What better way to mine curiosity and build fascination in
something old than to stitch it together with something new
That's exactly what Cadw has done with the support of Microsoft's
Minecraft Education.
The Cadw Minecraft World will be the first ever Welsh-language
version of Minecraft Education, launched at Castell Conwy / Conwy
Castle yesterday [Thursday 5 December].
Wales is one of the highest users of Minecraft Education in the
world and this will be the first time children will be able to
access this fun learning resource in their own language, which
aims to encourage the use of Welsh by learners and fluent
speakers alike.
The bilingual Minecraft version of Castell Conwy will be the
first to feature, but a new location will be added every month
until a total of 20 other sites Cadw is responsible for are
included in this first stage. Each new site will be supported by
a virtual launch and training sessions for teachers and all
resources will be hosted on the education resource website Hwb
with a link from the Cadw website.
Yesterday's launch event saw children who had previously helped
to test the world, from Ysgol Pennant, and the local ‘Young
Custodian' school, Ysgol Minafon, have a real-life tour of the
site as well as the opportunity to experience this via Minecraft,
so they could compare and experience both.
Minister for Culture and Skills, , said:
“This is a huge and innovative programme, and I am delighted to
help launch this fantastic new Welsh language version of
Minecraft.
“Not only does it celebrate the heritage of Wales, but through
accompanying resources and activities, it will inspire children
to explore their own history and culture, hopefully to research
and build their own versions of these historical sites.”
Justin Edwards, Director Learning Experience Minecraft said:
“Minecraft Education is delighted by the continued innovative use
of Minecraft within the classrooms of Wales. This project, which
is particularly important to the topic of cultural heritage and
science, shows that game-based learning can provide immersive and
engaging curriculum experiences that are relevant to the National
Curriculum of Wales.”
Manon Jones, a teacher Ysgol Pennant, said:
"This is an incredible resource for both Welsh-speaking learners
and those learning the language. Minecraft is a fantastic tool
for engaging learners. Now, with the Welsh Language Resource
Pack, it's an even more powerful way to connect young people with
their heritage and language. It's an exciting and fun way to
learn!"
