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How Minecraft is helping kids fall in love with books

theguardian.com

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Re: How Minecraft is helping kids fall in love with books

#11

Post by hrktb »

sova wrote: post #5

Minecraft is absolutely not helping in the war on screens. As a former educator I laugh heartily at the proposition. Although, I did use "screen time" as a gift-able and earn-able commodity, and in a small classroom of kids it works great to encourage sharing, participation, group watch / observance, and "can I please share with Timmy now so I can have more screentime later?" [success fist]

> war on screen

So, is it like the war on drug and war on terrorism ?

Also I remember when I was a kid, people were over my back for reading too much books, as I was supposed to “go outside”, “play with the other kids”, “make things with my hand”. I won’t use the eternal ‘I ended up fine’ argument, but in any day and age we’re grindingly pushing kids toward stuff they don’t care about for no decent reason. As a general rule you shouldn’t be at war against stuff your kids are into.

Re: How Minecraft is helping kids fall in love with books

#12

Post by watwut »

LoSboccacc wrote: post #7
sova wrote: post #5

Minecraft is absolutely not helping in the war on screens. As a former educator I laugh heartily at the proposition. Although, I did use "screen time" as a gift-able and earn-able commodity, and in a small classroom of kids it works great to encourage sharing, participation, group watch / observance, and "can I please share with Timmy now so I can have more screentime later?" [success fist]

As a pre-computer kid I say blaming screens is bogus. I’d do anything not to read the stupid books school gave me. Fun thing I actually was an avid reader, but the curriculum books were totally out of place. At 12yo “Promessi Sposi” and “Divina Commedia” is such a shitty, verbose and convolute prose it killed my interest in literature. Funnily enough I was enjoying at the time reading Calvino and Pirandello, authors…

This is not first generation that dislikes mandatory readings. That did not changed. Primary purpose of school reading was not to be pleasure reading, it did not had to be and kids read more.

Kids often used to start read out of boredom, you used to find fun and easy to read junk in sch situation. Now kids play something or watch videos in that boredom situation.

Plus, now kids have more homework and organized activities. And easy to read fun junk is harder to find. But kids not liking what teacher assigned is not new.

Re: How Minecraft is helping kids fall in love with books

#13

Post by Pica_soO »

watwut wrote: post #12
LoSboccacc wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a pre-computer kid I say blaming screens is bogus. I’d do anything not to read the stupid books school gave me. Fun thing I actually was an avid reader, but the curriculum books were totally out of place. At 12yo “Promessi Sposi” and “Divina Commedia” is such a shitty, verbose and convolute prose it killed my interest in literature. Funnily enough I was enjoying at the time reading Calvino and Pirandello, authors…

This is not first generation that dislikes mandatory readings. That did not changed. Primary purpose of school reading was not to be pleasure reading, it did not had to be and kids read more. Kids often used to start read out of boredom, you used to find fun and easy to read junk in sch situation. Now kids play something or watch videos in that boredom situation. Plus, now kids have more homework and organized activi…

>This is not first generation that dislikes mandatory readings. That did not changed. Primary purpose of school reading was not to be pleasure reading, it did not had to be and kids read more.

This whole mindset of copy & paste information into new citizen is nightmarish and has bred so much resentment/outright resistance it should be persecuted for destroying a young persons motivation and interest in new things.

Youtube and others are laying this idea, that knowledge has to be uninteresting and/or boring to ashes- series like extraHistory, smarterEveryDay, etc. show what is possible and how bad things actually are and where.

If someone must force his grownup tastes down upon a not grown up audience, and overrides rejection /disinterest with force - destroying one of the most vital things a new citizen has to bring to this society (intrinsic will to learn / yearning for discovery) the educator should be fired and banned from his / her profession.

Re: How Minecraft is helping kids fall in love with books

#14

Post by genidoi »

hrktb wrote: post #11
sova wrote: post #5

Minecraft is absolutely not helping in the war on screens. As a former educator I laugh heartily at the proposition. Although, I did use "screen time" as a gift-able and earn-able commodity, and in a small classroom of kids it works great to encourage sharing, participation, group watch / observance, and "can I please share with Timmy now so I can have more screentime later?" [success fist]

> war on screen So, is it like the war on drug and war on terrorism ? Also I remember when I was a kid, people were over my back for reading too much books, as I was supposed to “go outside”, “play with the other kids”, “make things with my hand”. I won’t use the eternal ‘I ended up fine’ argument, but in any day and age we’re grindingly pushing kids toward stuff they don’t care about for no decent reason. As a gener…

Everything in moderation. Such as stopping your 11 y/o kid from playing runescape at 2am when they should be sleeping.

Source: Me.

Re: How Minecraft is helping kids fall in love with books

#15

Post by watwut »

Pica_soO wrote: post #13
watwut wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not first generation that dislikes mandatory readings. That did not changed. Primary purpose of school reading was not to be pleasure reading, it did not had to be and kids read more. Kids often used to start read out of boredom, you used to find fun and easy to read junk in sch situation. Now kids play something or watch videos in that boredom situation. Plus, now kids have more homework and organized activi…

>This is not first generation that dislikes mandatory readings. That did not changed. Primary purpose of school reading was not to be pleasure reading, it did not had to be and kids read more. This whole mindset of copy & paste information into new citizen is nightmarish and has bred so much resentment/outright resistance it should be persecuted for destroying a young persons motivation and interest in new things. Yo…

You are aware that learning is not done just for pleasure purpose? The purpose is not always to make you like what you read. And that people unable to do "not fun" things or unable to deal with mild dislike of something are not the most vital parts of society. They are too fragile.

I am not bashing young people in general here. Most are not like that, even if they read less.

Also wtf it is with people that first reaction on anything is threat of firing. It seems like people can't discuss even curriculum without that.

Re: How Minecraft is helping kids fall in love with books

#16

Post by seanmcdirmid »

hrktb wrote: post #11
sova wrote: post #5

Minecraft is absolutely not helping in the war on screens. As a former educator I laugh heartily at the proposition. Although, I did use "screen time" as a gift-able and earn-able commodity, and in a small classroom of kids it works great to encourage sharing, participation, group watch / observance, and "can I please share with Timmy now so I can have more screentime later?" [success fist]

> war on screen So, is it like the war on drug and war on terrorism ? Also I remember when I was a kid, people were over my back for reading too much books, as I was supposed to “go outside”, “play with the other kids”, “make things with my hand”. I won’t use the eternal ‘I ended up fine’ argument, but in any day and age we’re grindingly pushing kids toward stuff they don’t care about for no decent reason. As a gener…

Screens are even more addictive than books.

My 1.5 year old shuts off completely whenever he can get access to a screen, it is amazing and scary. He likes books also, but is much more engaged with them.

Screen time is probably a top issue for parenting today.

Re: How Minecraft is helping kids fall in love with books

#17

Post by azernik »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #16
hrktb wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> war on screen So, is it like the war on drug and war on terrorism ? Also I remember when I was a kid, people were over my back for reading too much books, as I was supposed to “go outside”, “play with the other kids”, “make things with my hand”. I won’t use the eternal ‘I ended up fine’ argument, but in any day and age we’re grindingly pushing kids toward stuff they don’t care about for no decent reason. As a gener…

Screens are even more addictive than books. My 1.5 year old shuts off completely whenever he can get access to a screen, it is amazing and scary. He likes books also, but is much more engaged with them. Screen time is probably a top issue for parenting today.

What is it about his relationships with books that is more "engaged" and thus better?

Re: How Minecraft is helping kids fall in love with books

#18

Post by Freak_NL »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #16
hrktb wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> war on screen So, is it like the war on drug and war on terrorism ? Also I remember when I was a kid, people were over my back for reading too much books, as I was supposed to “go outside”, “play with the other kids”, “make things with my hand”. I won’t use the eternal ‘I ended up fine’ argument, but in any day and age we’re grindingly pushing kids toward stuff they don’t care about for no decent reason. As a gener…

Screens are even more addictive than books. My 1.5 year old shuts off completely whenever he can get access to a screen, it is amazing and scary. He likes books also, but is much more engaged with them. Screen time is probably a top issue for parenting today.

Current pedagogical advise is to keep children under 2 away from screens, period. Presumably because they are much more affected by them.

Does you kid gain access to a screen accidentally or is it something you employ as an emergency pacifier on rare occasions?

Re: How Minecraft is helping kids fall in love with books

#19

Post by Freak_NL »

lihaciudaniel wrote: post #2

As a full time kid and an ex minecraft player, I think that's a way to get into books. The only way I got into books was by trying hard at first to read on my phone (it was hard and boring for a month I was reading during boring classes at school). But now a year later I've never read any paper books, all the books I've read are ebooks.

If you haven't already, why not get (or ask for) an e-reader with an e-ink display? Reading from paper or e-ink is a lot less detrimental to your eyesight. When reading in the evenings that has the benefit of not affecting your circadian rhythm as much (which normal screens tend to do).

Re: How Minecraft is helping kids fall in love with books

#20

Post by nsuser3 »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #16
hrktb wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> war on screen So, is it like the war on drug and war on terrorism ? Also I remember when I was a kid, people were over my back for reading too much books, as I was supposed to “go outside”, “play with the other kids”, “make things with my hand”. I won’t use the eternal ‘I ended up fine’ argument, but in any day and age we’re grindingly pushing kids toward stuff they don’t care about for no decent reason. As a gener…

Screens are even more addictive than books. My 1.5 year old shuts off completely whenever he can get access to a screen, it is amazing and scary. He likes books also, but is much more engaged with them. Screen time is probably a top issue for parenting today.

> is much more engaged with them

What do you mean? Isn't he just reading them?

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