Minecraft: Education Edition -- Introduction (1)

Source: https://mojang.com/2016/01/announcing-minecraft-education-edition/

This article is the first in a series of blog posts all about introducing Minecraft: Education Edition in your classroom. We'll walk you through downloading and installation, basic commands, getting your students online, creating virtual worlds, and more.

Minecraft is an immensely popular MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role playing game) that started back in 2009. The gameplay invites users to explore, build, collaborate, and flourish in a virtual, expansive world. Keeping in mind this is a preview, sit back and watch:

As you probably already know, Minecraft is hugely popular with kids (if you're ever in a room with kindergarteners and they ask you what your favorite game is, just say "Minecraft" and you've won). So, it makes sense that in 2016, in the digital age of 21st century skills and the 4 C's, Minecraft: Education Edition was born. This version allows teacher to host students in a closed, virtual world connected through a shared wireless network. Teachers can create their own virtual worlds or download and modify worlds created by others to teach math, geography, biology, the 4 C's and more.

If you are interested in getting started, first consider what each teacher/student will need:

a computer loaded with the current version of Minecraft: Education Edition (laptops only)
a mouse (preferred)
an internet connection
a Microsoft username and password (obtained through the Technology department, x8880)

Up Next: Downloading & Installing (2)

Links to our other series blog posts:

Downloading and Installing (2)

Creating Worlds (3)

The Basics + Tutorial Walkthrough - Stages 1 & 2 (4)

An Open World: Tutorial Walkthrough - Stage 3 (5)

Features Unique to Education - Stage 4 (6)

Launching and Hosting a Multiplayer game + Exporting Saved Worlds (7)

Who is emailing me? The Blue Man Group??? (Add an image to your Google account.)

WHY It is always nice to put a face with a name. Sometimes we need a tiny little reminder of what someone looks like because we don't see them very often. Follow these steps to add/change the image associated with your Google account. HOW Open your email. Click your image. It might just be a blue circle if you have not added something already. Click Change . Find an image you like. Your amazing new image will appear. From now on everyone can put a name to a face!

Embed an audio clip into a Google Form!

Are you looking to embed an audio clip into a Google Form? Below you will find a list of things you will need ready and a video to walk you through the process. Needed: A single PowerPoint slide. Movie Maker. (Already on your computer.) A Google Form. Watch this video for the steps to follow.

Setting Your Gmail Away Message

You will be away from your classroom for a bit and probably won't be checking email on a regular basis. Wouldn't it be nice to have Gmail respond for you alerting whoever is emailing that you out enjoying your summer? Setting up your vacation responder is pretty simple, a few clicks and a save. Start by clicking the gear icon in the upper right corner of Gmail. Scroll way down the page. Look for the vacation responder section. 1. Click to turn the responder on. 2. Add your first and last days away. We would recommend adding something short and to the point for the subject line. 3. Whatever you add here will be the body of the email you are automatically sending out. It would be a good idea to tell them when you are planning on returning and who to call if they need immediate assistance. We also recommend not checking the two buttons at the bottom. 4. Save changes . That is it. Now your inbox will automatically alert people that you are not in your...

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