I heard about Minecraft from Alan November in the summer of 2014. Allen challenged a small group of principals to go back to our campuses and just say “Minecraft.” So, I did! The results were unreal. I had no idea how popular, enticing, engaging and motivating Minecraft is for students.
We began the McNair Elementary Minecraft Club in January of 2015, and immediately maxed out our computer lab space of 30 units. In fact, students had to share computers. Our club doubled to two labs, and boasts of a 30% female participation rate. At this time, we are only able to accommodate 4th and 5th graders, but we have students in K-3 who would love to join the club if we had space and units available.
McNair’s Minecraft Club has flourished because of the partnership and support of parents, and two amazing teacher sponsors; Ms. Jamie Reese and Mr. Dexter Suarez. Both teachers selflessly volunteered every Wednesday, from 3:00-4:30, for the entire school year along with a dedicated group of parents.
Denton ISD has a network for campus-based Minecraft clubs along with a partnership with UNT, TAMS, parents and community members. Our students are fanatics about the creativity, competition and coding integrated into the Minecraft format, and we want to capitalize on their interest.
At McNair, we use Minecraft.edu, an affordable and easily managed program for teachers and sponsors who are not Minecraft experts.
Minecraft was the doorway to coding during the club, and during an Hour of Code experience at McNair. In fact, every child and adult at McNair Elementary participated in the Hour of Code, and the interest in coding and Minecraft is spreading into classrooms and “infecting” instruction.
Read about the McNair Minecraft Club:
Guest Blogger: Dr. Debbie Cano
Life-long teacher and student who is passionate about
creativity, innovation, and collaboration.
Dr. Cano is a proud product of Texas public schools and a graduate
of Bell High School in H-E-B ISD. She earned bachelor and doctoral degrees from
Dallas Baptist University, and a M.Ed. from Midwestern State University. Dr. Cano sees it as a pure joy to have served as a classroom teacher, coach, assistant
principal, principal, and director. Because of the investment of great leaders
and teachers along the way, she has had the wonderful opportunity to work in
variety of settings including elementary, intermediate, middle school,
undergraduate, and graduate levels. Educational entities served include; Shady
Grove Academy, Keller ISD, Aledo ISD, Denton ISD, and adjunct faculty at TCU
and TWU. In the end, technology, creativity, and innovation drives her soul and
compels her to advocate for ways to illuminate, iterate, integrate, and clear a
path for what is yet to be discovered!
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