Minecraft 102 (or The Family that Plays Together, Learns Together)

So by now, most have heard of Minecraft. Many have seen their children playing it at home and may have even heard kids talk about playing it at school. I first saw my grandkids using it eight years ago, when the game arrived on the scene.

For those unfamiliar with Minecraft, it’s a block-building game designed to engage kids on various adventures in the process of building structures in the Minecraft world. Watching my grandkids play intrigued me, and I did what anyone with curiosity would do; I asked the kids questions, like, "What are you doing?" and "Why are you doing it that way?" My interest in learning and teaching prompted me to ask them what they were learning while playing. They almost always answered, "I don't know" or "nothing."

That’s not an unusual response. The fact is, kids don't always realize they are learning critical thinking skills as they "play" the game. For example, building certain structures in Minecraft requires trial and error. I watched as my kids struggled through several iterations to complete a bridge-like structure. The process taught them how to layer and stagger bricks to make the construct stand up, a basic engineering concept not easily articulated to elementary school children. But they learned it by doing it.

This is why teachers will always be a necessary component of the learning process, not as a “sage on the stage,” but as a "guide on the side." Learning by doing, or project (or problem) based learning is often used by teachers to supplement and enrich students’ learning.

Today, my youngest grandson is 7 and recently started to play the game and figure out how it works. In order to play alongside his son, his dad researched and learned how to setup a Minecraft Server. Now father and son collaborate and work together, building and exploring in the world of Minecraft.

I continue to be amazed at the engagement of the program, the numerous elements of STEM incorporated in the learning, and how this engagement and learning spanned any age or generation. While Minecraft can help students learn many academic skills, it does so much more. It builds collaboration among students and even within families. I highly encourage families play games together, whether online or in real life, as whatever new thing we do together builds familial ties (or collegial ties in the business/education world), strengthens our relationships and makes us all collaborative life-long learners together.