Mentor Blogs

Blogging is a side of the internet that I'm frankly not very familiar with, as fun and engaging as it seems to be. Although it took me a little while, I eventually figured out what to look for and I'm happy to present my three mentor blogs: the Minecraft: Education Edition Blog, CSIROscope, and A Splintered Mind.

Minecraft: Education Edition Blog


I. Love. Minecraft. I've played the game for years now, and with its strong resurgence in the last couple of years it's only gotten bigger and better. I've spent a lot of time playing the game and being a part of the Minecraft community during quarantine, and time and time again I'm amazed at how incredible this game is. I truly believe that Minecraft is one of the best video games of all time for many reasons, one being it has such a wide variety of things to do that almost anyone can find something to enjoy in the game if they look for it. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable of the game compared to the average player, but I still learn about new details and tricks in the game all the time. I've seen people make some pretty incredible things in the game, but maybe one of the coolest applications of the game that I've come across recently is its use in education, of all things. But as unusual as that sounds, it's real. Minecraft: Education Edition is a version of the game that is specifically tailored to the classroom. Minecraft gives teachers and students a platform to create virtually anything they can imagine. It keeps young students engaged while learning and lets them have fun while doing it. The Minecraft: Education Edition Blog is an official blog run by Mojang, the company that owns Minecraft, that keeps teachers who use it up-to-date with class ideas, news, and unique applications of the game. The page itself is very clean and well designed, keeping with Mojang's reputation and high standards. Reading this blog makes me excited at how far Minecraft has come, how much potential it has to make a difference in the lives of real people, and how it is paving the way for other games to be used in education. If you're a fan of the game or even if you're just interested in checking it out, I highly recommend reading a few posts. You can find the blog by clicking here.

CSIROscope


In an age where the amount information we have access to is skyrocketing at exponential rates, it can be hard to keep up with what's happening in the world of scientific progress and discovery. CSIROscope is a science blog run by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia's national science research agency. It has tons of articles on all kinds of scientific topics, such as the environment, technology, space, health, energy, etc., and new articles are frequently posted, so if you're looking for some new discovery you heard about in the news, there's probably a post here for it. The posts themselves are simple enough to be understood by the layman but are still high-quality and accurate. Go learn something new today! Click here to be taken to CSIROscope's web page.

A Splintered Mind


My final mentor blog is A Splintered Mind, a blog that discusses topics related to ADHD and depression. The blog's author, D. R. Cootey, writes about his experiences with the mental disorders and how he has worked to overcome them, and how others can do the same. Since I have ADHD too, it's very interesting to hear the stories and perspective of someone else who has it, since oftentimes I feel like I don't even understand my own mind very well. The blog is very well-written and the mental health advice he gives is both easy to understand and apply, and it seems to work well since his blog has won several awards praising his work and his effort to help destigmatize mental health and mental disorders. I highly encourage anyone wanting to learn more about mental health, ADHD, depression, and other related topics to check it out here.


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