You know what I played on the computers in the computer lab when I was a kid? Number Munchers. Odell Lake. Oregon Trail. Kids today? They’ll be playing Minecraft.
Microsoft has announced the launch date and a few details for Minecraft: Education Edition. The game will be available on November 1, 2016. The game is already in Early Access form, and it’s seen over 35,000 students and teachers give it a shot.
Educators can try out the early access version of Minecraft: Education Edition before buying by heading to the site that will host all resources for your needs, education.minecraft.net. That includes lesson plans for specific age groups, too.
Teachers will have access to Classroom Mode, a companion app “that enables educators to manage world settings, communicate with students, give items and teleport students in the Minecraft world.”
What about cost? Well, with education software, you’re typically going to look at a price per user per year, and that’s what Microsoft has done with Minecraft: Education Edition. Don’t worry, it’s not too bad. “Minecraft: Education Edition will be available for purchase later this fall and will cost between $1 and $5 per user, per year depending on the size of your school and qualification for volume licensing,” Microsoft said.
Man, I wish I had a Minecraft class.
