[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]January 10th, 2018, 03:30PM Melville Times NEWS
SEAN Firth never expected to be using a video game to teach skills to kids, but these days he does exactly that.
Mr Firth, a teacher and former principal, was introduced to popular sandbox block-building game Minecraft five years ago and said he could not believe the impact it had on kids.
“The game changed the way they behaved with each other,” he said.
“Instantly, I was like ‘wow’.
“I’d never seen a teaching tool with such power, the power to break down barriers, and I’m not even a gamer.
“I’m a professional educator and I see the impact of the game.”
Mr Firth now runs holiday camps across Perth after founding Mind Buzz, where the game is used as a tool to improve collaboration and communications skills and where there is a strong focus on caring for other players.
The days are structured, starting with a tutorial where everyone is brought up to speed in groups of four before progressing to the proper game.
Here players can interact with people who have previously gone to the camps via a server.
After lunch is all about creativity.
“I notice – and the parents notice – at the start of the day it’s quite frenetic,” Mr Firth said.
“By the end of the day the whole group is in a bit of a flow state.
Read the rest on the Melville Times Community Newspaper site: https://www.communitynews.com.au/melville-times/news/teacher-gets-minds-buzzing-with-video-game-minecraft/
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