Is this a joke...?

[Zyzzyx]

The first issue is that the website isn't encrypted. All of that lovely personal information is going to an http:// site. Also, when you select a payment method there is no billing info. Shouldn't it change to accept billing info? Even if it did, again, the page isn't using any certificates. Only a dumbass would use that site to order anything if that's correct.

[Wozarib]

Amusing, surreal even

[Boggle]

Well kids need to learn to play minecraft at some point in there life, considering it is perhaps the most important life skill

[yeast]

Don't you see? It's just an alternative method to improve the Minecraft communtity. They weed out all the kids who display tendencies towards griefing and then "eliminate" them. Quick and clean. It provides a better environment for the members of the next Minecraft generation who manage to survive.

On a more serious note, I don't have a problem with this. It's not like these children are going to play Minecraft all day and it teaches them how to work towards a common goal, like building a city. I don't know about anyone else on these forums but I had a good half-hour of free time every day when I was in primary school. Replace that time with Minecraft time and the kids stay happy whilst actually learning something. Though, all-in-all it depends on how/how much the teachers decide to use this method of teaching.

[Baz]

Eh, I can think of worse programs to use in the classroom. Not sure what age-level MinecraftEdu is targeted at, but if they use Minecraft in a middle school classroom, all I think the teacher will see is that the kids sure know how to slaughter chickens and pigs.

[MestHoop]

Because obviously all they do is dump those kids into the game and make them do whatever.... >_>

[yumee]

minecraft is awesome, but imho they should learn more about politics, learn how the world functions they live in and also get more general knowledge instead of growing up with that much of technological stuff.
I've seen 8 year olds with iphones... isn't that more than enough? -.-

[Fojos]

This is stupid, the education is already bad enough.

[Kivimetsan]

I learnt alot playing minecraft, especially redstone and circuits... why shouldnt kids learn it? Its enjoyable!

[Vaelkyri]

This is why

[Pythagoreant]

I don't even have a clue why I'm clicking on a Minecraft-link.

Because you're in the Minecraft forums?

[Deleted]

it promotes creativity, and any griefers caught would end up in detention, so its a win-win

personally i would of loved this in school

[Deleted]

They use wow in some schools in america for economics etc.

[Garehn Vi-Brittania]

They should really stop trying to pass video games as something that is helpful to education.

[Deleted]

But honestly what can you learn from mine craft?

Dude, you can learn A LOT using a game like Minecraft. The whole game is essentially an interactive template.

[Orange Joe]

They should really stop trying to pass video games as something that is helpful to education.

you do understand how this could be used to help teach? really?
i could see it be used for alot of thing from simple math to geometry

1 small mod and you can have a class about economics and how to keep it stable
some basic engineering with redstone wire

and thats just a couple things from the top of my head but the best thing about these is it teaches in a way that is fun and something that you would WANT to remember

[Youarefired]

There is nothing wrong with this. I totally wish I had the game as a tool so I could of learned circuits easier. If it's real, these kids are very lucky. It's a very unique game and it can definitely be used as a teaching tool.

[Daeaye]

part of me is glad to see minecraft making it into classrooms... But most of me is trying desperately to find a reason for teachers to be using this as an education tool.

My religious education teachers made us watch the Matrix and the Simpsons because they said it was relevant.
While I can see that, on some very distant level, they have a point on both, I do think that sometimes teachers will do anything to make learning "fun", even if that means you end up learning nothing.

Learning isn't supposed to be fun. It's learning. Things you -have- to do are never fun: work, school, chores, sleep (sleep is great but it's not exactly "fun"), exercise etc.

[Landin55]

Logical thinking, problem solving, basics of circuitry, knowledge of design, creative thinking, increasing interactions between student and teacher, giving the student something they might actually want to do. And its damn fun. I dont really see the problem here?

Killing zombies for no reason. Hacking the game because everyone is too lazy to actually mine. Etc, it is good as it is bad.

[Kouki]

I can kind of see that, but we already have classes that specialize in these sorts of things.

The best one to stand out as being more efficient is creative thinking, but even that's a push because teaching it via in-life applications will still be more effective at allowing people to actually apply their studies. Maybe for video game design? But designers need to try out a plethora of games just like movie critics before they can really design or access the work itself, so most designers would of messed around with minecraft before regardless.

Traditional art, mathematics, and architectural design will be more applicable to the real world than minecraft can be.

Traditional art is a waste of time imo i took art and the teacher wanted to be a starving artist like the ppl we read about, and hated her job, those who cant right? That kind of art is not whats needed or used in making games or graphic design.