Community-Build-MSM-signWhen we first launched the Multi-School Minecraft server in 2011, we had no idea if it would work. Three schools and over 30 students sharing a single server sounded great, but was it feasible?

Turns out, the answer is yes!

For our third school year, we’re welcoming new students from even more schools and pushing all our learning further into the unknown. I couldn’t be more excited.

Community Building Zones: Multi-School Collaboration

Our third year of the Multi-School server brings more schools and more students than ever before. Each school has their own large area of land to for teachers and students to create, explore and learn. You can take a video tour of the Multi-School server to see how it all works.

This year, we added our new Community Build Zone, where every player is welcome to collaborate and build, adding onto the existing creations of other students.

In the Community Build Zone students can create whatever they like, with one rule: Don’t break other builds.

You can add to existing builds, maybe give that flying castle a fire breathing dragon or add a new wing to that mansion in progress. Just don’t break existing blocks to make way for your creation.

Will it work? I haven’t got a clue. But I’m excited to see where it will take the learning for both teachers and students.

They have a saying about learning at the EDGE Lab, (the good folks supporting this project):

Authentic learning has unknowable outcomes, unknowable even to the teacher.

It’s with that spirit of discovery that we launched the Community Build Zone and our first challenge to the students.

Our First Community Build Challenge

We’re all about self-directed learning on the Multi-School server, but a pre-defined project can be good to focus the mind and creative energies. With that in mind, we’ve presented our builders with our Community Build Challenge:

PvP-stadium-build-signs[Click the image to make bigger and read the signs]

Their challenge is to work together to create a seating area for the spectators at our PvP Arena. The arena is right near the spawn area and open to all schools to join in the battle. As you can see from the image below, it needs some stands.

pvp-arena-wide-shot

Participation in the challenge is completely voluntary. Students can take part or they can do their own thing. It’s their choice.

Will stands get built? What will they look like? Will there be co-operation or endless griefing?

I have no idea.

But I do know we’ll all be learning along the way. And isn’t that what education and schools are all about?

Looking for a free server for your students?

Want to join us? If you’re an educator looking for a cost-free, out-of-the-box, maintenance-free, edu-focused multi-player server for your students, there’s a spot for you on the Multi-School Minecraft server. Visit our server page to see how you can join us!