On Libraries and New Media, powered by Library Journal and School Library Journal
“You hear a lot about gaming and engaging kids in STEM subjects, says teacher Jason Sellers. “So, I wondered, what does gaming look like in English?” Sellers, a teacher at the French American International School in San Francisco, found out, basing a classroom lesson in Playfic, an online community where users write, share, and play games using Inform 7, a programming system for creating interactive fiction based on natural language.
The U. S. government has joined the list of organizations using gaming to enhance learning. This week, the Department of State released a new game to give English-language students a hands-on way to augment their mastery of English.
Andrea Buchanan’s young adult novel Gift was the first to incorporate Minecraft. What’s that you say? The creative game, in which users build stuff out of cubes within a 3-D environment, deserves a closer look. YA librarian Erin Daly offers an expert’s view of the Minecraft element in Gift and how well the sandbox game worked as an element within a novel.
Minecraft 101, with resources for getting a program started in your school or library.
School librarian Melissa Techman attended NAEA in New York and gleaned some great art-infused ideas for the classroom and media center
