minecraft | Liam O'Donnell

Launching the Multi-School Minecraft Server Project

by liam | Jan 30, 2012 | education, gamebasedlearning, gaming, media, video games

As I’ve said before, Minecraft is a fantastic game for many reasons. Not least of which, is the way it sparks the imagination, creativity and inquisitiveness of all players, young and old. I’m not getting paid to blog about the game, but that hasn’t...

Warning: Using Minecraft in class could result in spontaneous, self-directed learning

by liam | Dec 3, 2011 | education, gamebasedlearning, literacy, media, video games, virtual worlds

Last year, I had the unique chance to use Minecraft with a small group of students who came to me three days a week for literacy support. It was a messy, fun three months and the kids did a lot of writing and researching outside the game, driven by their explorations...

Talking Minecraft with Teachers Teaching Teachers

by liam | Aug 23, 2011 | appearances, education, gamebasedlearning, gaming, literacy, media, video games, virtual worlds

Last May, as the school year was winding up, I took part in a great podcast over at Teachers Teaching Teachers to talk about using video games in the classroom. Lucky for you interweb peeps, you can listen to the podcast here. The show centered around the release of...

Messy learning with Minecraft

by liam | May 23, 2011 | education, gaming, literacy, video games, virtual worlds

It’s barely 9:15 in the morning and already two students have fallen down a mine shaft, one burst into flames when he swam through lava and another just killed his best friend with a pork chop. It’s going to be a messy morning but one packed with learning....