Redemption for Minecraft

Hello All,

My last post seemed to spark some discussion regarding what games can teach us outwardly and subversively about society and many other aspects of life. I had made the statement that the primary lesson I received from Minecraft is how to mine for resources and destroy natural resources with no apparent consequences in the game. This type of lesson could transfer to real world experience and influence the way youth may perceive utilization of natural resources in reality. Furthermore, mining for resources with impunity in a game with no environmental consequences is a dangerous message to be sending impressionable students.

I am happy to say that I have found some redemption for Minecraft. After some responses from fellow classmates and instructors alike, we were able to uncover exactly how Minecraft can be used to teach students about responsible and sustainable use of our resources. This experience has hit so many areas we have been discussing over the last couple weeks. For instance, John Paul Gee's theories about how learning through games must be directed through an experienced guide, like a teacher, in order for real learning to take place. I experienced this first hand. After being rather disappointed with the message I was receiving from the game, I was able to find many ways Minecraft can promote sustainability and responsible use of resources through guidance of my instructors giving me examples of how responsible practices can be taught. Additionally, I was shown how other teachers were using Minecraft to teach responsible use of resources in the game. For example, students have lessons where they have to replant the trees they are taking from the earth. Also, harvesting crops and managing red stone to conduct electricity responsibly because it does run out. In fact, I tried it out myself and planted a small garden you can see here:

I got some wheat I think, and some melons and some pumpkins just starting out.

Here they are all grown up.

So this is great. There are some very important lessons to be said for sustainability and environmental responsibility that Minecraft teachers, WITH guided teaching and learning for students. But what about all the millions of players that are just playing for fun and not in a classroom nor playing for educational purposes? There still seems to be millions of people playing that are not learning the lessons to be offered in sustainability or environmental responsibility. They are playing strictly for entertainment purposes. There is some redemption to be had. However, is enough being done? 

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.

Sleeping with the Fishes

My last adventure was diverse to say the least. Thanks to our fearless leader Truly Tis, I was able to explore three new worlds in one session. Soon after I logged in and started attempting to build that puzzle cube (very challenging task) she showed up on Marlboro island. I asked her if she would like to explore and she said sure. She took me first to a pretty cool place called new horizons. It was a really cool place that I learned was used as a practice and training space for counselors talking with patience. Great application!

Here I am following Sally

Here I am enjoying the view through the grated floor

This was awesome, getting to meditate in-world has to be the coolest thing I have seen besides dancing (can you tell I do not get out much).

Sleeping with the fishes. This world had a underwater world and I guess we can breath there as well. And sit on some shells to chill out.

Like a goof ball, I did not take pictures of the two other lands we traveled. We went to one place where it was a land for architects in practice where the students were actually building houses off of real world blue prints they had to do as part of the assignment. I though that again was a great training application. Finally, we ended up on some type of educational island created by a teacher in Australia. The information was out of context and and I did not quite understand it but got a great view on how an island can be used for educational or classroom purposes. Thank you so much Truly Tis for showing me around. It was great. 

Well, I am starting to get the hang of this thing. .  . I think. I am still not sure what the point is in something like this as a recreational hobby. That said, here are some things I was able to do today:

I started where I left off on one assignment in Marlboro Island

 I built a photobox and added a picture of me with the one of the Blue Man Group Guys

I met up with a friend and we traveled to a far away land where we learned out to dance and play on a giant piano. My buddy likes short shorts

Then I went to this giant tree house which was pretty cool. I would like to learn how to build things like this. I also spent some time on top of this Mayan Pyramid which was pretty awesome

On the same Island I learned to dance I climbed to the top of this pyramid to see the whole world.

Finally, I went back to Marlboro Island to do some homework:( and meet up with a couple classmates.

So despite the fact that I see very little recreational value in this for me, it was kind of fun doing all these things. I learned to build a photobox and put my own pictures on it which would be great for a teaching tool. I also, built a photocube which could be a skill that will come in handy. I see other cool stuff that looks like fun as well. I decorated my hut a little bit. I did some shopping to fulfill my capitalist duties and I will probably keep trying to alter my look a little bit. All this is kind of fun, but the caveat is that I have to do it. It is my homework, which makes it NOT so fun. How will this experience work with my students? Will they truly enjoy it or feel the same way I do about it being "NOT so fun" because it is homework and required that they be there?

You tell me. .  .I would love to hear feedback on how to remedy this issue.

My experience thus far on JokaydiaGRID has been a difficult one. Being in-world is very daunting. There is so much to explore it is overwhelming. I notice that every time I log in I see new artifacts being built and progress people are making while I am just getting started. Then, when I am not in-world, I notice I am nervous because I am not caught up with everyone else. I feel like I am falling behind, like I am losing something, like I am losing a race, or losing the race to build the most stuff, or build it the best or build it the biggest. It is a strange feeling to have so much anxiety revolving around something I previously could have had absolutely no interest in.

When I log in, I feel like I am working against the clock. It seems like a waste of time to spend so much time looking around a virtual world. So I want to get in and out. However, in that time,  have to make significant progress. Inevitably, I end up spending much more time in-world than I plan and get side tracked often. I usually get captured by assignments or going back to the emporium to customize my avatar more. One feeling I notice is that no matter how much progress I make or work I get done, I never feel caught up like it is an endless, ongoing job.

These feelings are a little stressful, especially considering, as I mentioned before, that I normally would not be invested in something like this. I like games and gaming. But living in a virtual world just seems like a waste of time. Why accomplish tasks virtually when I can accomplish tasks in real life, like working out, or finishing a paper or reading a chapter? What is the point in building a cube?

That said, I realize this is all part of the learning process. And I am seeing some attraction to being able to meet people this way. Not that I am a social and outgoing friendly person, but from a networking aspect. I think this is a good way to meet people and barter knowledge and skills. I am sure I can offer something that someone may want and in turn, I can tap them with skills I posses. I do find the exercises challenging and look forward to learning more. I will check back after my next in-world experience.

The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken

Related Poem Content Details

BY ROBERT FROST

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, 

And sorry I could not travel both 

And be one traveler, long I stood 

And looked down one as far as I could 

To where it bent in the undergrowth; 

Then took the other, as just as fair, 

And having perhaps the better claim, 

Because it was grassy and wanted wear; 

Though as for that the passing there 

Had worn them really about the same, 

And both that morning equally lay 

In leaves no step had trodden black. 

Oh, I kept the first for another day! 

Yet knowing how way leads on to way, 

I doubted if I should ever come back. 

I shall be telling this with a sigh 

Somewhere ages and ages hence: 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— 

I took the one less traveled by, 

And that has made all the difference.