My Take
Minecraft is a unique "game." Yes, it takes time to do anything with it because it asks the users to build. To use their imagination to create their own world. This adds a sense of pride that students don't always get with other options. If you are going to use Minecraft in the classroom it is best to have clear expectations of what the finished project should be because the possibilities are endless and students can get lost in their creation.
How I Use It
There are a number of ways Minecraft can be used in the classroom, but one interesting way I used it in my English class was for stop motion videos. Because everyone in the group can be on a world at the same time, Minecraft was a great option for stop motion. The group designed their world, worked on the script, and even practiced their script to understand where the "camera man" would have to be during the story. The stop motion video was a true group project.