Block Breaker: Building Knowledge and Amplifying Student Voice One Block at a Time!

How do you engage learners in the Digital Age? Engaged students are more likely to internalize learning and apply it to situations beyond the classroom. So how can you get your learners to engage? In Block Breaker, educator Brian Aspinall explains that the wildly popular game Minecraft may be just the right tool for the job. Sharing his own and other educators' success with Minecraft (and other programming applications) in the classroom, Brian reveals how these adaptable tools can be leveraged to engage learners and empower them to find success. Why Minecraft? It offers immediate feedback on a personalized learning platform. Inquiry tasks encourage students to collaborate, problem solve, and explore multiple approaches to finding a solution. And it's a fun way to practice critical thinking and spatial reasoning! Complete with lesson ideas and learning strategies, Block Breaker will help you tear down barriers and build powerful connections for learning. "Brian has yet again challenged us to rethink best practices with regards to pedagogy and twenty-first-century learning. This is a great read for all educators!" -Alice Keeler, educator, author, and edtech blogger "If you read Block Breaker, there's a good chance that you'll be stirred to rethink how you see STEM's role in schools. There's a great chance you'll be motivated to strive to be the best teacher possible through Brian Aspinall's deft storytelling skills. But there's a superb chance both will happen." -Matt Miller, blogger, speaker, author of Ditch That Textbook "This book is sure to bring joyful learning and teaching experiences to many students and educators across all subject areas." -Cynthia Gozzard, educator, Minecraft global mentor, edtech enthusiast