Minecraft Education
Guidance on how to download and use Minecraft Education.
How to get Minecraft Education
You can download Minecraft Education from the Minecraft Education website. It is available for Windows, MacOS, and iPad devices. You need to download it on the devices you plan to use with your learners.
We recommend using Windows Desktop or MacOS, as this will allow you to use the Classroom Mode app.
Minecraft worlds and resources
Minecraft Education Enriching the Curriculum for Wales resources are available.
Minecraft Education team resources are available.
Classroom mode
To manage settings for your learners from a central user interface in Minecraft Education you need to download Classroom Mode. You can find a full guide to installing and using Classroom Mode in the Minecraft Education Community Hub.
Cadw Cymru: bridging Welsh heritage and digital learning
About Cadw Cymru
Cadw Cymru is a pioneering educational product that merges Minecraft with Welsh heritage sites. It offers practitioners in Wales an exciting tool to engage learners with their national history in an interactive and immersive way.
Developed with historians, practitioners and digital designers, the program recreates iconic Welsh heritage sites within Minecraft Education. These virtual spaces allow learners to explore and learn about historical landmarks, such as castles, abbeys, and ancient ruins.
The name ‘Cadw’ is Welsh for ‘to keep’ or ‘to protect’, reflecting the project’s mission to preserve and promote Welsh heritage. By using Minecraft, Cadw Cymru provides a familiar and exciting platform to foster a deep sense of cynefin and educational engagement.
The Cadw Cymru Minecraft World is available in Welsh for the first time. It includes an innovative resource pack that transforms the entire Minecraft Education experience into a fully immersive Welsh-language adventure.
This ensures that Welsh-speaking learners can navigate and explore the game entirely in Welsh.
How it works
Practitioners can download a Cadw Cymru Minecraft World map and a Cadw Cymru Minecraft World practitioner guide from the ‘Resources’ area on Hwb.
Learners can enter the Cadw Cymru world where Taliesin will invite them on a journey. They will then enter a Galeri, which is the gateway to Cadw sites around Wales.
The virtual Cadw sites allow learners to explore and interact at their own pace. Each site has its own virtual tour, providing an educational yet entertaining experience. Learners can travel in time to find these historic sites rebuilt in Minecraft, making history tangible and interactive.
Each site will have its own practitioner guide covering the virtual tours. There are also additional supporting guides for the range of ‘Quest’ learning activities.
Minecraft’s interactive nature encourages collaboration among learners. They can work together to solve historical puzzles, participate in role-playing scenarios or even create their own reconstructions of the sites.
Aligning with the Curriculum for Wales
Cadw Cymru complements the goals of the Curriculum for Wales by promoting the development of a range of skills and competencies.
By using Cadw Cymru, practitioners can foster cross-curricular skills, integrating literacy, numeracy and digital competence into history lessons. The program encourages inquiry-based learning. This approach aligns well with the curriculum’s focus on developing independent learners who are able to critically evaluate information and make informed decisions.
First release of Cadw Cymru
Cadw Cymru launches with the release of its first site, Castell Conwy.
The virtual tour aims to take you and your learners through the rich history, architectural brilliance and cultural significance of Castell Conwy.
There are 6 standalone quests associated with Castell Conwy. As the practitioner, you can determine which quest or quests you undertake with your learners. Each quest has its own supporting practitioner guide.
The future of Cadw Cymru
Cadw Cymru will continue to expand to include approximately 20 Cadw sites.
The series of sites will be introduced over the coming year, each centred around a different historical area in Wales. Each site will provide historical context and encourage critical thinking and creativity through various engaging quests.
Cadw Cymru Minecraft Welsh language resource pack
Overview
The Cadw Cymru Minecraft Welsh language resource pack is a downloadable resource pack for Minecraft Education designed to transform how learners in Wales interact with Minecraft Education.
It transforms the entire Minecraft Education experience into a fully immersive Welsh-language adventure for the first time. This ensures that Welsh-speaking learners can navigate and explore the game entirely Welsh.
The resource pack is a powerful tool for preserving and promoting Welsh culture within the classroom. Designed for practitioners, it offers a unique opportunity to teach in the Welsh language, fostering a deep connection with our rich cultural heritage.
It offers practitioners in Wales an exciting opportunity to enrich their teaching with an interactive, culturally relevant tool. By integrating the Welsh language into the engaging world of Minecraft Education, practitioners can:
- enhance language skills
- foster cultural appreciation
- motivate learners through innovative learning experiences
The resource pack not only makes learning more engaging but also helps preserve and promote the Welsh language and culture.
How it works
From the ‘Resources’ area on Hwb, practitioners can download the:
- Cadw Cymru Minecraft Welsh language resource pack
- Welsh skin pack resource pack
- Cadw Cymru Welsh language resource pack practitioner guide
The 2 resource packs must be installed and activated within Minecraft Education. Detailed steps on how to download and install the packs are included in the practitioner guide. It also includes tips and best practice for effective use in the classroom.