April 8, 2019

Renton Students Forge Partnerships At ISTE

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) holds an annual conference every year that Renton Prep is proud to attend. The ISTE conference draws over 15,000 educators and presents a dynamic platform for educators and students to engage with other technologically inclined facilitators. This year, Dr. Michelle Zimmerman attended the conference to represent our school and students.

Mentorships Take Center Stage

This year, our students shared their experience using Minecraft Education as a mentoring tool. By pairing younger students with older students, the older students were able to guide their counterparts through Minecraft. Not only does this help students learn the program and its nuances, it also builds rapport between different age groups. Subsequently, the teamwork helps combat bullying and increases collaboration across different grade levels.

In addition, our students use the program to mentor other teachers who aren’t as familiar with Minecraft.

Game-ification of Learning

Renton Prep educators and students have wholeheartedly embraced Minecraft Education. We have incorporated it into a variety of subjects, including history, social studies, math, science, and more. At this year’s ISTE Conference, Renton Prep students presented examples of how working within Minecraft has increased their ability to work collaboratively to solve problems. The game has also improved their ability to visualize spatial relations and allocate resources. Further, they explained how working in Minecraft Education can teach computer programming, preparing students for an increasingly digital world.

One real world example of its application was an assignment that required students to study bridges. The first part of the project prompted students to build a bridge in the physical world. Once this was realized, the students then transferred their design into Minecraft and further explored the intricacies of bridge building. After that, students were tasked with identifying places around the world that might be in need of a bridge, keeping in mind environmental and economic impact.

By bringing this real world scenario into Minecraft and back out again, Renton students make connections with tangible elements in their lives. Hence, we create an easier transition from implicit learning to explicit learning for all students.

At Renton Prep, we’re preparing our students for a world where digital skills and technical knowledge are essential to their success. We invite you to find out more about Renton Prep today.

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