Amid tightening budgets and the pressures of Common Core standards, teachers are always looking for ways to better connect with and educate students—but the next big tool in their ever-evolving bag of tricks might surprise you. It’s Minecraft.
Yes, that Minecraft: the game that lets you slay explosive creatures with makeshift weapons and concoct towering structures with tiny blocks. Mojang and Microsoft’s smash sandbox—a chunky 3D building and survival simulation with few objectives or limitations—has already sold more than 106 million copies across computers, smartphones, consoles, and tablets.
How can a game like that help schools? It’s not meant as a playground or distraction, but used smartly and sparingly, it spices up rote lessons and engages students by utilizing a space they already know and love. Some teachers are already onboard, and a previous indie initiative has given way to Microsoft’s own expanded Minecraft: Education Edition, which arrives on November 1 with classroom-friendly tweaks to keep children focused on the tasks at hand.
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