs.
They use the core features of common digital tools to plan, create, locate and share content and to collaborate, following agreed behaviours.
Investigating and Defining
Content Description
Define problems with given design criteria and by co-creating user stories
Elaboration
Students’ games may address a chosen stimulus. The game can be themed in such a way that the player uses a real-world problem and user stories whilst they develop and play the game (Game-Based Learning). They use co-constructed design criteria to create their user story.
Generating and Designing
Content Description
Generate, communicate and compare designs
Follow and describe algorithms involving sequencing, comparison operators (branching) and iteration.
Elaboration
Brainstorming possible game design ideas with peers. Discussing whether the game identifies the needs of the user story. Comparing multiple ideas against the user story to identify different ways to find a solution.
Game design should include multiple solutions to solving or completing each level/game. Algorithms are designed to support a variety of statements recognised as Minecraft commands.
Producing and Implementing
Content Description
Implement simple algorithms as visual programs involving control structures, variables and input.
Elaboration
Using commands in Minecraft to develop algorithms (translated as experiences) to solve simple problems. For example, to help a user to understand multiplication, the user may engage in a maze game required to answer a series of questions. Correct and incorrect answers result in triggering different algorithms.
Evaluating
Content Description
Discuss how existing and student solutions satisfy the design criteria and user stories
Elaboration
Reflect on how their solutions help to meet the needs of their audience. Discussing how their Minecraft game helps to teach addition.