Notes

Microsoft Extends Access to Minecraft: Education Edition and Resources to Support Remote Learning

As concerns about COVID-19 cause school closures around the world many educators are using remote learning to keep their students engaged. To aid teachers and students in staying connected to their classrooms, Minecraft: Education Edition is now available through June 2020 for all learners and educators with a valid Office 365 Education account. Please fill out this form to confirm your account and request access to Minecraft.



We have also compiled an exclusive Minecraft remote learning toolkit, which includes more than 50 lessons, STEM curriculum , and projects-based learning activities that educators can utilize Minecraft: Education Edition with their students whether they are at home, at school, or in a remote learning environment.



Features such as classroom multiplayer allow students to work together on projects within their Minecraft worlds, building learning, planning, and even chatting while they collaborate. (Download this how-to guide for using Multiplayer Mode.) When they are ready to record their project and submit it Students can utilize tools like the Camera and Book & Quill to take photographs and write about their work and save their game portfolios in PDF.



"Distance learning requires students to be actively engaged in new ways with their content," explains educator and Minecraft certified trainer Becky Keene. They need activities and learning environments that encourage them to learn, since they work remotely. Minecraft is a great tool for almost every subject and students can demonstrate their learning without missing a beat!"



When students collaborate remotely in Minecraft: Education Edition, it opens up new opportunities to develop skills in problem-solving and communication. Mark Henkels, a Minecraft educator in New York, says, "It's the social interaction that really is the main reason why the game is so popular and enjoyable. It's what makes Minecraft such a wonderful educational experience."






Here's how to setup Minecraft Education Edition for your device or your school:


Check here to determine if your school account is eligible. If you have a valid O365 EDU account, fill out this form to request access to Minecraft Education Edition through June 2020. Download Minecraft Education Edition for Windows, Mac or iPad.



If you don't have a valid O365 EDU account, you can still download and try a free demo lesson on Windows, Mac or iPad. Learn about other Minecraft distance learning resources here.






Explore free lessons, online training and distance learning projects for Minecraft Education Edition:


Explore STEM Language Arts, history lessons with the remote learning toolkit. This includes building historical monuments, modeling animal and plant cells and using coding to create a garden. - Join the 2020 Minecraft Education Challenge with your students using a customizable toolkit to tackle real-world sustainability and inclusion problems. Start with a no-cost introductory online course for educators on the Microsoft Education Community (MEC) and check out this Starter Guide to learn the fundamentals of teaching with Minecraft Education Edition. These build challenges are fun and fast-paced ways to get students involved in STEM and storytelling. - Learn how to use different tools for game setup assessment, classroom management, and more by watching this YouTube video playlist.






Educational content is available for Minecraft Bedrock:


We recently introduced a new category of educational worlds for Minecraft players across the Minecraft Marketplace to support families during school closings. The new Education Collection features worlds that you can play with your children and your family, including creations by the creators Everbloom, Jigarbov, Lifeboat, Razzleberries, The World Foundry, Blockworks and Imagiverse! The worlds are available to download for free until June 30, 2020. Anyone with Minecraft for Bedrock can access these worlds by opening Minecraft and then visiting the in-game store.



While there's no quick fix for major disruptions like sudden school closures, we hope these tools will help teachers and students to stay connected and engaged in learning. Minecraft multiplayer Please feel free to share your tips on remote teaching and learning with the Minecraft Education Edition community on Twitter or Facebook.


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