What I was up to in November

Well, I got so busy trying to build, draft, write, collaborate, google-hangout, and read, that I completely forgot to fill you in for an entire month.

Early November:

I experimented in survival mode, built a house with windows, mined until I died several times, planted some food, and killed a lot of things.

Creative mode-turned on:  I watched a TON of YouTube videos on making Note boxes.  It's pretty cool; you can change them to make different sounds (drums, piano, etc.).  You power them with red stone, so it's pretty difficult to make this stuff if I didn't have it readily accessible.

Mine Craft project: I created a short music lesson on theory and ear training.  Students had the ability to quiz each other and create intervals.  The lesson could be expanded and developed for an entire semester of aural skills.  My son's teenage babysitter saw me working on it and gave me some great tips.  She was super excited about it and asked if she could take the class.  It gave me confidence that this could be used for younger students, as well.

Mid-Nov:

Our team was set; Ed, Nancy, and I decided to collaborate on a STEAM lesson.  I was so happy to include the Arts, and was worried that I wouldn't find an area I could contribute to successfully.

We had so many wonderful ideas, and these could all be turned into a semester's worth of lessons.  We had several meetings to hash out the ideas and get creating.  One thing that seemed to help was to start building once we had an idea of the direction we were heading (thanks to classmate feedback), and we were able to walk through the space and then talk about ideas.  Then, build, talk, collaborate, build, talk, write, etc.  It was an excellent process!

Late-Nov:

Building is in full force.  The excitement level of our team continued to grow as we saw our ideas come to life in a virtual space.  It's so fascinating that we can get feedback, as well, while we are moving through the space.

Death by Spider

Back in world, it was time to replenish my supplies. I left the safety of my cabin and took my rickity boat down the canal behind my homestead. My navigational skills proved lacking as I lost my boat to a hole of my own device. Swimming to the nearest shoreline, I quickly gathered mushrooms, collected some wood, and found a spot for mining coal. I had none, and it was getting dark. Unfortunately, I didn’t gather it quickly enough. The she-demon, all spindly, eight-legged, and venomous, preyed upon me while my back was turned. I fought valiantly, but my tools and skills were no match for my foe. I died; there was no one to weep for me. Reincarnated, I traveled home, collected my belongings and better prepared for future adventures.