Minecraft: Education Edition Comes to Chromebooks

[zeusthemoose]

Summary

 Minecraft: Education Edition has been released on chromebooks. It is actually the Android app, but it now has support for Chrome OS. It is free for schools with Microsoft 365 for Education (A3 or A5). For now, students will need to sign in with the Microsoft 365 account, but they are working on adding the ability to sign in with a Google account.

 Microsoft is also updating the app. It will be automatically updated on everything except MacOS where you just need to download the newest version.

 Minecraft: Education Edition comes with hundreds of free virtual lessons in every core subject from history to science.

 

Quotes

Quote

Microsoft is making Minecraft: Education Edition available for Chromebooks as of today, August 10. Microsoft also is simultaneously updating the education edition of Minecraft for Windows, Mac and iPads for remote and hybrid learning support, officials said today.

Microsoft officials said Chromebook, iPad and Windows users will automatically be upgraded to the latest version of Minecraft: Education Edition. Mac users will need to install the updated version manually.

The Chromebook edition, according to Microsoft, offers the same set of features as the other versions, including multiplayer with other platforms. Educators also have the option of deploying Minecraft to a fleet of managed Chrome devices. Currently, Minecraft: Education Edition requires a Microsoft account to log in, but officials said they are working on enabling users to log in with a Google account, as well "in the near future."

Schools with Microsoft 365 for Education (A3 or A5) already have access to Minecraft: Education Edition. The Education Edition is licensed via yearly subscriptions which can be purchased through the Microsoft Store for Education via volume licensing agreements and/or through partners. 

(ZDNet)

 

My thoughts

 I think this is a great thing. Seeing as how a ton of schools are using chromebooks both in school and for virtual learning, adding this means that many schools can now use it. I think it would be a great way for teachers to engage younger students and teach them without them getting bored and distracted while learning at home.

 

Sources

 Minecraft Website

 ZDNet

 TechCrunch

 The Verge

[Helpful Tech Witch]

Alternate title "Minecraft Piracy Makes the Jump to Chromebook"

[zeusthemoose]

2 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

are there endermen in the education edition?

Never actually used it (and I cant find the answer online), but I doubt they have mobs like that.

[Kanna]

Minecraft educaton edition is just free minecraft since almost every school own office 365 and the game has normal survival with the normal stuff you se on bedrock

[StDragon]

Well, if education is done through Minecraft, at least you can build a calculator.

[TetraSky]

If they use this as virtual classrooms instead of boring zoom calls, I'm all for it.

[kelvinhall05]

22 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

If they use this as virtual classrooms instead of boring zoom calls, I'm all for it.

Too good of an idea for modern education/school systems, not gonna happen.

[soldier_ph]

Obligatory tagging of @Gegger and @sub68 since they both have Chromebooks.

[Trik'Stari]

Oh god no, even more reasons for schools to switch to chromebooks.

 

3 hours ago, kelvinhall05 said:

Too good of an idea for modern education/school systems, not gonna happen.

I see that, and raise you it happens but is horribly implemented and the trolls just start building swastika's everywhere for the lulz.

[TetraSky]

2 hours ago, VegetableStu said:

i mean technically speaking, controlling a minecraft player is much easier to send than a video stream, although the proof of the student being there is hard to ascertain...

We weren't required to have the camera on during classes in the last semester. Not everyone had cameras. The only time we had to, was for a debate/oral exam. Only person with a camera on at all time was the teacher during regular classes.
(And because I don't have a webcam, I had to use my phone, a janky setup where I had Teams opened on both my phone and my PC. It wasn't great)

 

Heck, most students in the various classes weren't even talking at all, even when prompted to. It was mainly the same 2 or 3 that spoke.

(To be fair, this is in College, it is likely very different for primary/grade schools who'd use minecraft)

[Guest]

Can this teach me which AR splice variants are expressed due to different Abiraterone-Glucocorticoid regimes on an intra-patient basis and the mechanism of action of prednisone inducing somatic mutations in circulating AR-Vs (including CTC and Extracellular vesicles (prostatosomes and exosomes)??

 

[Sahl]

This is great news.. Many years ago.. not that long after Minecraft had become popular, I actually used it for math classes to teach some of the teens... They had a hard time with math, but if it was a math problem they had to solve in Minecraft, then no issue at all.

It is nice to see applications being made much more easy to use in the educational sector.

[Zodiark1593]

8 hours ago, TetraSky said:

If they use this as virtual classrooms instead of boring zoom calls, I'm all for it.

Kind of off topic, but why isn’t VR conferencing and classrooms a thing yet?

[zeusthemoose]

10 minutes ago, Zodiark1593 said:

Kind of off topic, but why isn’t VR conferencing and classrooms a thing yet?

Cost. It would cost schools and companies way too much to get and setup the equipment for it to be worth it.

That said, holographic-like conferencing is becoming a thing. This company, Buffalo Pacific, is making these desk setups where you can have meetings with people who also have it in 3d. Its meant for connecting places like nursing homes to a doctor's office and some offices to each other and not for regular consumers, but it is really cool nevertheless. 

[Jet_ski]

Can chrome books actually run Minecraft?! I see a lot of chrome book reviews where the system can barely function with 2 programs open.