I’m so excited to be on this new adventure as CrouchingPython! Taking my “hard fun” approach from the physical classroom to the virtual space is the new challenge. I’m starting with a short 4 week course on building your own Minecraft minigame with command blocks. This is a particular favorite of mine(and students!), which I have done for years in my physical classroom. Here’s why it’s so great:
First, it’s Minecraft! Built-in awesomeness. Second, it gives learners maximum creative leeway. If you can imagine it, you can build it! And third, it introduces them to coding with their own worlds in Minecraft. There isn’t much more exciting than making your own game in the world which you are building, and coding and testing it while you’re in the world. Mind blown, right?

It’s about as magical as it gets. It’s true that it’s not a “real” coding language like Python or Java, yes. But it introduces learners to some basic computer science concepts, and helps them to see in real time the powerful effects of their code. As a stepping stone to other coding languages and environments, it’s hard to beat. And at the end of the journey, all learners will have their own original minigame, which they can have their friends play. Win/win!