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Swedish School Makes Minecraft Lessons Compulsory

SchrodingerZ writes "The Viktor Rydberg school in Stockholm, Sweden, has announced that they have included Minecraft into the curriculum for their 13-year-old students. The program is not meant to teach children about math or language, but rather as a tool to inspire creativity in the classroom. 'They learn about city planning, environmental issues, getting things done, and even how to plan for the future,' Viktor Rydberg teacher Monica Ekman told English-language newspaper The Local. 'It's not any different from arts or woodcraft,' she added."

17 of 162 comments (clear)

  1. Environment a la minecraft by Narrowband · · Score: 5, Funny

    ''They learn about city planning, environmental issues, getting things done, and even how to plan for the future,"

    My son must have somehow gone to that school without telling me. He keeps talking about Creepers being a key natural resource.

  2. Legos by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Or you could do what my 3rd grade teacher did and let a bunch of kids play with Legos.

    1. Re:Legos by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Get over yourself.

    2. Re:Legos by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah... they strategically place them throughout the house hidden out of plain site so they can be stepped on in the middle of the night while barefoot.

      THAT's what they do with Legos!

    3. Re:Legos by timftbf · · Score: 3, Informative

      The issue isn't around choosing a brand rather than generic "building blocks". The issue is that the plural of "Lego" is "Lego".

      "LegOS" is an operating system for Lego Mindstorms.

      May as well ask why you keep getting corrected when you insist on talking about multiple sheeps, gooses, or datas.

  3. Koreans have done one better by Spy+Handler · · Score: 5, Funny

    they've made Starcraft mandatory learning.

    1. Re:Koreans have done one better by WWJohnBrowningDo · · Score: 5, Funny

      Lies! All Koreans mastered Starcraft during their second trimester.

  4. Simcity does city planning, environmental issues, by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Simcity does city planning, environmental issues, getting things done, and even how to plan for the future. Better.

  5. Is minecraft the only software they can find? by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    No doubt minecraft, the game, is interesting

    But I still curious to know if there are other better software out there that can encourage students to think creatively.

    Anyone that has any example, care to share?

    Thanks !

    --
    Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    1. Re:Is minecraft the only software they can find? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I play Dwarf Fortres on Tuesdays. After we have pizza. We have pizza for dinner on Tuesdays. Then we play Dwarf Fortress. On Tuesdays.

    2. Re:Is minecraft the only software they can find? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Kerbal space program, both maths and explosions :-)

  6. Re:Simcity does city planning, environmental issue by DavidClarkeHR · · Score: 4, Informative

    Simcity does city planning, environmental issues, getting things done, and even how to plan for the future. Better.

    ... And Godzilla.

    --
    - Nec Impar Pluribus, or so I'm told.
  7. As a teacher, by ClaraBow · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I think this is wonderful. I'm very disheartened by the direction of the educational system in the United States. It seems that we have become a nation obsessed with standardized testing due to the No Child Left Behind Legislation (NCLB). At least at our school, all we care about is doing well on the state test because our school is graded and penalized based on the scores. It is very sad as art programs, Tech Ed, and project based learning is out the door because we have to drill and kill our kids so we can improve on the state test. It's not the teachers' or the administrators' fault. It's the laws that have been put in place by clueless Legislators. It's very sad that creativity has been trumped by root memorization, thoughtless learning!

  8. Re:Simcity does city planning, environmental issue by Spiridios · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Simcity does city planning, environmental issues, getting things done, and even how to plan for the future. Better.

    I don't think they're really on the same scale. In Simcity, you play the planner/mayor/whatever-high-up that determines macro issues. We should build houses here, power plants should be there. I don't care what you think, I'm God.

    In Minecraft you play an individual. You determine what you use, where you build, how you build, all micro issues centered around yourself. You have no in-game control over your fellow players. You have to resort to actually negotiating and talking about things if you want to affect the macro situation.

    I most definitely agree that Simcity could be used for teaching. However, depending on what it is you're actually trying to teach, I would not call it "better."

  9. cooperative multiplayer is in simcity 2000 network by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    cooperative multiplayer is in simcity 2000 network edition

  10. In 20 Years... by Greyfox · · Score: 3, Funny

    When they're looking at buying their first house, they'll just buy an empty lot with a bunch of trees and then start punching them...

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  11. The dog didn't eat my homework... by Megane · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...the creeper blew up my homework!

    --
    #naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }