Is This For Real?

Do you know who DanTDM is? For my #MinecraftEDU people out there, that’s likely a resounding YES! For other minecrafters, probably a YES as well. But if you don’t follow Minecraft, or especially follow it on Youtube, you might not know who DanTDM is. Here’s a taste of what he does…Don’t watch the whole thing. This is a #MakeItReal Moment, not a #MakeItReal Session.

So DanTDM is a youtube creator who puts out videos of him playing Minecraft and other online games and settings. For some reason, my kids love him. I’ve been in one of those “Why do you like this?” “We just DO, OK?” fights with them for about a year now. In fact, I just found out that my nephew and his dad, my brother-in-law were going to see DanTDM LIVE! How the heck does this guy get a live venue!!! And it’s a big one too! I thought “He’s just going to watch minecraft and talk about it and people will pay ticket prices to see this?” And then suddenly, without warning, I realized who DanTDM is. Not in reality, but who he is to my kids, and to a lot of kids. 

DanTDM = Bob Ross

My kids knew virtually nothing about Minecraft…and then DanTDM came a long, narrating his creations as they came to life. Now they create like never before.

Millions knew virtually nothing about painting happy little trees…and then Bob Ross came along, narrating his creations as they came to life. Now they paint, like never before.

DanTDM just became real to me. He’s one of the most effective teachers my kids have.

What have you been fighting that can easily become real to you…with a little perspective?

And as usual…

What are three ways you could use this moment in your classroom to add relevance to a lesson?