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

As the COVID-19 issues cause schools to close across the globe, many educators are opting for remote learning to keep students engaged. To aid teachers and students in staying connected to their classrooms, Minecraft: Education Edition is now available until June 2020 for all learners and educators with a valid Office 365 Education account. Please fill out this form to verify your account and request access to Minecraft.



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



Features such as classroom multiplayer allow students to work together on projects within their Minecraft worlds, while building, planning, learning and even chatting while they collaborate. Multiplayer Mode can be accessed by downloading this guide. When they are ready to write about their work and submit their projects Students can use tools such as the Camera and Book & Quill to take photographs, write about their work and then export their portfolios from the game as PDF.



"Distance learning requires students to be engaged in engaging with content in a variety of ways," explains educator and Minecraft certified trainer Becky Keene. They need activities and learning environments that encourage them to learn as they work remotely. Minecraft can be used to support almost any subject and students can demonstrate their learning without a pause!"



When students collaborate online in Minecraft: Education Edition, it offers new opportunities for them to develop the ability to communicate and solve problems together. Mark Henkels, a Minecraft educator in New York, says, "It's the social interaction that is an important reason for the reason why Minecraft is so popular and great. It's the reason why Minecraft is such a an educational and enjoyable environment."



Here's how to set up Minecraft Education Edition on your device or at school:



First, go to this link to determine if your school's account qualifies. If you have a valid O365 EDU account, fill the form below to request access to Minecraft: Education Edition until June 2020. Download Minecraft Education Edition for Windows, Mac or iPad.



If you do not have an active O365 EDU account, you are able to download and test a free demo lesson on Windows, Mac or iPad. Learn more about other Minecraft distance learning resources here.



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



Explore STEM languages, language arts and history lessons with the remote learning toolkit. This includes creating historical monuments, modeling plant and animal cells and using coding to design the garden. Participate in the 2020 Minecraft Education Challenge with your students by using a custom toolkit that can help solve real-world sustainability and inclusion issues. Start with a no-cost introductory online course for educators on the Microsoft Education Community (MEC) and also read this Starter Guide to learn the basics of teaching using Minecraft Education Edition. These build challenges are fun and fast-paced ways to get students involved in STEM and storytelling. Mcnames.Org Learn how to utilize various features to set up games as well as classroom management with this YouTube video playlist.



Educational content available for Minecraft Bedrock:



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



Although there's no easy fix for major disruptions like sudden school closures We hope these tools will help educators and students in staying connected and active in their learning. Please feel free to share advice on remote teaching and learning with the Minecraft Education Edition community on Twitter or Facebook.


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