Minecraft harm. Homework on Minecraft: what schoolchildren will learn using their favorite computer game

In no case do we want to express disrespect to the authors of this game. The purpose of the material is more to show that even popular games can be very controversial - and mass fame should not necessarily encourage you to start playing them. And this can be applied to many other examples of a similar type.

Why can't both children and adults play Minecraft?

The reasons why you can’t play Minecraft, which will be described below, are universal and apply to all ages. But this restriction applies especially to children. Because when I was young childhood It's especially bad to play something like this. There are several reasons for this:

• The game has scary elements.
• There is violence against other players and animals.
• The game requires long sessions, and children should not sit at the computer for a long time.

Reason number “1” - Addiction

Now let's move on to the general reasons why you can't play Minecraft - or, at least, it's undesirable. Take addiction for example. Any good game creates a small degree of pleasant addiction. Play the magnificent EVE Online, at least to understand how the desire to constantly return to the game can be pleasant - and developing, because this is a very smart thing.

With Minecraft the situation is completely different. Dependency arises there due to the fact that any processes occur there quite slowly, there is always a feeling that you have not completed something. I want to go back and continue. But such dependence is unproductive. You return to the game not because of its depth in order to study it better, but simply because of the feeling of dissatisfaction.

Reason number “2” - Waste of time

The next reason why people shouldn’t play Minecraft follows from the previous one. Due to the fact that everything in the game is done very slowly, it takes a lot of time. Crafting, building various things from blocks, is a very leisurely thing.

Even some small constructions can take hours. But how will you not want to leave the game without finishing what you started? As a result, the result is achieved so slowly that you can spend all your free time playing the game.

Reason number “3” - Fatigue

Finally, the specific thing about Minecraft is that it has very specific graphics. On the one hand, it is extremely interesting in its stylization, but on the other, since the texture resolution is very low, it makes your eyes very tired when playing for a long time. And even stronger than from the old “pixel” games.

What do you personally think about this? Are there any other reasons why you shouldn’t play this game, or would you like to speak out in its defense? Any of your comments will be extremely valuable - we will try to form a general opinion about this interesting, but controversial game.

Modern parents are on the verge of making a huge mistake in raising children. While wishing well for their children, they deprive them of time and space for play, thereby limiting the development of imagination - a skill that is the basis of innovation and competitiveness.

The results of a study conducted by toy company Radio Flyer and ReD Associates showed the alarming consequences of overprotective parents today. Before every holiday, adults begin to rack their brains over which toy will be interesting and useful for their child. However, before purchasing another wooden construction set, parents should think seriously.

The development of imagination is facilitated by games that child psychologists call “voluntary” ( unstructured play) - in these there is no clearly defined scenario, there is no final goal, and devices are not used. The child himself comes up with his own worlds and embodies his own ideas.

According to a study conducted in the USA, children whose parents give them freedom of action have the most developed imagination, that is, they give them the opportunity to decide for themselves when, where and what to play. However, most modern children simply cannot play on their own - they need instructions from adults or the toy itself.

The conclusions are disappointing: today's children need to be taught to play random games. Specialist in child development, psychologist Peter Gray also noted a consistent reduction in time spent on free play. According to other data, children aged 8 to 18 years spend an average of 6.5 hours in the company of gadgets every day, and many are even afraid to go outside without adult supervision.

Modern parents are puzzled by how to create conditions for involuntary play. A study of children from infancy to 9 years old showed surprising results - neither wooden toys nor their digital analogues create conditions for unstructured play. So what is the parents' mistake?

Consequences of playing Minecraft

Take cubes, for example. The current generation of children passively presses buttons and toys themselves entertain them, and when they get bored with a toy, they persistently demand another one. Some parents have even formed a new tradition: throwing out “old” toys before the holidays to make room for new ones. Other parents admit that they buy their child a new toy a week and also keep toys in reserve.

Having become accustomed to constant novelty and change of entertainment, children simply stop playing with ordinary cubes, as a result of which they lose the skills of playing with stationary objects. Parents shrug their shoulders: “We don’t want our children to get bored.” But herein lies the secret: boredom motivates children to play with “what they have.” If we want to develop children's imagination, we need to keep children bored.

What then can be said about computer games? like Minecraft, which one parent described as “abs on steroids”?

In this popular game Children mine resources, create objects, build buildings and explore new worlds. In the "Creativity" mode, players have unlimited supplies of resources and tools, which allows them to create objects of increased complexity. This is where there is unlimited freedom of imagination - take it and build it!

However, as the study showed, after a series of games in Minecraft, children felt stressed and irritated. Many agree that the aforementioned playing only “kills time” - once a child begins to understand the mechanics of the game well, that is, play well, the experience of exploration and creation turns into endless construction in order to avoid boredom. One of the adults correctly noted that under such conditions even favorite hobby turns into a routine.

Creating conditions for unstructured play requires not only limiting the child from certain entertainment, but also giving him complete freedom. However, as the study showed, this practice does not always show inspiring results - young respondents, left without their usual toys, started fights with peers (and sometimes with parents) and experienced irritation, drowsiness and confusion. Obviously, the problem here is not with toys, but with the fact that children are not used to playing on their own.

The idea of ​​random games is often discussed, but ways to create conditions for them are rarely presented. Below are three excerpts from a study by child psychologist Peter Gray who recommends the practice of free play.

1. Parents must clearly understand what “free play” is and what it gives

IN free game there is no clearly defined beginning and end - children entertain themselves, adults do not help them. This approach may confuse parents who are accustomed to seeing educational and educational tasks in games, as well as those who believe that participation in a children’s game helps them become closer to their child.

2. Children should play independently every day

When parents try to introduce several hours of free play between the child's other activities, the child experiences distraction and irritation. For this problem to disappear, children must learn to play independently, and not wait for parents, teachers or new toys to entertain them.

3. In free play, children should be guided by the behavior of adults

It is no secret that children copy the behavior of adults, but the latter, immersed in work, often forget about this. Parents should set an example for their children and show that spending time without gadgets can be a lot of fun.

How are these ideas implemented in practice? It’s very simple: a father-photographer takes his two-year-old daughter for walks. While he is filming nature, the child selflessly plays with what is nearby - he imagines, explores, and gets to know the world. The adult does not interfere; the girl manages the process herself. However, the parent is nearby - minding his own business, he looks after her, and the child is inspired by the actions of the father and copies his behavior.

Some parts of the brain that are not stimulated by gaming may remain underdeveloped when sitting at a computer for long periods of time.

Video computer game Minecraft collected 3.9 billion views on YouTube in March 2015 alone

Children's addiction to a game that involves building their own world using Lego-like blocks is causing concern among parents around the world. Some parents admit that gaming has replaced all other activities for children and either strictly limit the time spent behind a computer screen or prohibit gaming altogether. At the same time, others believe that YouTube is a new generation of television, and Minecraft promotes creativity and promotes communication with peers.

However, psychologists Yun Lee and Robert Paisonau argue that this game is actually not as creative as some parents believe, reports BBC Ukraine.

“The creativity of the game is actually built into the program itself - there are many combinations, tools and materials. And players are given one task: to create increasingly complex structures. Although play may seem creative at first glance, it is actually a fairly monotonous activity, and most of the children we studied felt tired and irritated after long periods of play,” psychologists say.

In addition, the game does not have an open ending that would stimulate creative thinking, but rather involves the monotonous development of endless buildings.

Previously, Chinese scientists found that avid gamers who spend about 10 hours playing computer games have significantly less gray matter, which is responsible for thinking, than those who play about two hours a day.

Back in the 1990s, researchers warned that because video games stimulate only the parts of the brain responsible for vision and movement, other parts responsible for behavior, emotion and learning may be underdeveloped.

The child is trying to show you new achievements in his Minecraft world, and you routinely praise and add: “It would be better if you did this at school.” Just don’t say that this doesn’t happen to you. In Minecraftalmost half playschildren in the world. And this is really more interesting to them than.

Microsoft has figured out how to use children's love for Minecraft to benefit learning. Educational version of the game Minecraft for Education in Ukraine will be available from September this year.

What subjects can be studied with the help of your favorite toy, and whether teachers in Ukrainian schools are ready for such changes, Roman Rudyuk, Head of the Partnership in Education program at Microsoft in Education, told the site.

Modern children were born and growing up in the digital world. They have a different way of thinking, speed of perception. Contacting the world through a tablet screen comes naturally to them.

These children understand computers and the Internet, sometimes better than their parents. At two or three years old, they find and download cartoons for themselves, remove passwords from their parents’ smartphones and play games.

This is not surprising given the pace at which technology is advancing. Another thing is surprising: the school of these children is still trying to teach according to the old principles and schemes.

A tablet or smartphone at school is perceived as a hindrance to learning. They try to stop the child’s communication with the computer and reduce it to a minimum. They discuss the dangers of computer games and advise how to wean a child off the computer. If they allow it, it’s as a toy, as a reward for good behavior.

But why not try to teach and educate with the help of gadgets? After all, tablets and games are wonderful tools, and they are closer and more understandable to children than textbooks and notes on the board.

Two years ago, when Microsoft bought the rights to Minecraft, no one understood why. And with the help of the game they decided to introduce gamification into the educational system.

Why Minecraft?

Because children love him, and because he opens up enormous scope for creativity. The basic element of the game is cubes. An absolutely universal thing from which you can create any objects, set and solve any problems. At the same time, children do not passively perceive information, but actively participate in the process. This makes it easier to understand the topic and remember it.

Mathematics, biology, history: where else the benefits of the game Minecraft are obvious

Minecraft for Education is not a collection of ready-made diagrams and lessons. It is a platform that teachers can use to create lessons. It does not replace the traditional curriculum, but complements it, visualizes it and fills it with creativity.

The program works for any school subject because any idea can be implemented in it.

Geography

It’s one thing to see a picture of an Egyptian pyramid in a textbook with a couple of paragraphs of text. Another thing is to move inside the building, inspect it in real size, wander inside, see what it consists of, how the tombs are located, etc.

Or create a pyramid of cubes yourself - first study the topic in detail, and then transfer this knowledge to the world of Minecraft.

You can build landscapes from cubes, study the structure of the earth's crust - not look at dusty plaster models from the closet, but create projects yourself.

Or contour maps. Don’t paint over it with a pencil in a notebook, but build it in Minecraft, just like in this lesson.

Story

Instead of memorizing dates and names, we build, for example, wooden fortresses, give participants the roles of historical characters and act out, for example, the history of the baptism of Kievan Rus as part of the lesson.

The same applies to any historical event. Minecraft allows you to create a world with all the nuances of the time being studied: architecture, landscape, etc.

Mathematics

Equations in a notebook are boring. And if you set the equations directly in the game, and the solutions to these equations are the coordinates of the point on the map in which the treasure is hidden, solving them will become much more interesting.

Biology

Build a dinosaur skeleton out of cubes? Easily! Or a model of the human body. It’s interesting what we are made of.

In this lesson, children travel inside a living cell and study how its organelles work.

Chemistry

Here you don’t have to limit yourself to building a model of a molecule. Chemistry is at the very core of Minecraft. Having started the game, the character mines minerals and crafts the necessary materials and items from them.

The idea of ​​synthesis can be used during lessons to help children understand how substances interact and what comes out of it.

Physics

The teacher explains the behavior of matter in solid, liquid and gaseous states. All participants have their own characters, and the properties of matter in Minecraft allow you to display real physical processes on Earth.

What else>

Computer games are often used in education. But they are usually formulaic, the plots and possible solutions are limited.

Minecraft for Education isn't limited to just one subject. This is a constructor thanks to which phenomena can be studied from different angles.

The teacher created a task: you need to build a hotel. He assigned a price to each gaming resource, and the children received a certain budget at their disposal.

The children started the task. They are thinking about how to build more conveniently and profitably. They calculate costs, choose materials, think through the layout of rooms, from automatic door opening and switch location to flowers on the balcony and toilet.

This complex object first appears in their head, and then is transferred to the space of Minecraft.

They look for information, consider, discuss. They learn to argue and defend their opinions, and work in a team. Is it possible to attribute such a project to any specific subject? Or evaluate its benefits only within the framework of the school curriculum?

Minecraft for Education helps you look at the world, not dividing it into objects, but holistically. Understand and recreate the mechanisms and processes that work in it. The child understands that bread does not begin with dough. You need to plant the grains, grow them, harvest them, grind them, and then prepare the dough and bake them.

And the spoon on his table is ore that was mined, melted, refined, turned into metal and made into the desired object. He realizes this without explanation or cramming - these are just processes that take place in his game.

Minecraft and Minecraft for Education: what's the difference

IN game version Minecraft contains many materials and phenomena that are not found in nature. For example, there are dragons, there are non-existent materials and chemical elements. This is interesting in the game, but in the training version it just gets in the way.

There is no way to add fancy mods (modifications) to Minecraft for Education. There are only realistic processes that exist in life.

The second feature is technical. In the game version, to play with friends, you need to look for a server and connect to it. There is no guarantee that outside players will not come there and destroy the buildings - children love to misbehave.

Minecraft for Education does not require servers. The teacher creates a web class, students connect to it through their Accounts, and you can start the game. You can connect from any computer, both at home and at school.

A rich toolkit has been created for the teacher: he can create tasks, distribute zones for construction, and manage the process.
How to create learning worlds, how to give tasks - there are clear instructions for everything.

Computer games in education: what teachers think about Minecraft for Education

There is bad news and there is good news.

Of the minuses: it is difficult for most teachers to change their minds and agree that the usual methods of teaching with modern children do not work well. Not everyone is ready to use gaming tools.

What can we say about games, even if not all teachers are familiar enough with the Internet to use it in their work?

On the plus side: there are many young teachers who are ready to teach in a new way and are looking for progressive methods. Starting from September this year, about a hundred schools in Ukraine are planning to introduce a computer game into education. Perhaps there will be more, it depends on the initiative of directors and teachers.

For now, this is difficult: in addition to the desire for something new, at this stage the teacher also needs knowledge of English. Volunteers during beta testing have already created their own lessons that can be used as an example. True, this is only English-language material for now. In June, Ukrainian teachers also received access to beta testing. So, there will be quite a lot of ready-made lessons available.

For teachers who want to speak to children in the language of the game that is understandable and interesting to them, Microsoft holds meetings and training. Prepares trainers who pass on knowledge to colleagues.

There are already about 150 teachers in Ukraine who are learning to use new technologies and immediately apply it in their work.

Microsoft does not create lessons or courses on subjects. It gives overall ownership of the program, overall direction. And every teacher or parent who wants to teach a child in an interesting way will be able to create their own lessons and implement their own ideas.

Video of the computer game Minecraft, collects great amount views on YouTube. The game, which involves building a world out of Lego blocks, was the most popular search term after "music," according to the site.

According to a study conducted by Octoloy and Newzoo, the above game collected about 4 billion views during the month of March alone.

This figure is unlikely to surprise many parents who are hopelessly trying to get their children away from screens. Neither football, nor cycling, nor a picnic in the forest can distract young gamers from watching videos of people building with little green bricks.

Parents call this passion differently: some call it obsession, others call it addiction. However, both of them are very concerned about her.

Opinions vary.

In numerous articles and online messages, parents complain that Minecraft has taken over their children's lives, they neglect household chores and school assignments, and are annoyed when they are not allowed to play. As a result, many parents have to prohibit this game altogether or strictly limit their time on the computer. One father explained his decision to limit time this way: “Minecraft, like other addictive games, is limitless, but children’s childhood is not. I would like them to explore not the virtual, but the real world.”

Other parents don’t see a big problem in this game. As the father of two boys notes, his children spend hours watching videos with different Minecraft versions. “Nowadays they watch YouTube a lot more than regular TV. Am I against it? Probably a little - yes, however, I am fully aware of the place this game occupies in the lives of my children and their peers. Banning it means separating your children from their friends,” he says.

Interest in the game also has beneficial consequences, since children have mastered the program well, learned to create their own game modes, manage their own game server, create and edit videos and run your own YouTube channel.

Minecraft on YouTube is a vast ocean of materials - there are almost 42 million videos. There are hundreds of channels dedicated to Minecraft, the most popular of which are SkyDoesMinecraft and Yogscast. Some Minecraft channels have become real sensations. The cat-moderated YouTube channel Stampy has 5.6 million subscribers and about 3.4 billion views. Last year, this channel was the fourth most popular on YouTube.

There are also channels for parents, such as the MineMum blog, created by educator Bec Oakley, which aims to help parents navigate the minefield of Minecraft. “YouTube is a new generation of television. It allows children to learn and share knowledge. He entertains the children. When they watch others play, they gain new experience of the game and can also share it with others,” she notes. - Unlimited content. It is extremely interesting, educational and useful."

According to Oakley, this hobby is not a serious problem. She emphasizes that attention needs to be paid to the time children spend playing and the impact on their mood and health. “It is very important that parents teach their children to enjoy the game without causing harm healthy image life. Parents need to teach their children “healthy” gaming, which involves, first of all, the ability to stop in time. Parents need to establish rules for safe play, as well as rewards for following these rules,” she notes.

It is worth noting that Minecraft is the creation of Swedish game designer and programmer Markus Persson, who is also known as Notch. Initially, the game was not designed for young players. Persson was inspired by games such as Dwarf Fortress and Dungeon Keeper.

Some time later, the programmer founded the Mojang company, which produced the game for some time, and last year it was sold to Microsoft.

How games affect the human brain.

There are many studies regarding the effects of computer games on the human brain. Some of them are quite contradictory. Researchers in China used MRI to monitor the brains of eighteen students who spent about ten hours online, mostly playing games such as World of Warcraft. Compared to a control group of students who spent no more than two hours a day on the computer, scientists found less gray matter in the brains of gamers, which is responsible for reasoning skills.

In the early 1990s, scientists warned that because video games stimulated only the parts of the brain responsible for movement and vision, other parts responsible for emotion, learning and behavior might be underdeveloped.

Regarding research on Minecraft game, an article by Robert Paisonau and psychologist Yun Lee, published by Quartz, notes that she does not seem as creative as some parents believe. “In fact, the creativity of the game is inherent in the program itself - this is a huge number of combinations, materials and tools. And the only task left for players is to create more complex structures. Despite the fact that at first glance the game seems creative, in reality it is a rather monotonous activity. Most of the children we studied experienced irritability after a long period of play."