p>As the COVID-19 issues cause closures of schools across the world Many educators are opting for remote learning to keep their students engaged. To aid teachers and students in staying connected to their classrooms, Minecraft: Education Edition is available now until June 2020 for all learners and educators who have an active Office 365 Education account. Fill out this form to verify your account and request access to Minecraft.
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p>We also have compiled an exclusive Minecraft remote learning toolkit which includes more than 50 lessons, STEM curriculum , and project-based learning activities so educators can utilize Minecraft: Education Edition with their students, whether they are in school, at home or in a different remote learning environment.
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p>Features such as classroom multiplayer allow students to collaborate on projects within their Minecraft worlds, building, planning, learning and even chatting as they work together. (Download this guide on how to play using Multiplayer Mode.) Students can utilize tools such as the Camera and Book & Quil to capture screenshots and write about their projects, and export their in-game portfolios to PDF once they are ready to submit their projects.
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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 must have environments and activities that encourage learners to study. Minecraft supports almost any subject, and students can demonstrate their learning without missing a beat!"
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p>When students collaborate online in Minecraft: Education Edition, it offers new opportunities for them to develop communication and problem-solving skills. 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 well-liked and loved. And that social interaction is the reason why Minecraft is such a an excellent educational experience."
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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 an active O365 EDU account, fill the form below to request access to Minecraft: Education Edition through June 2020. Download Minecraft: Education Edition for Windows, Mac or iPad.
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p>If you don't have a valid O365 EDU account, you can download and test a free demo lesson on Windows, Mac or iPad. Find out more about 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 Language Arts, history lessons with the remote learning toolkit. This includes building historical monuments, modeling plant and animal cells and using coding to build an outdoor garden. Join the 2020 Minecraft Education Challenge with your students by using a programmable toolkit that can help tackle real-world sustainability and inclusion issues. Learn more about a free, basic 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. These build challenges are fun, fast-paced, and creative ways to engage students in STEM and storytelling. This YouTube playlist teaches you how to utilize different features to create 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 new category of educational worlds for Minecraft players across the Minecraft Marketplace to support families during school closings. The new Education Collection includes worlds you can play with your family and friends and includes work from Everbloom, Jigarbov and Lifeboat, Razzleberries and The World Foundry, Blockworks, and Imagiverse. The worlds are free to download through June 30, 2020. http://b3.zcubes.com/v.aspx?mid=9384922 Anyone with Minecraft for Bedrock can discover these worlds by opening Minecraft and then navigating to the in-game store.
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p>Although there's no easy solution for major disruptions, such as sudden school closures, we hope these tools will help teachers and students to stay connected and active in their learning. Please feel free to share your thoughts on remote teaching and learning with the Minecraft Education Edition community on Twitter or Facebook.
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