I Am Back.... For Real This Time!

Hey there! I know I have said this multiple times over the last few years, but I am serious this time, I promise! I don't know how many of you follow my YouTube channel, I did release an update video a few weeks ago saying that I was actually finally returning to this space in a more active capacity than I have been for the last few years. Make no mistake, I have still been a part of the community, I am still a Global Minecraft Mentor and keep my fingers on the pulse and my thinking processes active in thinking of new maps or lessons I could create, but I acknowledge that have been quiet in the public space, mostly due to time constraints with 3 young children and new jobs and associated travel where Minecraft did not quite fit fully.

However, the great thing is, in my 'personal life' I have been beginning to find the time, limited of course, and energy, to work on converting some of my old MinecraftEdu maps like the Animal Cell to work in M:EE. Not only that but I have also been working on developing some new ideas, some in collaboration with multiple other Global Minecraft Mentors which is super fun and very exciting. I would like to thank to my youngest child for finally starting to sleep through the night multiple nights in a row. It is due to this somewhat regular unbroken sleep that the time and energy have started to return to my life. I am very pleased to say that I have been able to stream my thinking processes and decision making via Twitch when making maps/lessons in Minecraft Education Edition (thanks new computer and faster internet).

I encourage you to drop by and collaborate on map creation with me if you have time by interacting with me via the twitch chat while I am creating lessons. I know that the more ideas and perspectives we have incorporated into a map, the more students the map will be suitable for, and the greater the end result will be for the community. So far I have found this experience very enjoyable, https://www.twitch.tv/eduelfie is the place to find me live if you are interested, but I am also uploading these to YouTube afterwards, because, why not, so you can watch them there afterwards if you want, you just miss out on the interaction with me and the others involved. A word of warning, I am learning the process and software involved in streaming, next step is to figure out how to get the Twitch chat as an overlay on the YouTube videos so that my one sided conversation makes sense. I am also streaming my 3D modelling process there as well, so if you start watching and it doesn't look quite like Minecraft, feel free to watch, or disappear if you want and try again another time :D

All that being said, I can see you sitting there if you are a long time reader saying "Yeah sure Elfie, you have said this like 5 times over the last 2 years alone." and you are right, so what is different this time? I am super excited to be able to be more active in this space in a professional capacity over and above my personal passion. A change in role has meant that Minecraft is a part of my job again, rather than an add on and entirely passion driven volunteer activity. I cannot announce the full details just yet, but I will once it has all been finalised and made official. However I can tell you that a large part of this role will be coaching teachers in the use of M:EE in their classrooms and developing projects/lessons/maps to support them in this. Which of course means that these projects/lessons/map development is likely to be shared here, as will the reflections.

So, while I know I have said this several times in the past, and once already in this post, expect more regular and meaty updates from me around Minecraft in education, the projects, successes, failures and everything in between. The 'good old' days of me brain dumping here on a regular basis will be returning soon. So stay tuned!

Thanks as always for reading, feel free to leave a comment below. I look forward to posting more in the coming weeks and months as my new role picks up speed.