Tech Notes

School activity plans for Kinect

Larry.Short — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 01:34:19 GMT

More than 200 ready-to-go activity plans are available to help you bring Kinect to the classroom, physical education and after school programs! Use the filter on the left side of the page to find activities based on subject, age, or Kinect game. For more ideas, visit the Kinect for Education Facebook page.

Group Project Toolkit + Office Web Apps

Larry.Short — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:56:00 GMT

Make group work a breeze with the Group Project Toolkit and Office Web Apps. Microsoft's Group Project Toolkit consists of a group paper outline in Word, a group presentation outline in PowerPoint, a tracker for assigning group tasks in Excel and a notebook for group research in OneNote. Users are encouraged to view the document in Office Web Apps, download it to their PC and make their edits. Upload it to SkyDrive and share with the rest of the group.

GROUP REPORT

Hate consolidating and reformatting your group’s work before turning it in? Start everyone off on the right foot by using Word Web App and save the hassle.

GROUP PRESENTATION

Ready to share your work? This PowerPoint doc has what you need to start—everyone can work on the final deck together from almost anywhere.

GROUP RESEARCH

A great project starts with great research. Get started with this notebook and share with the group on SkyDrive so everyone can contribute and see each other’s notes.

GROUP PROJECT MANAGEMENT

This Excel doc will help you track your project, assign tasks to group members and upload the document to SkyDrive so everyone always knows what to work on.

Lync Voice Briefing, December 7 in Bellevue, Washington

Larry.Short — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:52:00 GMT

Learn how Microsoft Lync can peacefully co-exist with current voice infrastructures or completely replace PBX systems at your own pace.

The Microsoft Voice specialist team will be stepping through a voice deployment example addressing questions such as:

How can the voice team administer voice separate from Lync or Exchange teams?
How do I integrate Lync into my existing voice infrastructure?
How do I manage a complex dial plan?
How do we integrate Cisco with direct SIP?
What about wireless and mobile users?
What are my options for high redundancy and network requirements?
What about CDR and reporting?

Wednesday, December 7, 2011, 9am – 2pm

At Microsoft's Bellevue office located at 205 108^th Ave NE, Suite 400, Bellevue, WA 98004

This event is free to attend, but you must register to reserve your spot, and lunch will be provided.

Seating is limited, and the session will fill up quickly.

Register Here

Microsoft Accessibility - Technology for Everyone

Larry.Short — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:57:57 GMT

July 27, 11:00 a.m. (PT), 12:00 p.m. (MT)

Reserve your seat, virtual seating is limited

http://net.educause.edu/live1121

"Our vision is to create innovative technology that is accessible to everyone and that adapts to each person's needs. Accessible technology eliminates barriers for people with disabilities and it enables individuals to take full advantage of their capabilities."

—Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation

In this EDUCAUSE Live! free hour-long session, “Microsoft Accessibility: Technology for Everyone, Microsoft Chief Technology Officer, Cameron Evans and Rob Sinclair, Microsoft Chief Accessibility Officer, will lead a conversation on accessibility and what it means to education decision-makers at all levels.

Technology has the potential to change individual lives and entire communities when people have effective access to use it. As our global society becomes increasingly more diverse and dependent on technological innovations to access, connect, and participate in the digital economy, accessibility cannot be an afterthought or bolt-on solution to products or services. It has to be incarnate in the DNA and philosophy of design, engineering, user testing, and support of new, existing, and legacy products.

You can expect a lively conversation and an opportunity to share in the conversation with speakers: Cameron Evans, US Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Corporation; Rob Sinclair, Chief Accessibility Officer, Microsoft Corporation;; and host: Marc Hoit, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology, CIO, and Professor of Civil, Construction and Engineering, North Carolina State University.

Reserve your seat, virtual seating is limited

http://net.educause.edu/live1121

Microsoft Cloud Services and Accessibility

Larry.Short — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:43:00 GMT

Live@edu and Microsoft Office 365 brings together cloud versions of Microsoft’s most trusted communications and collaboration products with the latest version of our desktop suite for educational institutions of all sizes. These Internet-based services are designed to help meet customer needs for institutional productivity, anytime anywhere access, and 24/7 reliability.

In this presentation, Alex Li, a Microsoft Senior Accessibility Strategist, will outline accessibility investments made in core components of Live@edu and Office 365: Exchange Online, Lync Online, SharePoint Online, the Office Web Applications and Office. Alex will also provide demonstrations of our most compelling accessibility features, tying to the usage scenarios they enable. Time will also be set aside for questions at the end of the session.

Target Audience:

All Education Customers
CIOs, Accessibility Coordinators, Attorneys, Compliance Leads

Click here to Register now! July 14th @ 9:30 – 10:30 AM Pacific Time

Speakers:

Alex Li, Microsoft Senior Accessibility Strategist
Jonny Chambers, Specialist Manger

Windows 8 Announced

Larry.Short — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:17:13 GMT

Microsoft announced the next version of Windows, internally code-named “Windows 8,” to help the partners build devices that take advantage of the new user experience. As part of this technical preview, Mike Angiulo, corporate vice president of Windows Planning, Hardware and PC Ecosystem at Microsoft, demonstrated how “Windows 8” is optimized for newer touch-centric hardware, including tablets, while still delivering the flexibility, connectivity and power that people have come to expect from Windows today.

The technical demonstration also highlighted the new operating system’s ability to work across both x86 and ARM-based architectures, with a variety of early prototypes shown running the new operating system. Microsoft and silicon chip makers AMD, Intel Corporation, NVIDIA Corp., Qualcomm Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. initially announced plans in January to work together on the next version of Windows.

“Our aim with ‘Windows 8’ is to make the user experience a natural extension of the device, from the time you turn on your PC through how you interact with the applications you know and love,” Angiulo said. “This represents a fundamental shift in Windows design that we haven’t attempted since the days of Windows 95, presenting huge opportunities for our hardware partners to innovate with new PC designs.”

The new user experience also extends to how applications will run on “Windows 8,” with controls naturally fitting into the device experience. Developers also will be able to use common Web technologies, such as HTML5 and JavaScript, to create applications for the PC, further easing integration and adoption.

Center for Advanced Technologies co-presents using Microsoft SharePoint Platform

Larry.Short — Thu, 12 May 2011 20:02:31 GMT

I just got off the phone with Mark Dunkel, one of my favorite SharePoint gurus at Microsoft, and he tells me this up-coming webcast is one of the most inspiring demonstrations of Microsoft SharePoint technologies for both higher education and K12 customers.

This is a special, co-hosted webcast between Microsoft and the Center for Advanced Technologies (CAT).

CAT is a public magnet program housed at Lakewood Senior High School, located in the southernmost part of Pinellas County, on the west coast of Florida. Newsweek magazine ranked the CAT Program 16th in the nation in 2010—and after seeing the preview of this event it’s easy to understand why.

During this presentation you will see some fantastic demonstrations of student developed solutions build on the SharePoint 2010 platform. That’s right STUDENTS. These academic specific, real world solutions include Silverlight, Lesson Plans, Hall Pass Monitoring, and Asset Tracking.

Windows 7 is Common Criteria Certified

Larry.Short — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:57:00 GMT

Our friends over at the FutureFed blog reported that Windows 7 has passed the Common Criteria (CC) certification process and achieved Evaluation Assurance Level 4 with augmentation (EAL4+).

Common Criteria certification is an international standard recognized by 26 member nations including the United States and is a procurement requirement for U.S. Defense and national security customers.

Upcoming Public Sector Development Events

Larry.Short — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:06:00 GMT

Microsoft is recording presentations from the Microsoft Public Sector Developer Roadshow and other events. Be sure to check out Visual Studio Team System and the rest of the 2010 Wave!

5/12/11	14:00-15:00 EDT	Webcast	Overview of Visual Studio 2010	David Baliles	IT Decision Maker, Pro Dev/Programmer
5/19/11	14:00-15:00 EDT	Webcast	Feature Demonstration of Microsoft Visual Studio	David Baliles	Architect, IT Manager, Pro Dev/Programmer, Tech Influencing BDM
On Demand		Webcast	Click here for list	David Baliles Joel Reyes	Analysts, Architects, Developers, PMO, Operations & management, Testing, Build Master, Designers, Procurement
On Demand		Webcast	Virtual FOSE – Microsoft presentations on SharePoint 2010 and Windows Azure	Chris Johnson Vlad Vinogradsky	Developers, Architects, Web Designers and Technical Managers

Microsoft U.S. Innovative Education Forum

Larry.Short — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 12:33:47 GMT

The Innovative Education Forum (IEF) is part of a worldwide program from Microsoft Partners in Learning. The program recognizes innovative educators and schools implementing 21-century skills in the classroom and the school community with the goal of improving teaching and learning. The Innovative Education Forum seeks to showcase creative and inspiring examples of how educators and schools are using technology.

The U.S. Innovative Education Forum will be hosted on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, WA July 28-29. The theme this year is Engaging students. Inspiring creativity. Preparing for the future. It focuses on how educators and schools engage students to solve difficult problems while inspiring creativity and, ultimately, preparing students for the future.

We would like to encourage educators to submit class projects as individuals or in collaboration with a colleague. School leaders are also encouraged to submit projects that highlight how technology is being used in innovative ways throughout the school community.

For more details on the event, to download the application and watch a short video of past IEF participants go to: www.microsoft.com/education/USIEF

Deadline to apply is May 15, 2011.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Unified Communications User Groups in Portland and Boise

Larry.Short — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:05:00 GMT

What’s Your Unified Communications Strategy?
Come to hear other’s strategies as well!

Register for April 6th in Boise Idaho

at Microsoft Office

401 West Front Street, Suite 400

Register for April 7th in Portland, Oregon

at Microsoft Office

1414 NW Northrup Street, Suite 900

We are starting a forum for computer professionals in the Boise and Portland areas who are interested in gaining and sharing knowledge in Microsoft Unified Communications technologies through networking and education.

Our first meetings will run from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. Happy hour will follow for those who would like to stay and network. The presentation starts around 1:00pm.

Come when you can, and leave when you must (we are an informal group).

Interested in joining our group - just attend a meeting! That is it. There is no fee to join just your enthusiastic participation is requested!

Agenda for this First Unified Communications Summit is as follows:

12:30pm - 1:00pm	Welcome
1:00pm – 1:45pm	Business Justification for UC. Satish Shah Speaker
2:00pm – 2:30pm	Customer evidence and case studies -Micron

2:30pm- 3:30pm	UC endpoints - educational – no sales pitch – Plantronics
3:30pm – 5:00pm	UC discussions: Lync 2010, tips and tricks, challenges, solutions, feedback on what we should include in upcoming meetings, time and frequency

5:00pm	Happy Hour and Networking

Windows MultiPoint Server 2011

Larry.Short — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:54:00 GMT

Just a quick update on Microsoft MultiPoint Server 2011 - this product is geared towards K-12 classrooms but something everyone should be aware of.

Buying more computers to provide additional students with access to technology is not the only expense schools are worried about; there are also budget considerations for energy and maintenance. With Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 one host computer can be shared by multiple users simultaneously reducing upfront hardware acquisition costs as well as ongoing operational costs.

The first release of the product supported USB keyboard and mouse connections as clients to a virtual desktop. This new release opens up options to connect in multiple ways and support different clients. For instance, you can connect workstations directly to the host computer by using USB or video card, or connect PCs, thin clients, network monitors, and more through your local area network (LAN). You can even use a hybrid of both. And if you choose the LAN option, Remote FX supercharges high-definition video. Finally, you can connect keyboards and mice at each station either using USB or a wireless connection.

Top 10 Things You Can Do with Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 in the Classroom

Give each student their own computing experience
Provide every student their own account
Easily manage student accounts
Orchestrate and monitor the student experience
Easily share desktops, files, videos, and more
Let students save private data
Watch videos or listen to music and podcasts without disturbing everyone else
Allow students to work and learn in multiple languages
Install an application once and see it appear automatically on all user stations
Pause your work with the "Disconnect" feature, saving you and your students' time

Top 5 Things You Can Do with Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 in the IT Department

Maximize your technology investments and reduce upfront costs
Reduce energy costs and consumption
Provide broad client support
Get simple set up and management
Remote FX supercharges high-definition video

Watch the video from James Duffus - Group Product Manager for an overview of the new release.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/multipoint/default.aspx

Planning Guide: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=501ba465-382f-41cb-bbea-b9bf580e2bb2

Q&A: http://blogs.technet.com/b/multipointserver/archive/2011/03/09/windows-multipoint-server-2011-common-questions-and-answers-part-1.aspx

Microsoft HiEd Conference in Seattle April 4-6

Larry.Short — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:28:00 GMT

Connect and collaborate with your higher education IT professional peers on deep technical topics covering evaluation, deployment, and support of Microsoft technologies. The 7th Windows HiEd Conference is coordinated and developed in conjunction with representatives of the Windows-Hied listsrv.

Dates: April 4th-6th, 2011

Location: Microsoft Campus, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington

Cost: US $150.00

Who should attend?
Event content is modeled after the TechEd conference, targeting IT professionals and developers who work in a higher education institution. Tracks focus on infrastructure technologies – Windows Server, management, security, Windows Client, but also venture into collaboration, messaging and application platform areas as well. To facilitate optimal value, we attempt to alternate Microsoft presenters with “peer presentations” – sessions led and presented by and for customers.

What you’ll learn?
Both Microsoft product managers and specialists as well as our customers will present and host sessions—all of which are geared toward technical topics that help you better understand new and future Microsoft products and technologies as well as best practices and insights for deploying and supporting.

This conference is designed to allow our Higher Education customers:

Discuss products and solutions during a Microsoft-led seminar, and get tips and tricks for evaluating, deploying, integrating, administering, supporting, and simplifying Microsoft solutions in the higher education environment.
Provide product input and feedback to ensure Microsoft understands your needs.

Learn about unique challenges and successes of Microsoft product deployment from presentations provided by your colleagues.
Discuss other issues and topics with colleagues and Microsoft product teams in an informal setting.

To Register follow this link

https://reg.shworldwide.com/Reg.aspx?Page=LoginPage&Event=HigherEdu2011

Cloud Intelligence Conference at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue

Larry.Short — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:34:00 GMT

On May 13th, Microsoft and Quickstart Intelligence/SQLSoft+ are hosting the Cloud Intelligence Conference at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.

This one day event is designed to take the mystery out of the "Cloud" and to have Microsoft’s engineers, trainers and MVPs share their deep technical understanding of Microsoft Office 365, Private Cloud (Virtualization) and Windows/SQLAzure with you.

You can pick sessions from 5 tracks covering Cloud Roadmaps and Overviews, Preparing for the Cloud, Software as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service, and Platform as a Service.

At the end of the day, you'll have information that you can apply immediately or use for planning purposes to leverage the Cloud, maximize IT performance, minimize costs and improve the scalability of your IT projects.

Special Education Discount

Quickstart Intelligence/SQLSoft+ are extending a special discount of $200 off the regular $399 ticket price.

Learn more about the event here and if you decide to attend, register with promo code GROB to attend for $199.

Microsoft Math 4.0 Released

Larry.Short — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 01:38:04 GMT

Microsoft Math 4.0 gives students tools, tutorials and instructions, all in one place! Its large collection of tools, tutorials, and instructions helps students learn mathematical concepts, while quickly solving math and science problems. Students see how to solve problems step-by-step – instantly!

Microsoft Math 4.0 works for many grade levels, studying subjects from basic math to calculus.

There is even a 6-page Teacher Guide to go with the application.

SharePoint 2010 Solutions Roadshow

Larry.Short — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:17:28 GMT

Microsoft, K2, BA-Insight, Adlib Software, AvePoint, and many more Microsoft partners have teamed up to bring a complimentary event to your area filled with subject matter experts, insightful presentations, demos, food, fun, and prizes!

You are invited to a FREE all day event focused on extending the power of SharePoint in your organization. Featuring presentations by Microsoft, and leading Microsoft Partners like K2, learn about innovative solutions that drive value and cost savings for your organization.

Experience product demonstrations, in-depth presentation on SharePoint and how you can extend its capabilities beyond a typical "out-of-the-box" deployment and create real value for your organization.

Seating for the event is first come-first serve, so please arrive early and join us for complimentary morning refreshments, and lunch will be provided too.

DATE	CITY	ENROLL
1/18/2011	San Francisco, CA	Register
1/27/2011	Los Angeles, CA	Register
2/3/2011	Bellevue, WA	Register
2/17/2011	Houston, TX	Register
2/23/2011	Irving, TX	Register
2/23/2011	Tempe, AZ	Register
3/3/2011	Denver, CO	Register

Free Training for Office 2010

Larry.Short — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:08:48 GMT

Within every application, the Get Started resources can be found by looking at Backstage View (File|Help|Get Started).

Interactive Guides for Word, Excel, & PowerPoint 2010 tool is hosted online or loaded into Office directly and lets you click on the way you used to do things in 2003 and then shows you where it went in 2010. There’s also a version for 2007 located here.

Here’s a version of the Interactive Guides listed above in an Excel format which is useful for help desk people, because each spreadsheet is broken down by product.

Online training walkthroughs for 2010 features courses to help users make the switch to Office 2010.

Ribbon Hero from OfficeLabs is an interactive game which is loaded into Office and teaches people how to use the new features as a social game.

Productivity Hub 2010 is a SharePoint site focused on training with many resources, videos and social tools incorporated that train users on Windows, IE and Office. It contains the ability to vote, discuss, ask questions and even take tests. You can also see a read-only live version of Productivity Hub at this site.

User Readiness Resources are large format posters and flyers that you can download and print to help spread the word about what’s coming.

BrainStorm provides the slick fold out materials.

The “Getting Started Guides” are series of Word documents that can be distributed to end users for each product in the Office Suite.

Microsoft also offers podcasts on many Office and Windows training topics.

Work Smart Guides developed by Microsoft and shared via Showcase.

Windows content for download customizable posters, tips/tricks guides, etc.

SharePoint Governance

Larry.Short — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:39:36 GMT

Wael A. Kabli is an experienced in SharePoint Architecture, Design, Planning, Infrastructure, Development, Governance, Operations, disaster recovery, portal culture, employees’ productivities, enhanced work places and create companies external presence. This list brings together his articles on SharePoint governance:

Get Up To Speed Quickly on Latest Microsoft Solutions

Larry.Short — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:09:40 GMT

TechNet Edge

Find videos, screencasts, podcasts, and articles to help IT Professionals stay up to date on the latest Microsoft technologies.

Tech-Ed Online

Explore Tech-Ed sessions online and for free.

Case Studies

View video and written case studies from around the globe.

Microsoft Events: In-Person, Live Webcasts, On-Demand Webcasts, and Virtual Labs

Tune in to live and on-demand webcasts, listen to podcasts on Microsoft topics tailored for developers, and test drive products in virtual labs.

Microsoft Online Media Series

Find the webcasts, virtual labs, and podcasts that are right for you.

Blio Reader Lets You Take Notes

Larry.Short — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:23:13 GMT

Let me introduce you to my new favorite program…

The Blio eReading application that Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CIO, demonstrated earlier this year has finally released.

The free application presents eBooks just like the printed version, in full color, and unlike other readers I have evaluated lets you take notes.

Another great feature is that it uses Microsoft’s XPS file format. This means a teacher can save any Office document as an XPS file, and import it to the Blio library! This is especially useful for all those Microsoft whitepapers we all study and share.

Check out the FREE Blio eReader Application

Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Bellevue Nov 12

Larry.Short — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:17:09 GMT

Success in today’s academic world hinges on collaboration—whether it’s with other administrators, teachers, parents, or students. Now there’s a way for your institution to transform every communication into an interaction that is more collaborative, engaging, and accessible from anywhere.

This half-day event will take place in Bellevue, November 12, is a great way to get an early look at Microsoft Lync Server 2010.

RSVP for the November 12 Training Event by visiting this hyperlink

The next generation of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Lync Server 2010 offers:

A single interface uniting voice communications, presence, instant messaging, and audio/video/web conferencing.
A familiar user experience accessible through MS Office, SharePoint, and Exchange.
A single identity connecting users to contacts inside and outside of the organization.
A consistent experience across PC, phone, web, or mobile devices.
Exceptional security and reliability.
Interoperability with existing systems for smoother deployment and migration.
A rich platform for development, bringing unified communications into custom solutions ranging from business workflows to line-of-business applications.

Now the streamlined communications performance you’ve come to rely on with Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 has just gotten better. Improve collaboration, facilitate easier management, and lower the cost of ownership of your communications systems.

AGENDA

8:00- 9:00	Registration, Breakfast, and Partner Expo Open
9:00-10:00	Introduction to Microsoft Lync
10:00-10:45	Microsoft GSI Partner Presentation
10:45-11:30	Day in the Life Demo with Device Partner
11:30-11:45	Close and Q&A

RSVP for the November 12 Training Event by visiting this hyperlink

OCTOBER 19TH: Tips and Tricks for Microsoft Office 2010

Larry.Short — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:54:28 GMT

Get the most out of Office 2010! Attend a Live Meeting to learn about timesaving features to help you in your day-to-day work. Suitable for beginner or intermediate users. Everyone will learn something!

The Ribbon

The Microsoft Office Fluent user interface, called ‘the Ribbon’ will help you find the features you need to complete tasks quickly and easily. This presentation will demonstrate useful tips and tricks for Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint and help you get familiar with the Ribbon.

Save Time

The time you take to attend this session can help save you time later. Past participants reported saving from 15 to over 30 minutes a day after attending a Tips and Tricks session. That adds up!

Led by an expert Microsoft presenter, the session is not only informative, but entertaining.

Take advantage of our expert – join the live version of this meeting to ask your burning questions!

8 am PST |10 am CST | 11 am EST

11 am PST | 1 pm CST | 2 pm EST

Microsoft’s Imagine Cup – USA 2011

Larry.Short — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:14:35 GMT

Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition, sponsored by Microsoft. This annual competition inspires students to create innovative solutions that can help solve some of the world’s toughest problems. In addition, it gives universities, colleges, and secondary schools the opportunity to gain international acclaim as technology leaders.

To give you some perspective, here are some inspirational words to the finalists of Imagine Cup 2010 from First Lady Michelle Obama

It is a 2-step process…

US Students- Using just your school name and email address, sign up to receive the Imagine Cup 2011 updates [Non- US students register here]. If you sign up before Oct 3^rd, you have a chance to win one Xbox 360 Console with the new Kinect controller system! Read more about the rules here.
Team up with your friends and give us a world-changing idea, using the UN Millennium goals as a guideline. Even better, drag and drop an existing class project for a chance to win a trip to Microsoft Headquarters for the US Finals. Check out the competitions, read the official rules and get started, now.

Why you should participate?

Demonstrate your talents and skills and gain valuable experience to kick-start your career
Attract the attention of Microsoft, its partners, venture capitalists, and others.
Win $25,000, a free trip to the worldwide finals in New York City, and a chance to compete internationally.

Looking for some inspiration?

Here’s a story of David Hayden from Arizona State University. David is legally blind. He took the shortcomings of today’s accessibility technology and made them requirements for a new solution. So he decided to solve the problem himself and created Team Note-Taker for the Imagine Cup Competition. This is how David climbed the ladder of innovation and success at Imagine Cup.

Additional Resources:

Yes, it’s true; an idea can change the world. Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition, sponsored by Microsoft. This is your chance to make a difference…reach out to your blog readers, Facebook friends, and a student in high-school/college and tell them about Imagine Cup.

Free eBooks & Guides from Microsoft

Larry.Short — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:07:00 GMT

Over the last few years, Microsoft has been quietly publishing a series of free books and guides that show home-users, students, teachers, and IT Administrators how to get more from their computing investments. Below is a list of these jewels that I recently uncovered.

Own Your Space-Keep Yourself and Your Stuff Safe Online Digital Book for Teens

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=87583728-ef14-4703-a649-0fd34bd19d13&displayLang=en

Linda McCarthy was inspired to write the first edition of Own Your Space when the two teenagers in her house managed to destroy what she thought was a pretty darn secure home computer network. Linda was more inspired when she realized that Douglas and Eric weren’t looking to break things or even trying to impress her when they brought down her home network. They were just using the Internet the way normal teenagers do.

Teacher Guides - In the Classroom Series

Microsoft Education published an entire series of teacher guides. Watch videos, and download guides and e-books to inspire your class and to help you make the best use of tools and technology in your lessons.

http://www.microsoft.com/education/teachers/guides/

Bing

http://www.microsoft.com/education/teachers/guides/bing.aspx

Bing is more than an Internet search engine. It’s the decision engine that helps teachers and students find what they need—fast—in a visually dynamic and organized way. In short, Bing can help teachers:

Make lesson plans more dynamic.
Find content to better engage students.
Take students on virtual field trips.

Critical thinking

http://www.microsoft.com/education/teachers/guides/critical_thinking.aspx

Students have more information at their fingertips than ever before, yet the challenge remains for them to find, evaluate, and apply the information they discover in the classroom and beyond. Applying critical thinking skills through web research can help students:

Improve search skills.
Evaluate the information they find.
Incorporate them in their work.

Digital storytelling

http://www.microsoft.com/education/teachers/guides/digital_storytelling.aspx

The ancient tradition of storytelling meets the digital age. When students create a movie or interactive slideshow to tell their story, learning becomes personal. Digital storytelling projects lend themselves well to portfolio assessment. With digital storytelling, students can:

Improve their writing.
Show creativity.
Have a voice.

Free tools

http://www.microsoft.com/education/teachers/guides/freetools.aspx

Free tools and technologies from Microsoft can help you:

Motivate and inspire your students.
Engage with multimedia.
Work together with teachers, parents, and students.

Microsoft Office

http://www.microsoft.com/education/teachers/guides/office.aspx

A teacher's day is nonstop—from before the first bell to after the last paper you grade at night. The Microsoft Office system can help you handle the writing, presenting, organizing, and communicating it takes to keep moving at the speed of the school calendar.

Express your ideas. Learn about the improved designs, transitions, quality graphics, and more to better engage your students with Microsoft PowerPoint.

Microsoft OneNote for K12

http://www.microsoft.com/education/teachers/guides/office.aspx

Organize your materials. Microsoft OneNote helps organize class lessons, web articles, videos, and other multimedia classroom content in one convenient program.

Office Web Apps

http://www.microsoft.com/education/teachers/guides/office_webapps.aspx

Now teachers and students can view, edit, and share Microsoft Office documents from virtually anywhere with an Internet connection. Office Web Apps are:

Online companions to Microsoft PowerPoint 2010, Word 2010, Excel 2010, and OneNote 2010.
Available free through Windows Live SkyDrive using a Windows Live ID.
A smart way to get work done outside of class.
An easy way to collaborate with colleagues and student workgroups.

Windows 7

http://www.microsoft.com/education/teachers/guides/windows7.aspx

Windows 7 helps make your technology life easier. With Windows 7, your PC is more visual and intuitive, so everyday tasks are easier to do. With it, you can:

Simplify everyday tasks.
Save time.
Make lessons more interactive.

Windows Live Movie Maker

http://www.microsoft.com/education/teachers/guides/windows_movie_maker.aspx

Windows Live Movie Maker is the fast, easy way to turn photos and videos into great-looking movies and slide shows you can share with your class, on the Web, or on DVDs. And it's free! With it, you can:

Create videos and slide shows.
Add variety and artistic effects to movies.
Share movies with others.

First Look: Microsoft Office 2010

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/first-look-microsoft-office-2010-HA101822265.aspx

The key new features in Microsoft Office 2010 are freedom and flexibility—you’ll be able to see how to get more from your applications no matter how—or where—you choose to use them. Office 2010 is designed to help you express your ideas clearly and creatively, work seamlessly with a group to get things done efficiently and on time, and access and work with your files virtually anywhere with a similar look and feel, whether you’re using your PC, browser, or phone.

For IT Professionals: Getting started with Microsoft Office 2010

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=860761E2-CE6A-408D-A52D-67F8E6A9388E&displaylang=en

This book provides an overview of the Microsoft Office 2010 suites and information about how to get started with Office 2010. The audience for this book includes IT generalists, IT operations, help desk and deployment staff, IT messaging administrators, consultants, and other IT professionals.

Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2

https://profile.microsoft.com/RegSysProfileCenter/wizard.aspx?wizid=0a180c17-32d4-4151-93a0-92b384d15ca6&lcid=1033

On the Microsoft Learning website, in the Windows Server 2008 section, Microsoft has made available the eBook “Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2” in .PDF and XPS editions. The eBook is free to download and the only catch is that you must sign in to Windows Live to download.

Learn about the features of Windows Server 2008 R2 in the areas of virtualization, management, the web application platform, scalability and reliability, and interoperability with Windows 7. Sign in to download Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2, written by industry experts Charlie Russel and Craig Zacker along with the Windows Server team at Microsoft.

Getting Started with Windows 7 (Getting Around the Desktop)

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/help/getting-started

New to Windows 7? Even though there’s a lot in common with the version of Windows that you had before, you might still need a hand getting up to speed. This guide is filled with useful info about personalizing your PC. It covers the topics that Andy Sweet showed you in his video: Getting around the desktop. http://windows.microsoft.com/get-started

Deploying Windows 7 - Essential Guidance from the Windows 7 Resource Kit and TechNet Magazine

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=ee2a1d38-88a9-43b3-95bc-7e962f0b6030#Overview

Microsoft’s eBook Deploying Windows 7 Essential Guidance from the Windows 7 Resource Kit and TechNet Magazine combine selected chapters written by industry experts Mitch Tulloch, Tony Northrup, Jerry Honeycutt, Ed Wilson, and the Windows 7 Team with select Windows 7 articles from TechNet Magazine. Sample topics include: Deployment Platform, Planning Deployment, Testing Application Compatibility, and 8 Common Issues in Windows 7 Migrations.

Microsoft Office Live eBook on Build a Web site That Sells 1.0

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=500a33c1-5a68-4fcd-93ef-b27f053539cf

“Build a Web site That Sells” from Microsoft Office Live includes tips, techniques, and tools to help you design an effective and engaging Web site, generate more Web site traffic, maximize search engine results, provide a more secure online experience, and much more.

Desktop Virtualization for Dummies

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/54ef6966#/54ef6966/1

The Windows 7 Enterprise operating system was built with one goal in mind—to have it work the way you want. Its combination of innovation and improved performance has resonated with those who need it to deliver business-enhancing results, including increased productivity and mobility, enhanced security and compliance, and streamlined IT management. Combined with the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), a suite of Windows virtualization and management technologies, you can achieve greater automation, increase IT and end user productivity and reduce your overall management costs.

Win up to $100,000 for Your School

Larry.Short — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:36:24 GMT

Our School Needs is a contest to raise awareness about the serious need that public schools are facing today and to demonstrate Microsoft’s commitment to helping schools. Bing is asking one simple question: What does your school need?

In support of this contest, Bing will give away more than $500,000 in total prize and donation money to support public school classrooms like yours.*

See how you can participate and get your entry materials now.

Whether it's a new photography lab, remodeled gymnasium or new books for the library, Bing wants to hear what your school needs.

Bing has made the contest entry fun by giving participants the chance to write an essay, film a video, and submit pictures that best describe what "Our School Needs." It's designed to promote class participation and encourage parents, students, teachers and administrators to come together to support your school entry.

The contest kicks-off on September 16th and the last day to enter is October 22nd. The faster you get your entry posted, the more ratings you can get. You can find complete contest and entry information -- and order a free poster for your class -- at our website: bing.com/ourschoolneeds

* No purchase necessary. Open only to US residents who are K-12 educators or students enrolled in a K-12 school. Entry deadline is Friday October 22nd, 2010. Click here for full rules. Winning educational institutions must have a donation acceptance program and provide Microsoft a signed donation letter prior to accepting the donation.