p>Many educators are opting for remote learning to keep their students interested in the face of COVID-19-related school closures across around the world. To aid teachers and students in staying connected to the classroom, Minecraft: Education Edition is now available through June 2020 for all learners and educators who have a valid Office 365 Education account. Fill out this form to confirm your account and request access to Minecraft.
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p>We have also created a special Minecraft remote learning toolkit which includes more than 50 lessons, STEM curriculum , and projects-based learning activities that educators can use Minecraft: Education Edition with their students whether they are at home, at school, or in a different remote learning environment.
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p>Features like classroom multiplayer allow students to work together on projects within their Minecraft worlds, while building, planning, learning and even chatting as they work together. Multiplayer Mode is accessible by downloading this guide. Students can utilize tools such as the Camera and Book & Quinl to capture screenshots and write about their projects and export their game portfolios as PDFs once they are prepared to submit their work.
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p>"Distance learning requires students to be involved in new ways with their content," explains educator and Minecraft certified trainer Becky Keene. "As they work from home they require activities and environments that inspire students to learn. Minecraft can be used to support almost any subject, and students can show me their learning without a pause!"
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p>When students work remotely in Minecraft: Education Edition, it offers new opportunities to build communication and problem-solving skills together. Mark Henkels, a Minecraft educator in New York, says, "It's the social interaction that really is the main reason the reason why Minecraft is so popular and great. This social interaction is the reason why Minecraft is such a an educational and enjoyable environment."
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p>Here's how you can set up Minecraft Education Edition on your device or at school:
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p>First, check this link to determine if your school account qualifies. - 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. https://prestalive.com/ </p>
p>You can download and test a free lesson on Windows, Mac, or iPad even if you don't have an O365 EDU account. Learn about other Minecraft distance learning resources here.
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p>Find free lessons online, online training and distance learning projects for Minecraft: Education Edition:
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p>Explore STEM languages, language arts and lessons in history using the remote learning toolkit. This includes creating historical monuments as well as modeling animal and plant cells and using coding to build the garden. Participate in the 2020 Minecraft Education Challenge with your students by using a custom toolkit to solve real-world sustainability and integration issues. - Take a free introduction online course for educators on the Microsoft Education Community (MEC) and also read this Starter Guide to learn the fundamentals of teaching with Minecraft Education Edition. Check out these building challenges to have fun, fast-paced and creative activities to engage your students in STEM and storytelling. This YouTube playlist teaches you how to utilize different features to set up games, evaluate and manage your classroom.
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p>Educational content available for Minecraft Bedrock:
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p>We recently announced a brand new category of educational worlds for Minecraft players everywhere in the Minecraft Marketplace to support families during school closures. The new Education Collection includes worlds that you can play with your loved ones and your family with work from Everbloom, Jigarbov and Lifeboat, Razzleberries and The World Foundry, Blockworks, and Imagiverse. All of these worlds are free to download through June 30, 2020. Anyone using Minecraft for Bedrock can discover these worlds by opening Minecraft and then navigating to the in-game store.
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p>While there's no quick solution for major disruptions, such as sudden school closures, we hope these tools will help educators and students navigate 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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