Session 8 - Minecraft at home issues

Session 8 already - time has flown.
Today we had an interesting start to the session when the kids and parents arrived and explained what had happened the previous week on the minecraft server we had set up for the kids.
Put simply, someone had burnt down a lot of the houses the kids had built, and this had started a chain reaction where kids were accusing each other of doing it and getting revenge.
There were a few interesting points about this;
- We have been looking at minecraft and learning about it's positives - mainly that it's an open environment which allows kids to play however they like, and explore their interests. What this also means however is that the kids have the freedom to offend each other in various ways.
- With a few of the kids, perhaps familiarity is breeding contempt?
- There is a big issue where some kids are very sensitive about how others act, and others aren't. Some of the kids are sensitive about how they are treated but totally insensitive when it comes to doing the same things to others - which is perhaps something we should have anticipated. The mystery is how we deal with this...it's a fine line between allowing kids to be themselves and not be judged, and making sure that feelings aren't hurt.
- A big issue is that this server has effected kids in their home lives, and has made their parents job more difficult. That's pretty much the opposite of what we set out to achieve.
- If we are to moderate the server constantly, it would require additional funding, as it's quite labour intensive, especially when you have to investigate kid politics.
- Both Stefan and myself spoke to the parents, who ended up agreeing to shut the server down for at least a week. Perhaps we can re-open it as a privilege not a right, with more restrictions, and establish a different mood.
- Part of wanting to create a model of learning for these young people means that we will be faced with issues and have to find solutions. In that regard today was a very positive session.
Action we have taken;
- During the class damage was turned off, and TNT made their browser crash.
- At the end of the session we turned the minecraft server off until we work out some strategies(both technical and real world) which will allow it to continue in a more positive way.
- Kids have been told to build in single player worlds for the competition which will now be judged next week after the prizes still didn't arrive.
- Sean ended up introducing one young man to javascript which was a positive end to the day. Many of the young people look up to Sean as he is 21, closer to their age, and knows a lot about gaming and programming - he can answer almost any question they have.