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Going "inside the game" with Minecraft

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Minecraft has been a very popular activity in the Library this year so, as part of our Inside the Game theme this term, we decided to focus on the use of Minecraft as a creation tool.

One of our current displays features items related to Minecraft including books about rocks and minerals as well as some real gemstones.  Students have also assisted to create the display with some Minecraft Papercraft blocks.  I've also purchased some goodies from one of my favourite online stores, ThinkGeek, including a Minecraft Foam Pickaxe and Minecraft Magnets.

Although we don't have our own Minecraft server, students are encouraged (and very keen) to share the items they have created via their individual accounts.  When you speak to students and ask them why they enjoy using Minecraft, their answers are always similar, "I like Minecraft because I love to create things."

Everyday, I am greeted with an exciting new creation from one of our Miners!  Recently, one of our students, Corey, created his own TRON Minecraft avatar using Microsoft Paint.  By examining the Paint file of another Minecraft avatar, Corey modified it then uploaded the new file to use as his own avatar.  (Screen shot to come!)

Filed under: Inside the Game Minecraft TRON
 

Inside the Game

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This term, we are very excited to be focusing on games creation and the architecture of games. In future posts, we'll outline aspects of our Inside the Game project in greater detail.  In particular, we are exploring the use of OpenSim, Minecraft, Kodu Game Lab and Kinect2Scratch.  Various activities are taking place in our Senior Library, where interested students from Years 7 to 10 have the opportunity to participate during recess and lunch times.  Having students test various software and work on personal projects is also providing us with valuable information for possible uses in our 2012 curriculum.

So far, our Virtual Worlds Project Team have been exploring "The Architecture of Games" and Kodu Game Lab has been enthusiastically received with students playing and editing Xbox style games with the use of a Windows Controller.

Stay tuned!  There's more to come!

Special thanks to:
The students from Northern Beaches Christian School for their "Minecraft Pixel Art" image
Tara, for her OpenSim creations and
Stephen Howell for sharing his Kinect2Scratch software 

Filed under: Inside the Game Kinect Kinect2Scratch Kodu Game Lab Minecraft OpenSim Stephen Howell games
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