Using Minecraft to Teach Coding in the Classroom
Minecraft is not just the online world of swords and zombies you’ve been led to believe. Apparently, it’s an incredible tool in teaching students how to code.
It’s practical, easy to use, and - best of all - your students already love it. You won’t have to spend time trying to sell them this game or teach them how to use it. A fun lesson might even be letting them teach you!
So, how can Minecraft help you teach coding?
Minecraft as a Teaching Tool
Because your students already know, use, and love Minecraft, by using it as a tool in the classroom, it encourages creative freedom and exploration in your coding lessons.
With Minecraft’s coding abilities, there really aren’t any limitations to what you and your students can build together. They can design book covers, build a world within a story’s setting, or they can even show how the Earth revolves around the sun.
One tip I learned at FETC 2024 is to have your students create chalkboards in front of their projects and write out what they’ve created and how to experience it.
How to Use Minecraft for Coding Lessons
An amazing function of Minecraft coding is that it offers lessons to your students within the platform. This can also be a huge help for you while you learn the platform yourself.
First, to build, you’ll need to fill your inventory by either clicking “E” on your keyboard or the three dots on an iPad.
Once your inventory is full of the materials you need, you can start to create.
At FETC 2024, I also learned about chicken rain. When I say there are no limitations for your students, I meant it. Use the code “EE-Chicken Rain” to watch chickens fall from the sky. This helps demonstrate a direct cause and effect with coding.
Using Minecraft for Classroom Assignments
As I mentioned above, chalkboards are a great way for students to share their assignments with you. That way, when you visit their world to check it out, you have clear directions and a general understanding what you’re seeing.
Another fun idea is using FlipGrid. Here, students can record their projects and add voice overs of them walking through it with their own understanding of their creation.
You might get some weird looks in the hall from other teachers once they see you using Minecraft in the classroom, but they’ll quickly understand once they give it a try. Minecraft is a powerful tool for teaching coding to students of all ages.
