M/Town pupils scoop top award with magical Minecraft video
THE ingeniously modern twist that an enterprising group of young Mitchelstown students put on the most poignant love story of 1916 Rising has scooped them a prestigious national award.
Pupils from the CBS Primary School combined their love for video games and Irish history to produce their award-winning video using the popular online game Minecraft that has been viewed on YouTube thousands of times.
The project won top prize in the junior category of the inaugural MindRising initiative and a digital makeover for the school worth a cool €5,000.
For those of you who may not be familiar with the concept, Minecraft is an online game played across multiple platforms that allows players to create their own virtual worlds, helping them develop problem solving, planning and organisational skills.
For all intents and purposes it could best be described as a form of ‘online lego’
Endorsed by film maker and educator Lord David Putnam, MindRising 2016 was designed to champion the use of digital technology across schools and groups in celebrating the last 200-years on the island of Ireland.
Using a variety of elements including video, audio and Minecraft animation, teams were invited to create their own story along one of three paths: The Past (1916-2016), The Future (2016-2116) or The Journey (1916-2016).
The 4th, 5th and 6th year pupils from CBS Mitchelstown chose to focus on the 1916 Rising and in particular the poignant story of Grace Gifford and Joseph Plunkett, one of the seven Proclamation signatories.
Their video, entitled ‘1916: A Minecraft Music Medley’ features the song ‘Grace’, sung by pupils Larry Connors and Colin McNamara, and a Minecraft generated animation telling the story of Gifford and Plunkett who were married in Kilmainham jail just hours before the rebel leader was executed.
A poignant message at the start of the video explains who Grace was and how after the Rising she went on to become a leading Republican figure.
“We commemorate those who lost their lives fighting for Ireland’s freedom…. And for you, Grace, we made this cartoon,” it read.
Resource teacher Sinead Herlihy said the CBS had for many years used Minecraft to teach literacy and social and collaborative skills and to develop self-confidence and to encourage creative thinking among pupils.
“With Minecraft being so popular with the younger generation, the project created a huge buzz around the school and online. When we heard about MindRising we entered it,” said Sinead.
“We were astounded and incredibly proud of the boy’s efforts when ‘Grace’ was announced at the winner of the junior category,” she beamed.
‘1916: A Minecraft Musical Medley can be viewed at www.cbspmitchelstown.com.