Summer Tech Camps provide kids a great opportunity to stay engaged with other students over the summer while they play favorite games like Minecraft and Roblox. Connected Camps has been offering online summer tech camps for longer than any other organization, informed by the latest research. This summer, we have been invited to share our knowledge and approaches with other educators in two education conferences. Connected Camps will be held up as a model for education in the Minecraft and Roblox environment. Teachers will have an opportunity to learn from our team in addition to our summer campers!
ISTE: Effective Pedagogy (Teaching Strategy) in Virtual Worlds
In June, we’re presenting to educators at the conference of the International Society for Technology in Education. This is the most prominent annual conference in the country dedicated to equipping teachers to apply the smart use of technology to accelerate innovation in education. Connected Camps was invited to share our experience using Minecraft and Roblox to effectively challenge and support learners in an online environment. Counselors Amy and Jaye will present alongside Counselor Manager Alexis and Matthew, our Product Manager.
We all know that kids love games, and research shows that online games like Minecraft and Roblox can provide engaging, social, project-based learning. Teachers are looking for ways to capture students’ attention and engage them in learning in authentic ways. They’d love to use games, but most don’t have experience playing complex games like Minecraft and Roblox, or in game-based education. We’re going to share our proven strategies to equip more teachers to provide exciting game-based learning opportunities like those we offer in our online camps and courses.
We will discuss how we provide virtual learning through game-based projects, and we’ll provide concrete examples of some of our programs in action. It’ll be a fun time of teaching the teachers, as we show them how to work in Roblox Studio and use Minecraft Redstone. From astronomy to theater, from physics to zoology, we’ve mastered the art of game-based learning. At ISTE, we’ll help some of your kids’ teachers to do the same, so they can incorporate more memorable “a-ha!” moments into their classrooms.
If you’re a teacher headed to ISTE, please join us!
Connected Learning Summit
Connected learning combines personal interests, supportive relationships, and opportunities. It is learning the way our kids experience it in this age of abundant access to information and social connection. The Connected Learning Summit is “a gathering of innovators who use technology for participatory, playful, and creative learning.” Leading researchers, educators, and developers will be sharing and seeking new ideas. Presenters from Connected Camps include Counselor Amy, plus Counselor Manager Alexis and Matthew, our Product Manager.
Connected Camps has been selected to demonstrate how our programs model connected learning. One example is our free Kid Club Minecraft server. If your kids aren’t already participating in the server, they should! In this safe space, we provide expert near-peer moderation and thoughtfully designed spaces such as Zen Gardens, “The Resort,” and a Pronoun Patio. Kid Club gives kids the opportunity to connect with and learn alongside one another in a safe, positive online community—a rising need as the world grows accustomed to post-pandemic learning environments.
We’ll also share how we’ve built social and engaging learning spaces within the worlds of Minecraft and Roblox through our camps, clubs, and courses. We’ll guide attendees through our development process, and share our facilitation techniques. The session will be led by members of the Connected Camps team alongside two youth educators with direct experience brainstorming, building, and supporting kids’ play, socialization, and learning.
We’re looking forward to the opportunity to share our experience and help educators and connected learning experts build their own understanding and programs. Our hope is that your kids will participate in our programs and benefit from the commitment and expertise of our team!