Minecraft: Education Edition

6 December, 2022

Teachers around the globe are using Minecraft: Education Edition to keep their students engaged and connected as schools prepare for Back to School. The Minecraft: Education Edition app for Chromebooks is now available as part of our mission to support students, teachers, and families during this unique transition.

Since Minecraft: Education Edition was first made available to schools in 2016, educators all over the world have been asking when Chromebooks would be added to the platform. We are happy to welcome Chromebook educators into the Minecraft world and to our global teaching community in partnership the Google Education team!

Minecraft: Education Edition has new features that are available for all devices, including Chromebooks and Windows Macs. This will allow for remote and hybrid learning to support Back to School. We have eleven new STEM lessons, including a special Minecraft world that was created with the American Beekeeping Federation's Kids and Bees Program. This Minecraft world will introduce students to honeybees and their pollination. These include new mobs such as bees and beehives, foxes, honey blocks, and beehives, and an updated lesson library with tagged learning activities that makes it easier to search for lessons.

How to get Minecraft Education Edition for Chromebooks

Users of Chromebook, iPad, Windows, and Windows will automatically be upgraded to the latest Minecraft: Education Edition. Mac users will need to install it manually. For all information about Minecraft: Education Edition on Chromebook, visit the Help Center. The Chromebook version Minecraft: Education Edition has the same features as the other versions. Students can collaborate with each other on Chromebooks or iPads. This Chromebook deployment guide will help you deploy Minecraft: Education Edition on a group of Chrome devices.

You already have Minecraft: Education Edition access if your school is licensed through Microsoft 365 for Education (A3 and A5) Minecraft: Education Edition can be licensed through yearly subscriptions. These subscriptions can be purchased through the Microsoft Store for Education through volume licensing agreements or through partner resellers. Logging in requires a Microsoft account. However, we are working to make it possible for users to log in using a Google account.

Teachers who are trying Minecraft: Education Edition on Chromebook for the first time can get started with online trainings, starter lessons, and onboarding resources.

Minecraft Remote and Hybrid Learning

Minecraft: Education Edition is an online game-based learning platform that helps students develop key 21st century skills such as coding and creative problem solving. There are hundreds of standards-aligned lessons, design problems, and STEM curricula available online and in-game. Teachers can also use the flexible templates to create their own learning activities. Minecraft encourages collaboration and student-led learning in a time where staying connected to the classroom can be of great importance. To download special lesson tools and other resources for hybrid and remote learning with Minecraft: Education Edition, visit our distance learning page.

Teachers work hard to create inclusive classrooms. This is difficult when students have to adjust to learning at home away from the familiar and social school environment. Minecraft: Education Edition allows educators and students to interact in-game and collaborate on projects.

“We've created new relationships with students during this remote learning time,” says James Protheroe, a Welsh educator and Minecraft Mentor. “They are helping each other in new ways, which is strengthening the relationships between students and teachers. They can use Minecraft to make sense of the world around them. They can communicate their thoughts and reasoning, relieve stress, and learn in an environment that is safe.

Over 115 countries have thousands of teachers using Minecraft: Education Edition to help inspire students to learn STEM, tell stories and solve problems. There are many online trainings for professionals and peer support. Certified Minecraft Mentors and Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts can help with classroom management and teaching Minecraft. Minecraft: Education Edition offers a unique learning experience. It features in-game coding, multiplayer and Immersive Reader. Students can interact with the game in a familiar environment that provides them with engaging learning content and opportunities for creativity.

Minecraft: Education Edition is committed supporting educators and students using the platforms as they transition to new models in teaching and learning. Chromebook users have access to Minecraft Education Edition in many more schools and homes around the globe. This allows educators, students, parents, and families to enjoy the game-based learning and magic that Minecraft offers when it is most important.