This Thursday was held has celebrated the final of the First School League of Minecraft, the popular Microsoft video game, in the Community of Madrid. In the tournament, started in February, more than 2,500 children from 30 schools in the region have participated.
Ten teams of children have competed Thursday in the final of the First Intermunicipal School League of Minecraft with the mission of recreating the Madrid Digitaliza Headquarters and using only the digital blocks of this characteristic game as an instrument. Under the motto ‘Craftea your legend’, students have gathered in the last phase of the competition previously documented with materials such as plans, building history or interviews related to the Madrid Innovation Center.
Not everyone has had to recreate the building. Some centers have competed from their locations and have converted a monument of their area into the new headquarters of the institution. The initiative was launched in February for students in second and third cycle of primary education of sustained centers with public and also private funds.
Madrid students will use ‘Minecraft’ as “educational and cultural tool” ”
The objective was to value the cultural heritage of its towns and cities through the game. It was to rebuild in the video game a monument of the town where its school is located and create a world around that element. In the pre -final phase, students have investigated, designed and recreated in the video game these historical spaces applying digital skills with the aim of strengthening their link with local history.
Specifically, this first edition participated a total 2,550 children of 30 schools from nine municipalities in the region (Alcalá de Henares, Aranjuez, Boadilla del Monte, Colmenar Viejo, Getafe, Madrid, Móstoles, Rivas-Vaciamadrid and San Sebastián de los Reyes). In total, 102 teams have formed with a maximum of 25 members guided by a teacher.
“With the final we have already won”
The atmosphere among the little ones was that of a professional competition, without releasing the keyboards at any time, but with the feeling of fun that involves working in a video game.
Some like Luis, of the CEIP Ciudad de Guadalajara from MadridThey believe that “with reaching the final, it has already won.” Together with his teammates, the 10 -year -old has explained that they chose El Capricho Park to recreate it in Minecraft for being “something important” in his neighborhood, although he has stated bluntly that they did not expect to reach the final despite having “improved with each test.”
Others such as Mateo, from the CEIP Fuenteanta de Colmenar Viejo, have confessed, without stop building so as not to waste time, that in their class they were “very excited” since they knew they were going to participate in the League. “We decided to give everything and every time we were better and better until we reached the final,” he said.
People from everywhere have come to this meeting, even one of them outside the Spanish borders. Samantha, language assistant in a Aranjuez Collegecomes from Pennsylvania (USA) and has been involved in the entire competition process. The teacher explained that they have worked with children to “improve their creativity” and “help them overcome adversities.”
The truth is that, from the organization, it is tried to promote that children forget to compete and focus on experience. “We all won improving and learning,” he repeated to the children one of the event animators.
Affection and empathy through the game
The Minister of Digitization, Miguel López-Valverde, He has appreciated how an initiative like this “can contribute a lot to teachers”, who has been directed as those responsible for initiatives of this style to move forward. After receiving several excited children who have even asked for autographs, López-Valverde has stressed that children have developed aspects such as “vocation, affection, empathy, special vision.”
The counselor has commented that his area will work with the Ministry of Education, Science and University “to see all the good that has come out” and enhance it for a future edition next year.
After the deliberation of the jury, the winner has been the Portugal College of Aravacawhich has recreated its Plaza de España. In their project, they have placed to a beach in the offices of their hypothetical headquarters of Digitaliza Madrid.
