My farm is coming along just as I planned. I planted wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, and carrots. I’m finally able to play Minecraft without having to look down at the control to find the appropriate buttons. I can also finally look through my inventory and select the supplies that I need without having to read the directions on how to do it. I still struggle with the thumbsticks. It seems that they are either too sensitive, or my hand eye coordination is not as great as I thought it was. This week I also used the Upload Studio feature, which lets players record game play and then add voice over. The video shows me placing a wooden fence around my crops to prevent animals from going in and destroying them. I recorded myself playing and then added voice over.
The pictures below show all the materials that I have collected thus far. I will continue to work on rounding up animals and creating them a pen.
This week I went from a level 2 to a level 21! I achieved this by gathering resources. This week I also decided that I’d make a farm instead of a treehouse. I made this decision because it is easier for me to collect seeds than to gather wood to make a treehouse. I began by looking for the perfect farming area. After finding the perfect place for growing crops, I placed a dirt barrier around my farming area. I then cleared the area of weeds and proceeded to create 3 trenches in which to place water. Next, I tilled the soil surrounding each water trench. I also placed torches around my entire farming area so that monsters will stay away and so that I can continue to work even after it becomes night. My goal for this week is to round up some animals and make them a pen.
This video shows me placing my dirt barrier around my farming area, as well as clearing the area of weeds.
This is what my crop area looks like after the clearing of weeds, tilling of land, placement of water trenches and torches.
I added windows and flowers to my shelter.
I finally returned to my Minecraft world after a few weeks off. I made a shelter in my last gaming session and when I logged on today, I was shocked to find that I had been killed and had to respawn and that all my inventory had been scattered about. After respawning, I gathered my inventory and decided to make a door out of wood. I also tested the Upload Studio feature on the XBox One which allows users to upload and edit gameplay footage. I captured the video, then recorded a voiceover. The video I recorded shows me looking for a tree from which to build a treehouse. Here is the video I made:
I spent the rest of my gaming session gathering resources. Some of the resources I gathered are charcoal, stone, wood, and iron. I used the stone to make better tools. I made an ax, shovel, hoe, and pickaxe. The stone pickaxe is necessary because it can be used to mine anything.
The screenshots are of me collecting seeds, coal, and iron ore.
My second time playing Minecraft was a lot better than my first for two reasons: a) I finally have shelter and b) I played in multiplayer mode.
In this video I am collecting wood so that I can make a sword and other tools to mine and collect materials, while my husband collects food and defends us from monsters. I am getting better at remembering what the different buttons on the Xbox controller do, but I still need to improve my hand-eye coordination, as the video clearly shows (I'm the top half of the screen).
Learning to make tools is absolutely necessary in this game! In this video I am doing just that. I really wanted a sword to protect myself, considering how many times I died in the first gaming session. I made my first sword out of wood. I chopped down trees, collected the wood, turned it into planks, turned planks into sticks, and combined the two to make a sword. I also needed wood to make light. I turned the wood into charcoal, then combined it with sticks to make torches. I then strategically placed those torches around the perimeter of my temporary home in order to keep monsters away.
I definitely learn best when playing in multiplayer mode. For my next gaming session I would like to play multiplayer mode and include online friends. I will also start building my treehouse. -Is it normal to start out the 20% project feeling as if you’ve already failed? Because that’s how I felt after my first real Minecraft experience. Everything started out fine and I was really excited to start playing. I aptly named my world The 20% World, and even found a “girl skin” for my character by the name of Athlete Alex. I was ready to begin. I knew that my first mission should be to create shelter so that I could survive through my first night in The 20% World. But first, I had to kill some sheep so that I could have some wool for my bed. This was easier said than done. Night quickly approached and I still had not created a shelter. This is where the fun began (not)! Going into the game I knew that I had to watch out for “creepers.” I quickly found out that various other creatures come out at night. For example: spiders, slimes, skeletons, and zombies, all of which ended my life, some more than once. I “respawned” at least 15 times, hence my level of frustration. After playing for about 40 minutes, anxiety level through the roof, I was finally able to survive through the night without being attacked or killed off. I could finally create something! I began mining my temporary underground shelter when a “creeper” showed up (it was daylight) and exploded right next to me, killing me and ruining my shelter. I “respawned” only to find out that all the items I had collected had disappeared! I promptly saved the game and turned off the Xbox; I needed a break. I may need to rethink my objective, since I don’t see myself building a tree house in 5 weeks. My Nemesis: The Xbox One control is my biggest nemesis. There are so many buttons that it takes me forever to figure out which one does what. Navigation is also my biggest struggle. I press one button expecting to look up, but I end up looking down instead. My hand-eye coordination is also something that I need to improve. Goals for next week: 1. Become more familiar with the Xbox One controller. 2. Rebuild my shelter. 3. Steer clear of creepers and spiders. After much thought and deliberation, I am happy to say that I’ve made a choice. I’ll be diving into the world of Minecraft! I’m going with this choice for the following reasons: I can play in my own living room, I’ve always been interested in Minecraft, I’ve got a lot of students who are gamers, and I get to wear one of those little headsets that I always make fun of my husband for wearing. I will learn to play on an Xbox One so that I can play online with other people I know. To begin, I will buy myself a Minecraft tips magazine, and visit online forums that will help me get started (there are tons of them). My objectives are to find shelter as quickly as possible, gather resources, build myself a treehouse, kill creepers, and not die myself. Will I survive? Check my weekly blog updates to find out...
I’m really looking forward to spending 20% of my time over the course of the semester on learning something new outside of the classroom. I am especially excited about documenting my learning process and seeing the end result. There are three options that I’m trying to choose from: sewing, Minecraft, or making homemade sushi. Option 1: One of the first ideas that came to mind was learning how to sew. Specifically, learning how to sew a baby blanket since I’m about to be an auntie for the very first time. I’ve always admired the creativity and patience that sewing requires. If I go this route I would not only be learning a useful skill, but I would also be making a special keepsake for my niece or nephew to treasure for a long time. 1. What kind of sewing machine will I need? 2. How big does a baby blanket need to be? 3. What are some gender neutral colors? 4. What is the best kind of fabric? 5. Where do I buy the materials that I need? 6. Where do I get a sewing machine? 7. Will buying sewing magazines be helpful? 8. Will I continue to sew after I have completed this project? 9. What other things will I be able to make? 10. What problems might I run into? Option 2: The second idea that I have is learning how to play Minecraft. This game draws my attention because people across all ages play it, including my husband, and creating seems to be the object of the game, from what I’ve seen. Playing this game would require creativity and I’d even get to spend quality gaming time with my husband. 1. What is so great about playing Minecraft on the Xbox? 2. What is so great about playing Minecraft on a PC? 3. How do I keep myself from dying in the game? 4. How often do I need to save the game so as not to lose my progress? 5. What are creepers? 6. Will subscribing to a Minecraft magazine help me learn to play? 7. How do I collaborate with other Minecraft players? 8. How do I find iron, coal, diamonds, and stone in the game? 9. Is this game addicting? 10. How can I beat my husband at this game? Option 3: My third idea is to learn how to make homemade sushi. Sushi is one of my favorite foods and I've always had great respect for sushi chefs and their edible masterpieces. I don't expect that in 5 weeks I'll be able to create one of those fancy rolls that look too pretty to eat, but I'll be happy if I can at least master a California roll. 1. What kind of knives do I need? 2. Where will I buy the necessary ingredients? 3. Where can I buy fresh fish/shrimp without spending a lot of money? 4. What other basic ingredients do I need? 5. Do I need a bamboo roller? 6. How do I make perfect sticky rice? 7. What is the best kind of seaweed to use? 8. Where will I buy the perfect avocados? 9. Will buying a book on sushi-making be helpful for my learning? 10. Will I be brave enough to try my first sushi creation? |
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