Minecraft Education: Teacher Academy

Advanced
K-12 Educator
School Leader
Minecraft

Illustration of Minecraft Education course progression: Earn a badge for each module. Once you complete all three modules, you receive the Minecraft Certified Teacher badge.

Learning Minecraft Education

The three modules in Minecraft Education: Teacher Academy focus on using Minecraft Education as a teaching and learning tool to support strong pedagogical practices in the learning environment. The modules are presented at three levels intended for beginner, intermediate, and advanced users. After completing this learning path, you'll be a Minecraft Certified Teacher and receive the badge as well as an invitation to join the Minecraft Certified Teacher community.

Path participants learn:

  • Basic mechanics of downloading, setting up, and logging into Minecraft Education

  • In-game play by exploring movement within the game as well as learning the process for placing and breaking blocks

  • In-game features to use as tools for assessment and feedback

  • The process of creating build challenges utilizing game-based strategies

  • Key features of world management and classroom settings

  • Tips on classroom management and readiness

  • An understanding of basic in-game coding

  • Skills that allow for learner collaboration, creativity, and communication

  • How the game supports learner inquiry and curiosity

Supports participant learning styles

  • Experience a lesson simulation model whereby they experience exactly how a student might be taught their first Minecraft lesson
  • Use a Pause and Play approach with videos, where they can pause the video and practice in the game
  • Experience a mixture of activities—read articles, view video clips, guided steps, and tutorials
  • Capture thoughts, reflections, and design their own lesson with the official Minecraft Lesson Planner Menu document
  • Notes can be handwritten, digital, or on any other preferred platform
  • Share reflections on social media under module hashtags
  • Measure progress through reflections and knowledge checks

Course structure inside Minecraft Education: Teacher Academy

In order to gain the skills necessary to learn Minecraft Education, it's recommended that you sign into Minecraft Education on your own device and have one window open with Minecraft Education and another window with the Learn module. Use the videos, tutorial world, and written steps to guide you as you work in the Minecraft Education platform on your device.

  • Lesson simulation: Each module is designed as an actual Minecraft lesson that you might teach your students. As such, we use the Teach/Release/Reflect model of teaching in the module.
    • Teach: The videos and text demonstrate the concept—you can watch and absorb.

    • Release: This is time for you to practice the skills, using a Pause-and-Play video.

    • Reflect: We come back together to reflect on what you learned and apply it to your classroom using the Minecraft Lesson Planner Menu.

  • Knowledge check: Check your understanding at the end of each module.

Additional information, resources, or support

Estimated completion time: Three hours (includes in-game practice)

If you received the Minecraft Certified Teacher badge previously by completing the My Minecraft Journey learning path or a previous version of the Minecraft Teacher Academy, you don't need to complete this learning path. You still have the Minecraft Certified Teacher badge. You're welcome to complete this learning path if you'd like as there's new content, but you won't receive a different/new badge.

More information is available on the Minecraft Education website: https://education.minecraft.net/

Learning objectives

  • Explain how Minecraft Education is a manageable game-based platform that allows teachers to assess students understanding using lessons, activities, and build challenges.
  • Describe how to apply Minecraft Education in the classroom by participating in lesson simulations, exploring collaborative gameplay, and designing their own lesson plan.

Illustration outlining the steps in the Minecraft Professional Development Pathway.

After this learning path

We hope you earn your Minecraft Community Badge by creating an account and profile at our online Community Hub.

Once you complete Minecraft 101, the first module in this learning path, we encourage you to explore the Minecraft Computer Science Progression, including Begin block coding in Minecraft Education, Transition to Python in Minecraft Education, Begin Python coding in Minecraft with MakeCode and Azure Notebooks, and Build programs using Python coding in Minecraft with Azure Notebooks.

Once you complete Minecraft 201, the second module in this learning path, we encourage you to explore our Esports Leader Badge and learning path and our Minecraft Student Ambassador Badge and learning path.

Once you complete Minecraft 301, the third module in this learning path, we encourage you to explore Minecraft 401 to learn advanced Minecraft creation techniques, take our Minecraft Certified Trainer Academy, or apply to be a Minecraft Global Mentor (applications quarterly).

We also offer live virtual training cohorts for many of these Microsoft Learn cohorts—learn more and sign up here. Enjoy your professional development journey!

Prerequisites

None

Modules in this learning path

Minecraft Education supports game-based teaching and learning in a creative, collaborative, and problem-solving immersive environment. Model a house building lesson, assess the lesson, and apply it in the classroom with a lesson planner.

Build upon the skills learned in Minecraft 101 by continuing another build challenge introducing new in-game assessment tools and a multiplayer environment. Continue to look into the lesson planning process as a reflection.

Build on the skills in Minecraft 101 and 201 through a build challenge with a small-group multiplayer environment that introduces world builders and special blocks. Continue to look at lesson planning as reflection.