With the world slowly reopening after the recent pandemic, students are preparing to go back to school. To help them, Microsoft is releasing Minecraft: Education Edition for Chromebook users.
What Is Minecraft: Education Edition?
Microsoft broke the news on its official Minecraft Education Blog.
In the update, the company explains that this move is an effort to help teachers and students adapt to the new world of education. The update also adds new features for Windows, Mac, and iPad versions of the game, alongside crossplay with all of the different platforms.
Minecraft: Education Edition is a special version of the famous multiplayer game which has fascinated kids and adults alike for over a decade. The Education Edition is only available to schools with a Microsoft 365 for Education license, and focuses on educating and testing students.
Currently, the Education Edition features lessons to help students with a wide range of topics, from STEM to history. In fact, the blog post announces 11 more lessons designed by the American Beekeeping Federation’s Kids and Bees program to help students learn about pollination.
Welsh educator and Minecraft Mentor James Protheroe explains how the game helps in this unique time:
“We’ve built new relationships with students in this remote learning time. They’re helping one another in new ways, and it’s strengthening the relationships between teachers and students. Minecraft is helping them make sense of what’s happening. They can share their thoughts and reasoning, offload stress, and learn in a safe environment.”
If you use a Chromebook, iPad, or PC to play Minecraft, you should receive this update automatically; however, Mac users will have to update their game manually from the website.
Minecraft… The New Face for Learning?
In the current global climate, remote learning has never been more valuable. Countries around the world are slowly reopening to a life that somewhat resembles normality. Governments are aware, however, that another spike in the number of cases of infections will cause further national lockdowns.
If such an event occurs, tools such as Minecraft: Education Edition can help students carry on learning while in quarantine. Not only is Minecraft a fantastic remote learning tool, but it’s hard to find a child who hasn’t heard of the game. Even if there are further waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, kids can still learn in a safe and fun way.
Using Minecraft for Education in a New Era
Minecraft: Education Edition is an excellent way for children to learn within the world of their favorite game. As a result, Microsoft is helping the efforts to reopen schools by bringing the educational version of its game to Chrome OS.
Be sure to check out how Minecraft Hour of Code teaches kids the basics of programming to see the power of education in games.
Read the full article: You Can Now Play Minecraft: Education Edition on Chromebooks