To think that a head teacher in a state primary should have heard of Minecraft?

[strokerecovery]

Not expecting them to be across all the stuff kids play on their computers but Minecraft has had such a lot of press about its educational value and potentinal application as a teaching tool, surely it should at least be on her radar. She had never heard of it (and by Head Teacher, I mean Head Master/Mistress)

She probably knows perfectly well what it is and is not engaging with attempts to introduce faddy crap into an already packed timetable.

That could be it :o :o

I wonder if the HT has heard of Angry Birds

Zippy
I LOL then nodded in agreement

I love it people who don't have a clue about education think they know everything

What do you mean by that CreepingDogFart? Who thinks they know everything but doesn't have a clue about education - the Headteacher or some of the parents who have commented on this thread?

ApocalypseSlough the context was a conversation with a parent who mentioned in a meeting that their child was mad about Minecraft like the majority of kids his age - the HT asked what Minecraft was and the parent had to explain that it was a computer game that was hugely popular. The HT gave a laugh and an eyeroll as if to say 'Well I can't keep up with everything children are in to these days'.

I agree with you OP

Totally agree with you OP. Its a very important part of the popular culture of primary aged kids. I'm shocked that they would have zero knowledge of it.

It would suggest to me they're not very tuned in/not really engaging.

I'm talking about a Headteacher having a professional interest in what is a ubiquitous, potentially useful tool for education and one that many educationalists are looking to exploit.

Do you have any idea how many fads and new theories come out all the time in education? For every study about the benefits of ipad use in the classroom, there are as many suggesting that there is too much technology. You can't read every single new idea out there and implement it, or you would have a very confused and unstable school environment.

I know about Minecraft. I can't get my students to shut up about it. But I have no interest in using it inside my classroom aside from my student with ASD for whom is does actually benefit as he uses it for lunchtime clubs. These days the trend is Minecraft. Previously it was Loom Bands and Pokemon cards. There's always a new trend coming through and I'm not going to spend my valuable classroom time on a fad. It may be a fantastic program, but they are welcome to play it as much as possible at home.

Having a Minecraft mad 9 year old who will talk about it to anyone, I'm surprised anyone within a 500 mile radius of his foghorn voice with no volume control hasn't heard of fucking Minecraft.

This made me laugh far too much - either you are in fact me or you've met my DS!

I'm surprised that a Headteacher hasn't heard of it, as it would mean that they haven't overheard any child mention it over the last few years. That would be rather odd given it is all most primary kids I know seem to talk about ever.

MidniteScribbler I understand what you're saying but this thread wasn't asking whether I expected her to know about it in depth to 'implement' or 'waste valuable classroom time' on it. I just expected the HT to have at the very least heard of it.

Pop - that TA sounds like they have no idea how to talk to a 4 year old.

I thought it was MinDcraft for quite a while. 11 year olds seem to live in it for as long as possible!

"" I was riled up immediately by a grandparent hand-delivering a complaint message addressed to the 'Headmistress' - what is wrong with Head Teacher? "

I don't know what age and sex your grandparent was, HelsBels300, but I do know the sex of my grandson's Head Teacher, and I have had many conversations with him. For that reason I would think it slightly insulting not to call him Head Master rather than Head Teacher if I was writing to him.

That doesn't make me ignorant of gender issues, on the contrary as a woman born in the 1950s, I'm of the generation that fought the hardest for the gender equality that you, rightly, defend. Try spending your first 5 working years being told that, of course, women can't earn as much as men, or have mortgages or car loans. One of the few ways women then could have a career was in education and my own Head Mistress was inspirational to me, maybe that's why I would consider the term complimentary rather than insulting.

Not having a go, just trying to point out that probably the last thing the GP meant to do was insult anyone.

YANBU

They dont need to know how to play it lol, but I would hope they are aware of the gmae and the risks that various social media and gaming hold.

I would rather be hoping that the parents were aware of the risks of social media and gaming, and ensuring that their special snowflakes weren't on inappropriate games/sites etc, and that any internet use at home was very strictly monitored if you have primary age children.

I hadn't heard of Minecraft until a few months back when my nephews showed me some bits of foam that are somehow related to it. I still don't know what it is.

But it's OK because I am neither a Head Teacher or a parent so I think that's allowed.

For that reason I would think it slightly insulting not to call him Head Master rather than Head Teacher if I was writing to him

I disagree - Head Teacher is fine. No need to give them a gender specific title.

Our kids primary schools both have minecraft clubs.

I'm surprised the teachers don't have their ears chewed off about it daily!

roomba I appreciate your appreciation Has your DS found Dan the Diamond Minecart YouTube videos yet? He's a 24 year old billionaire with blue hair and a pug and DS thinks he's God.

My concern wouldn't be that she hadn't heard of it from an educational stand point my concern would be that it indicated that the HT wasn't very directly engaged with her pupils.

If she's been teaching for a lengthy period of time, she'll have seen every kiddy fad from hula hoops, trafing cards, pogs, tetris, loom bands, space invaders come and go. Why should she concern herself with the latest gimic?