PROJECTS
MINECRAFTEDU CASE STUDY
PaRK International School wants its students to become collaborative and agile learners who impact and interact with our global society. To give students a more engaging and immersive education, the school introduced Minecraft: Education Edition in subjects across the curriculum. Teachers are exploring innovative new ways of teaching that harness students’ natural energy for gaming. Students find that their work is more fun, and they eagerly discover new ways of thinking that get them excited about learning.
OLISIPO
5th year students used Minecraft: Education Edition to recreate the ancient city of Olisipo, Lisbon in the Roman times, in a one to one scale. The project was inspired by the Portuguese documentary "Fundeadouro Romano em Olisipo", and it was completely integrated into the subject's curriculum standards.
MY COUNTRY, YOUR COUNTRY
In "My country, your country”, students had to recreate their country geographically through Minecraft, thus offering students an interactive and fun way to study the geography, culture, architecture, monuments and regions of Portugal.
"ASSIM, MAS SEM SER ASSIM"
A MINECRAFT STORY
The challenge for this project was to read and interpret the work of Portuguese writer Afonso Cruz by recreating the book's short stories inside Minecraft. Students had to design sets and outfits, as well as act and film their individual parts, in order to bring these unique characters to life.
SERVICES
TEAM
KYRIAKOS KOURSARIS
Director of Technology and Innovation
Computer Science Teacher
Minecraft Global Mentor
Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert
EU Code Week Leading Teacher
JOANA SIMAS
Director of Pedagogy and Curriculum
History & Geography Teacher
Minecraft Global Mentor
Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert
EU Code Week Leading Teacher
Joana Simas and Kyriakos Koursaris constitute EducaCraft's team of professionalized educators, whose services include consultancy and training in the area of education, emerging technologies and socio-constructivist and collaborative educational models.
Both instructors are recognized and certified by Microsoft, as Microsoft Innovative Educators Experts and Minecraft Global Mentors. More recently, they were recognized as EU Code Week Leading Teachers.
The team, with their specialized training in the field, believes that its commitment to project work, the integration of new technologies, 21st-century skills and multidisciplinary approach to the curriculum, act as agents of adaptability and resilience. Thus, they help and guide the integration of content learning across various disciplinary areas through Minecraft: Education Edition.
The team has already carried out training sessions, workshops and several presentations for national and international entities: Microsoft Portugal, Microsoft Brussels Innovation Center, EDUDay18, BETT, ECIS, E2, ATEC, the European Parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, the Lisbon Superior College of Education, MineVention, Global Teacher Prize Portugal, Serralves Foundation and CascaisEDU among others.
What motivates and moves the EducaCraft team is the desire to revolutionize education, utilizing a game like Minecraft as a blank canvas, as students become true artists, creators of quality content and trustworthy knowledge.
"We're not teaching students to be gamers; we're teaching gamers to be students."
Kyriakos Koursaris
“The new role of the teacher is to put the content in context and guide the students in their learning, leaving them predisposed to try and learn from their mistakes.”