Minecraft--Teaching Society to Destroy Natural Resources One Tree at a Time

Hello All,

Today, I had my first productive venture in Minecraft. I have heard so much about it over the years and how it is used in education by other teachers, but I have never actually played it. I was excited to try it out and to be quite honest, it is a little fun and quite engaging. I found that once I got the hang building I started to intuitively create bigger and more elaborate structures. This makes me wonder if this same feeling is the feeling human kind at the dawn of civilization had. Once you start building, build bigger and more grandiose. I think some of our Natural Wonders testify to this theory.

 I wanted to gather as much wood and other resources as I could, basically hoard them, make sure that I always had a surplus so that I would not run out. Scarcity, became prevalent right away, when I noticed that after I chopped down trees around me I had to travel further and further to find more wood. Or when I needed to find water it is few and far between. Or when gathering certain rock to build, I had to search for it, then mine it. As engaging as this game is, and it does put into immediate practice, problem solving skills, what is it really teaching our youth?

The first thing I notice is how the goal of the game is to gather and use natural resources. One mode called "Survival Mode" creates inherent fear that some one, like the mobs, are going to take what is yours. Therefore you have to build huge structures and compounds to protect your self and your resources. This game perpetuates the fundamental drives of capitalism and therefore is inherently evil (I am dramatic, I know). Capitalism can not stay stagnant it has to grow, thus consuming and swallowing up all resources as it grows. Hence globalization. Minecraft teaches us to consume resources just like capitalism.

It's funny how when you chop down the trunk of the tree, the leaves and branches stay, giving you the illusion that you are not participating in deforestation. But, the purpose of this game requires that we become talented at deforestation. Also, teaching that we need to mine the earth for its precious resources. These types of ideals are what have gotten us into the environmental pickle we are in today. And the search for more and more natural resources and wealth is THE NUMBER ONE reason for oppression, slavery and imperialism round the world beginning back in the 15th century and world expansion.

I was blown away to see a game so basic in what you have to do and what it teaches. I am not going to say the game itself is the problem, but it certainly is not helping matters. There use to be the old argument about violence in cartoons. Some kids have and might hit another kid over the head with a hammer because when Buggs Bunny does it to Yo Simmity Sam, Yo Simmity doesn't die, birds just fly around his head and then he gets all better. Giving the illusion that whacking someone over the head with hammer is a harmless act. That is a very childish example, but on a more subconscious and insidious plane, Minecraft is teaching youth that you can deforest the planet and race for resources all in the name of avoiding scarcity, and everything will be all right, there are no environmental consequences and that we will get another free life. Not cool.

Any way, sorry for the rant but that is my position. Here are some pictures.

PS: The avatar choices are terrible. You are either white or dark brown.


Here is the compound I built with bridges from roof top to roof top and making them all interconnected.

One structure I built into the ground with a low door in case the zombies come and I have to shoot them one by one as they try to get in.

My first basic structure, at first I was happy to be out of the rain then I figured bigger is better

Wood just wont do, so I started the idea of building a huge castle out of stone, but it then I got tired or mining the resources.

Here is what an awesome structure can look like, buts my piddly little structures to shame

First Experience in 2nd Life

My first experience was a fun one. The first thing I liked about it is that it had an avatar that I felt represented me right off the bat. I guess, I am kind of generic that way. No tweeking necessary. Whereas in JokaydiaGrid, I feel like I really had to spend some time trying to get my avatar to remotely match my personality and I am still not totally satisfied.

The second thing I noticed is the automaticity I was feeling as soon as I logged in to Second Life. Thanks to the time spent in JokaydiaGrid, learning how to navigate Second life has not felt like a chore or been burdened with a learning curve as I was able to skip past all the tutorial stuff and just jump right in.

Literally, as you will see, I chose to check out one of the proposed destinations by our instructors, Expedition Central and started jumping on the trampoline.

This destination was totally cool as it had myriad of other destinations embedded in this one location. All you have to do is click on the desired localation and add it as a landmark then you are free to teleport. It also contains so many cool looking subjects, like a deep sea diving module and a tour of Machu Pichu and many other awesome adventures. I really get the sense of virtual traveling from visiting this location. The one thing that was a little disappointing is that I do not see any destinations that target specifically English content curriculum. I am sure I can use some of these existing destinations to supplement English content but there is no "HS English Literature Haven" that I have been searching for. Part of it is frustrating because I want to find a wealth of teaching resources that I can just pillage and use for myself and some of it is inspiring because maybe there is a niche I can fill and create one.  

Here is a sample of some of the places to visit

The last thing I want to touch upon is the ideas we have been discussing in the forum regarding Virtual Ability Inc. and people being able to do things in-world that they may not do in real life. I am not intending to make lite of the situation, but here I am dancing some club dance in Second Life and this is something that I would never do in real life. I could not help but laugh as it was happening and feel a little joy and vicarious pleasure. My point is that Virtual Ability can serve many purposes. I am as stiff as a board and would never dance in public (or private for that matter) and here, in a virtual world, I am able to do so with out fear of judgement or criticism. So maybe Virtual Ability can be thought of as more than just disability but for making people able to do things they normally would not or could not do in real life.