Video: https://youtu.be/InbVSEA8V0U What do Minecraft and Blockly have in common? Minecraft is a popular, open world video game where players can build structures using digital blocks. Blockly is a open source visual programming language where students can build programs using blocks. LearnToMod combined these together to teach students how to modify Minecraft using either the Blockly visual editor or JavaScript. This session will be the retrospective of an enthusiastic father teaching his hesitant daughter (who loves Minecraft) about programming. We started with Hour of Code and pair-programmed through LearnToMod’s video lessons. What did we create? How did we like it? What would we recommend to others? Come learn about our experience and ask questions.

1. Learning to Mod Minecraft:
A Father/Daughter Retrospective
Kevin Hakanson
Audra Hakanson

3. Kevin
Father
Sr. Software Architect
20+ years experience
B.A. Comp Sci; Math
M.S. Software Engineering
Daughter
Jr. High Student
First Time Coder
Honors Curriculum
Audra

4. What’s a Retrospective?
Software Development process with goals:
● Learn from experience
● Build on what works
● Gain perspective
● Decide what to do differently
(credit: Esther Derby)

6. • Minecraft Hits One Million Concurrent
Players on PC (Jan 2015)
• With 10,000 ticket sales, 2015 Minecon
earned a Guinness World Record for largest
convention for a single video game (July
2015)
is very popular

7. Denmark in Minecraft
● Geodata for Minecraft
● 4 trillion individual bricks
● Fed topographic map data into an algorithm
that created it in Minecraft automatically
http://eng.gst.dk/maps-topography/denmark-in-minecraft/

9. Mod (or Modification)
The alteration of content from a video game in
order to make it operate in a manner different
from its original version
(Wikipedia)

11. How do I get started?

12. LearnToMod
LearnToMod teaches you how to code by
teaching you how to mod Minecraft.
http://www.learntomod.com/

13. LearnToMod Software
Online and interactive. Mod Minecraft in your
browser. Tutorials and puzzles help you unlock
badges and learn to code.
● Modding Studio
● Private Server
● Lessons

14. LearnToMod with JavaScript
Learn to Mod Minecraft
with one of the most
popular programming
languages.

15. LearnToMod with Blocks
Learn to Mod Minecraft
without typing. Learn
coding concepts without
annoying syntax errors.
Blocks are every bit as
powerful as JavaScript,
and they're easier to use.

16. Blockly
Google's Blockly is a web-based, visual
programming editor. Users can drag blocks
together to build programs.

17. Hour of Code (code.org)
Learn the basic concepts of Computer Science
with drag and drop programming.
Learn repeat-loops, conditionals, parameters,
and basic algorithms.

18. Pair Programming
Technique in which two
programmers work as a pair
together on one workstation. One,
the driver, writes code while the
other, the observer, pointer or
navigator, reviews each line of
code as it is typed in.
(Wikipedia)

19. Hour of Code Example

20. Hour of Code Example

22. ● If you “Sign In” to Hour of
Code, progress transfers into
Intro Course.
● Additional stages featuring
The Artist and The Farmer

23. Intro Course Example

25. Audra’s Comments
● Learned about different kinds of blocks
● Bug fixing problems were easiest
● Learned how to “read” the blocks and
understand what they would do
● Fun to draw pictures and being able to
create something

26. Minecraft Training
Kevin needed to learn how
to play Minecraft

27. LAN

28. Server

30. Write your own Minecraft
plugins and watch your
code come to life with
flaming cows, flying
creepers, teleportation, and
interactivity.
No previous programming
experience necessary

31. Minecraft Server Mod
● Plugin API
● Integrated database and API
● Easy configuration
● Rock solid modding framework
● ...

32. The book is for anyone who
wants to learn how to
modify Minecraft--no
previous programming
experience required!
Aimed at kids who already
play Minecraft.

33. ScriptCraft
Minecraft Mod that lets you extend Minecraft
using the JavaScript programming language.
ScriptCraft makes modding Minecraft easier. It
includes a logo-like "Drone" object that can be
used to build complex buildings, roads, villages,
even entire cities.

34. ScriptCraft
Mod API
Mod

35. Different
Java JavaScript

36. Also Different
Java Jabba

37. Audra’s First Mod
Visit mod.learntomod.com

38. Kevin’s First Mod
• Download and Install
Java Development Kit
• Download and Install
Java IDE
• Download CanaryMod
• Setup Minecraft Server

39. Compare First Mods

40. Step by Step Video

41. Scramble

42. Scramble

43. Scramble

44. Missing

45. Coding Badges

46. Order Matters !?!
93% 100%

49. /fill
Already built into Minecraft

51. Blocks
Material.AIR
Blockly
JavaScript
/fill
ID
minecraft:air
0

52. Air is a Block? Mind Blown!

53. Frozone Mod
Whenever the player
moves, a trail of snow
is left behind.

59. FireSheep Mod
Problem:
Too Many Sheep
Solution:

62. Squid Launcher
Oh Yeah!

65. https://bugs.mojang.com/browse/MC-39263

66. /summon
/summon Squid ~ ~ ~ {Motion:[2.0,1.5,0.0]}

70. Be Careful!
+ Lightning =

71. LearnToMod Help
Documentation Overview:
http://mod.learntomod.com/book/docs-overview
Forum: http://forum.learntomod.com/
• Features or Bugs
• Coding Discussions
• Lesson Help
• …

72. LearnToMod Private Server
Runs older versions of software
• Not a problem for Blockly mods
• May be confusing for JavaScript mods if looking
at ScriptCraft documentation/examples.

73. Setup Your Own Server
References:
• Setting up a local Minecraft server with
Scriptcraft
• Letting friends play on your Minecraft server
• Sharing your local Minecraft server on the
Internet
http://yiddish.ninja/mc/

74. Retrospective Review
● Learn from experience
● Build on what works
● Gain perspective
● Decide what to do differently

75. Learn From Experience
Blockly is easier than JavaScript
Code.org activities helped
Forgot details after a long break from modding
Minecraft API harder to understand than coding
We could change the “rules” of Minecraft

76. Build On What Works
Helpful to have a partner
LearnToMod
• sets up a server for you
• code in the web browser
• also lets you code in JavaScript

77. Gain Perspective
Some things just don’t work – and that’s OK
• “order matters” – bug in grading
• “squid launcher” – bug in Minecraft
You need to invest the time to learn
Won’t teach you how to make DragonMounts
Got distracted playing the game with mods

78. Decide What To Do Differently
Extra and unnecessary badges that got boring
and felt like wasted time
Look for existing in-game commands (e.g. /fill
or /summon)
Dedicate specific blocks of time

79. Thank You!
Questions?