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Mining for Deeper Understanding of Languages

Area(s) of Focus: technology, revised curriculum
Division(s): Intermediate, Junior
Level(s): Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8
Abstract:

Throughout this project we explored the use of Minecraft as a tool to get students talking in second language classrooms and to help improve language acquisition.

Minecraft is a game where students can create, explore and discover. It is a tool that can be used in the classroom to provide context around which students will communicate, and it provides a platform where they can demonstrate their learning and collaborate with their peers. Minecraft, by default, requires strong spatial reasoning skills, thus yielding math as the fundamental tool that supports language. It also draws immediately off of student interest as it is a game that they are passionate about.

Our goal was to explore how Minecraft: Pocket Edition could be used in second language classrooms in order to improve second language acquisition. We worked collaboratively to research and co-create tasks, reflected on how tasks applied to second language learning, implemented activities with students, and reflected together on the successes and challenges along the way.

Team Members

  • Myria Mallette

    Lambton Kent District School Board

  • Jaclyn Myers

    Lambton Kent District School Board

  • Jane Baldwin-Marvell

    Lambton Kent District School Board

  • Josh Jaques

    Lambton Kent District School Board

  • Morgan Purdy

    Lambton Kent District School Board

  • Gill Boere

    Lambton Kent District School Board

Professional Learning Goals

  • Collaborated and co-created tasks that could be used in class with our students
  • Discussed activities that could be used to help scaffold language for these tasks in order for students to have success
  • Completed activities and tasks with students
  • Reflected on activities once completed
  • Determined benefits, challenges and next steps as a team

Activities and Resources

  • Teachers were surveyed at the beginning of the project to determine what they already knew about Minecraft and how it was being used in classrooms and ways they had thought about using it to support a second language program
  • Researched different ways teachers from around the world had been using Minecraft in their classrooms
  • Planned lessons and activities that supported our individual classrooms. Reflected as a group and planned forward again.
  • Discussed successes and challenges, and brainstormed possible solutions to problems encountered, blogging about them along the way
  • Shared learning at OMLTA

Unexpected Challenges

Minecraft: Pocket Edition definitely has its challenges when it comes to classroom use (in comparison to Minecraft: Education Edition). However, with what we realistically had access to with our students, this was the only option so we found ways to make it work for us.  

For more specific details around the challenges we encountered, as well as possible solutions, please visit our blog post here: http://www.mmemallette.com/2017/01/challenges-successes-minecraft-fsl-thus-far/

Enhancing Student Learning and Development

This project has enhanced student learning and development in several ways. As a team, we noted that engagement in our French as a Secondary Language classrooms when working on Minecraft-related projects was greatly increased. Students were generally more excited about it over more traditional means of presenting work. Students expressed that they were enjoying having French class.
Using Minecraft with our students has also provided many opportunities for sustained conversation in French, without the use of English. It has students motivated to learn the language they need to communicate with each other. The students are learning project specific vocabulary and during “French only time,” they are willing to try and use this vocabulary to collaborate on their projects. Using classroom aids, students are able to communicate with peers and the teacher. In the beginning the anchor sheets were used a lot, but now are being used less and less as they get more comfortable with the vocabulary. As time on Minecraft was usually “earned,” we found students wanted to get their preparatory work done and done well. It really encouraged them to speak and practise their oral skills in order to earn the “Minecraft time” and have success when talking about their projects in a second language. Due to higher engagement and the earned time, we have also seen higher participation in these classes. One of our teammates even noted: “I feel that I am reaching more students and getting more oral communication out of everyone then before the implementation of this project.”

Sharing

Our target audience would be second language teachers.

We have shared our work in a variety of ways, as follows:

  • Actively involved on Twitter sharing via #fslchat
  • Blogged about experiences at www.mmemallette.com
  • Presented at OMLTA in Toronto
  • Continue to share ideas via conversations with other teachers within our board and on Twitter

Project Evaluation

Yes, we feel that our project was a success as all teachers were able to discuss and plan together and successfully implement activities and tasks with their students. We felt that this, in turn, had a positive impact on each of our classrooms. We were able to also trudge through some of the challenges as a team in order to brainstorm effective ways of dealing with some of the problems we met. Some of our teammates felt that this project has given them the opportunity to explore another form of technology in the classroom that they had not experienced before this year, and to collaborate with colleagues who are also using it in the classroom. It has really made us think about how we teach and what we teach. It allows for us to think about our teaching and constantly reflect on what we could change or do better. This project also helped us develop a higher tolerance for technological frustration – we have been able to delegate tasks to students who are very capable, when I was not available to facilitate during lessons (which also empowered those students). This project has given us another tool to engage students in speaking French using authentic situations which are fun and have unlimited potential. Working with other teachers has expanded my knowledge and resource toolkit in French education.

Resources Created

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