Minecraft Education Edition will be heading to schools this Summer

Minecraft has already been used as an educational tool in classrooms for quite some time now. In the 2012 movie, Minecraft: The Story of Mojang, we even got to see it in action, when a teacher showcased his lesson in a short segment during the movie. And what do you know, the kids loved it.

Teachers have been using a modified version of the game titled MinecraftEdu, which is more suited for educational purposes, as the name implies. Microsoft has acquired MinecraftEdu and with the help of Mojang will be developing Minecraft Education Edition using MinecraftEdu as a blueprint.

This version of Minecraft will allow teachers to come up with lesson plans, a better multiplayer suited for up to 40 players per classroom, and more. You can check out some of the distinguishing features below, as they were highlighted on the game's FAQ page.

• Enhanced maps with coordinates for students and teachers to find their way around the Minecraft world together.

• Student Portfolio feature, where students can take photos and selfies to show their work and learning.

• Enhanced multiplayer, where a classroom of up to 40 students can work together toward a greater world in Minecraft.

• Login and personalization, where students have personalized avatars and feel more engaged in the game and teachers can know who each player is.

• World import and export, where teachers and students can create and save their worlds in the game.

Teachers will be able to get their hands on Minecraft Education Edition this Summer with a free trial. If anything, I'm excited for my two daughters and hope that the school they end up in offer this as part of their curriculum.