#girlswhogame - Part 2

The learning is incredible! There is something so refreshing about being open to new learning and to doing it with a group of other people. 

The girls getting their GAME ON!

Since the last blog post, the #girlswhogame have been playing/experimenting with Minecraft, learning about being good digital citizens - especially around video meetings (Google Meets and Teams meetings), and digging deeper into who they are. 

Mrs. Ruston joins the team to assist the girls with their learning!

They recently met with Brenda Sherry and everyone got to learn a little more about each other and Brenda provided them with some specific instruction around the use of Minecraft: Education Edition. The girls are learning to use the game and experiencing a lot of success. 

The girls meeting with Brenda Sherry to learn more about Minecraft.

Mrs. MacDonald has taken the lead in helping the girls to continue to discover who they are and what they value. The combination of gaming and self awareness is pretty cool as we dip into important conversations around equity, education, and personal growth. 

Mrs. MacDonald leading the girls in a self-awareness activity.

On top of all of that, the girls chose a name for their team - the Mindful Minecrafters! Anyone who knows these girls would agree that the name is good fit with the make up of this team. It would be great to have a graphic to go with the name and hopefully that will come sooner rather than later.

Of course the learning isn't just for the girls. Mrs. MacDonald and I are also picking up a lot of tidbits on how to use Minecraft and how to support the girls as they grow as gamers who are aware of and demonstrate the global competencies. As the girls dig deeper into creating an #eateryofthefuture, more emphasis will be placed on the global competencies in the following ways as the students work on their culminating task:

• solve problems using an inquiry process, make connections, see patterns, and transfer learning from one situation to another, particularly as it relates to the real life goal of ending hunger and making sure clean water is available to all people (Critical Thinking and Problem Solving)
• think of and express questions in order to generate novel ideas, demonstrate leadership, initiative, innovation, and creativity to help solve real world problems (Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship)
• think about their thinking and have a growth mindset, monitor their own learning, develop personal, educational, and career goals, and learn to manage aspects of their life (Self-Directed Learning)
• participate in team work, learn from and contribute to the learning of others, accept and excel in a variety of roles depending on the needs of the team, and connect with individuals outside of their team to further their knowledge towards their culminating activity (mentors) (Collaboration)
• communicate effectively in a variety of ways, use appropriate digital tools and create a positive digital footprint, and ask good questions and understand different point of views in order to find answers to questions (Communication)
• understand how they are globally interconnected, make responsible decisions that support positive circumstances for all people, learn with and from diverse people, promote principles of equity and speak out against injustice, and participate in networks in a safe and responsible ways (Citizenship)

The gaming portion of the #girlswhogame initiative is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many amazing learning opportunities for everyone involved, especially the girls who are the future BUT can make positive societal contributions right now! 

Getting a selfie with the Mindful Minecrafters as they put in the work.

Stay tuned for more good stuff from our #girlswhogame @ St. John's!

#girlswhogame - Part 1

A wonderful opportunity was presented to me last winter by my School Board's Learning Innovation Consultant (Suzanne Smart - @mssuzannesmart). She asked me if I wanted to be part of the "Girls Who Game" (GWG) initiative being run by Dell in partnership with Microsoft Education, Minecraft Education Edition, and the Ontario Science Centre. Of course, I said yes! 

Unfortunately, COVID19 entered into the picture at around that time and the school buildings ended up closing and we all found ourselves engaged in remote/online teaching and learning.  My school's participation in this amazing project would have to wait until the physical school buildings opened back up again. 

Not long after we returned to school in September, we were asked if we wanted to participate and of course we said YES! Sherry MacDonald - @teachermackie (St. John CES VP) and I are the club leaders but there is always room for other staff members to assist and get involved in any way that they would like. 

The girls getting together for the first time to do a survey about gaming.

The GWG initiatve is a robust one as it provides the girls and the leaders with hardware (Dell laptops) as well as support around gaming (using Minecraft: Education Edition), the Global Competencies, STEM, leadership, and mentorship. The girls, who are in the grade 5/6 class at our school, will be getting together at least two times per week to play Minecraft, connect with Brenda Sherry - @brendasherry (Minecraft coach), and other guests who will share their experiences in STEM fields.  

The girls have come together several times now in order to do the gaming survey, talk about their interests, strengths, and areas of growth, and to start up and set up their Dell laptops. Sherry and I have met with Katina Papulkas - @KatPapulkas (Canadian Education Strategist for Dell) twice and Brenda Sherry once to learn more about the initiative and take care of some logistics. 

Brenda, Sherry, and I meeting to talk about the initiative.

There are a number of reasons about why I am excited to be part of this initiative. My passion for edtech, the opportunity to be a positive role model for the students, to practice being a 'leader' with my VP Sherry, and to serve my school community are a few of them. In addition to those reasons, I have to say that I am quite please to get to work with Katina and Brenda. I have met both of them before through the Ministry of Education's Teacher Learning and Leadership Program. My interactions with them have been second to none so it is a real bonus that I have connected with them again for such an important and worthwhile project. I have learned so much from them face to face, and now I can continue to learn from them virtually.  

Exciting times are ahead as the girls discover more about gaming using Minecraft as well as the Global Competencies, STEM, and future career paths that may be of interest to them. Please make sure to follow us on our journey by reading and commenting on our blog posts and on twitter (@gwgthunder).