By Anthony Salcito, Vice President of Worldwide Education - also posted on Microsoft on the Issues
Usually when I hear the words "student" and "pledge" used in the same sentence, I'm transported back to a classroom in Brooklyn, New York, where my classmates and I would start each day by reciting, "I pledge allegiance, to the flag…."
Today, though, I'd like to tell you about an entirely different pledge, one that I'm proud Microsoft is taking to protect student privacy.
This morning, the Future of Privacy Forum and the Software & Information Industry Association unveiled the "K-12 School Service Provider Pledge to Safeguard Student Privacy." The Pledge is an important step forward to help students, parents and educators realize the promise of personalized learning while giving them the peace of mind that technology companies will follow a common set of privacy principles to protect the privacy of student information.
I have previously discussed Microsoft's strong commitment to protecting the privacy and security of our customers' information, and we are reaffirming that commitment to parents, students, and schools by signing the Pledge today. Student data should be used to improve education and help kids learn, not for other commercial purposes, like targeting kids with advertising. We're proud to be among the companies announcing today a clear and public commitment to protect the privacy and security of information about school children.
Over the past few years, schools have raced to bring technology into the classroom, recognizing its tremendous promise to make education more efficient, more effective, and better able to meet the needs of each and every student. This includes productivity tools, like online email and document storage services, which make it easier, cheaper and more efficient to communicate with parents and students and to store and access important educational records and other information. Massive open online courses have unlocked the doors of our most prestigious learning institutions, making knowledge that was previously available only to the privileged few, accessible to many. Online tutoring programs and analytics software have improved our ability to determine where kids need help and how to provide instruction tailored to each student's aptitude and unique learning style.
However, the introduction of technology in schools has also raised some important new privacy and security concerns.
The use of technology in the classroom has resulted in the creation and collection of much more data about students than ever before. While previous generations relied on a physical report card to gauge student performance, today's technology allows parents to monitor a student's progress effortlessly throughout the school year. And while teachers in the past relied on in-person parent conferences to discuss sensitive issues such as learning disabilities or medical conditions, parents and educators today often discuss these issues via email.
These examples illustrate the tremendous opportunities to help evaluate student progress in real time and provide instruction that is tailored to a particular student's unique strengths, weaknesses and learning style. However, it is important that access to this information is limited and remains private and accordingly that uses of that information are appropriately circumscribed.
That's why it's so very important that when technology companies are invited into the classroom and entrusted with sensitive information about schoolchildren, parents, educators and school leaders have confidence that those same companies will act as responsible stewards of that information.
We've long understood that in order for our customers to trust us with their sensitive information, they need to trust us to do the right thing. That's why from the start, we baked privacy as a core ingredient into our education products and services, committing simply and clearly not to use customer data, such as the content of student emails and documents, for advertising.
And to be clear, safeguarding student information is not just an issue in the United States. As I have spoken with customers around the world, I have seen this issue resonate across dozens of countries. My hope is that the Pledge is a tool that parents, teachers and school administrators in other geographies can use in their discussions around how to better protect student privacy.
We're honored to be among the charter signatories of this Pledge. And we're grateful for the leadership of U.S. Reps. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Luke Messer (R-Ind.) who convened a larger group of education and technology companies this summer and urged them to come together to create the Pledge. We look forward to working with them as well as FPF, SIIA and other signatory companies to persuade all major education technology providers to take the Pledge so that it can have the broadest possible impact.
We believe students, parents, educators and school leaders should have confidence in knowing that companies who stand up and commit to the Pledge will use schoolchildren's data for appropriate learning purposes. We believe every student deserves a quality education and should have access to all the tools necessary to be prepared for the future.
Guest blog post by Helen Gooch, Microsoft Fellow and Master Trainer
OneNote Class Notebook Creator is a new app enhancement for Microsoft OneNote based on feedback teachers shared with Microsoft about how to make OneNote even better for student achievement.
OneNote has been around since Office 2003 and yet, as we work with educators around the world we are constantly surprised that this unbelievably, amazing tool is still the best kept secret going. When educators begin using OneNote; they have no idea how they ever managed before and constantly find new ways to incorporate it into their professional practice. If you are new to OneNote see what you have been missing! Check out the informative Microsoft EduCast video hosted by Kim West, a Microsoft Innovative Educator, to help you get started with OneNote. And, read how teachers save time organizing lessons and grading assignments with OneNote to get more best practices on using OneNote, which is available for to download for free.
OneNote is great! However, what teachers have asked loudly and repeatedly for is the ability to easily roll up multiple student notebooks, great for lessons, grading, and collaboration, into a single class OneNote notebook for the teacher.
What this new tool is:
The OneNote Class Notebook Creator is an app for Office 365 and SharePoint Online that helps you set up OneNote in your class on all the devices most used by students and teachers (complete list of devices/platforms linked on OneNote.com). This tool will allow a teacher to create a class notebook, which incorporates three types of sub-notebooks:
What you'll need to get started:
This is just an introduction or awareness for all educators, the next blog posting will contain complete instructions on getting started with your OneNote Class Notebook and tips to get you up and running including adding students, content and best practice suggestions. Be on the lookout for this fantastic new tool for you and more importantly, your students. Get a message to your Office 365 administrator that you really need them to add this functionality!
To see OneNote Classroom Notebook Creator in action, watch Sonja Delafosse, a Microsoft Expert Educator and Master Trainer, demonstrate this tool in this new video:
Educators, we asked and Microsoft listened!
More information:
Guest blog by Mary Perisic, senior partner marketing manager at Microsoft
For students and faculty at colleges and universities this fall, eReaders and online textbooks are helping make heavy reading an easier task. On top of that, cloud storage is providing faculty and students the ability to access assignments, content and rich media anytime, while also enabling constant collaboration through campus management tools. New and existing applications in the higher education space are making these capabilities possible, helping elevate learning in a more modern and digital environment.
As part of our time at EDUCAUSE this week, we're highlighting the apps that deserve top honors in helping faculty, administrators, and students within higher education.
For example, the following apps help faculty and administrators improve safety, security and efficiency:
Dub Labs enables customized, out-of the box mobile campus management, integrated with student information systems and back-end infrastructure including admissions, campus maps, events and notifications.
LoudCloud Bolt brings next generation learning management with strong collaboration between faculty and students that includes discussion forums, class and institutional notifications, syllabus review and a personalized recommendation engine. It's customizable, personalized task-centric teaching focused on learning outcomes.
TestPolicy is the only proctor-led, secure testing solution that allows faculty to completely lock down and monitor student devices throughout the entire test. For a limited time, TestPolicy is free to any U.S. educational institution, public or private. Activate the offer here: http://aka.ms/TestPolicy
Meanwhile, these apps help students transition to college life and enable more personalized and interactive learning:
Fluid Math features interactive visualizations and animations to calculus and physics.
Essential Anatomy 3 provides 3D interactive touch-enabled discovery, helping students probe and virtually dissect anatomical structures and study parts in isolation.
NurseTabs Complete offers a rich content source for nursing students with over 120 procedures by topic, more than 200 drug categories and approximately 340 diseases and disorders.
My Study Life is a digital planner that helps students and faculty get organized, stay on top of tasks, and manage class schedules and conflicts, all while syncing seamlessly between devices.
Binder is a personalized and interactive document reader that allows students to view, organize, annotate and share digital documents from virtually anywhere.
Skype provides a quick remedy for freshman homesickness, helping students stay connected to friends and family through video, voice or group connections.
That's just a small sampling of the apps available in the Windows Store. To learn more about the range of apps available, start with this curated list of 25 Higher Education Apps. Click on any app title in the list and it will take you directly to the app in the Windows Store.
You don't have to be attending EDUCAUSE in Orlando to connect with thousands of Higher Ed IT peers. Avid Twitter user? Simply follow Microsoft in Education on Twitter @Microsoft_EDU and use the #EDU14 hashtag. Prefer Facebook? "Like" the Microsoft in Education Facebook page.
One of the largest areas of growth we've seen for Surface over the past year has come from schools & universities purchasing Surface for their faculty, staff and students. And particularly, with Surface Pro 3, schools are finding the benefits of a highly mobile and intuitive touch tablet, combined with the power and productivity of a Windows laptop to be the ideal teaching device. Digital inking capabilities are also emerging as a critical component of any educational device replacing paper worksheets and textbooks. In fact, Robert Baker from Cincinnati Country Day School is one of the nation's foremost experts on digital inking in education, and he explains that a big reason why he chose the Surface Pro 3 for his school was because it was the first no-compromise device that had the best reading and writing experience, supported the creative learning process, and was versatile enough to get out of the way and let teachers teach they way they wanted.
As a result of the tremendous momentum we've seen in Education over the last year, we wanted to make Surface even more applicable as a 1:1 education device by providing a discount for education customers, embracing common core standards, designing the best hardware experience for Microsoft OneNote and supporting a great array of accessories required for the classroom:
Today, the Surface Team is pleased to announce the Surface for Education Program which establishes special education pricing for Surface Pro 3 and Type Cover (keyboard) bundle. We are lauching the Surface for Education program starting today, October 1st in the US, Canada and the UK. This program includes the following products sold through our Authorized Device Resellers at a 10% discount for qualified Educational Institutions:
Surface Device
Accessory Included
MSRP
Education Price
Surface Pro 3 - 64GB / Intel i3
Surface Pro Type Cover (Black)
$ 929
$ 839
Surface Pro 3 - 128GB / Intel i5
$ 1129
$ 1019
Surface Pro 3 - 256GB / Intel i5
$ 1429
$ 1289
An "Educational Institution" is defined as an accredited institute organized and operated exclusively for the purpose of teaching its enrolled students. There is a minimum order quantity of 5, and please check with your local reseller for exact pricing.
One of the best parts of my job is hearing from teachers, and seeing how a piece of electronic hardware can actually open up whole new worlds of learning possibilities and inspire students to want to learn more, and inspire teachers to dream up fresh new innovative lessons and projects.
Nicole Sassaman, who has been teaching middle school for 14 years told me about balancing the need for Common Core type Education standards with the desire to engage students with creative curriculum, "We want everybody to know certain information by the time they're out of high school. And at the same time, we want them to be free thinkers. In a classroom with one-on-one Surfaces, you have a means for students to go out and explore their own information and create their own products - it just opens that door so much more to allow for personalization in the kids' education. You can still standardize the information and say this is what I need you to know, but how they get there is completely up to them."
And, we are very happy to say that Surface Pro 3 is also a Common Core compliant device, which means that schools in the United States can use Surface Pro 3 to administer PARCC and Smarter Balanced state assessments. AssistX, one of best Surface app providers, has also released TestPolicy, an app that helps simplify online testing. AssistX is providing all U.S. education institutions with a free subscription of TestPolicy for the 2014-2015 school year.
Speaking with Kelly Tomon who is a High School Physics Teacher, she mentioned how the pen and 2-in-1 laptop/tablet form factor of the Surface has helped modernize her teaching, "Prior to having a Surface Pro 3, I would have to work problems out on paper or the board during each class since traditional laptops could not accommodate the handwriting necessary in physics problems. Now during class, I can write on the Surface Pro 3, and OneNote allows me to show the students all of the steps involved in solving problems which my students can review from home as well. I have incorporated the Surface Pro, OneNote and OneDrive for Business into my teaching so much now that I simply cannot imagine teaching without these tools anymore!"
Teachers love OneNote for it's easy organization and ability to include a breadth of media and content, and students can use OneNote to easily take notes, draw or annotate with the Surface Pen, and also convert their handwriting to text or math equations.
As part of our commitment to education, we've been working with our Designed for Surface accessory partners to release new products that help protect, secure and store Surface Pro 3 in the classroom - such as Anthro's new charging cart, Urban Armor Gear's ruggedized case, and Incipio's modern take on the Trapper Keeper for Surface.
Surface is the latest Microsoft product family member to join the overall Microsoft in Education ranks of products which have special Education versions, pricing, or are free for schools including Windows, Office, Bing, Skype, Visual Studio, and IT Academy.
At Microsoft, we have long had a deep-seated commitment to Education instilled into the culture of the company starting with our founder, Bill Gates, who recognized that investment in improving Education and building skills of the next generation just makes good business sense: "Your leading indicator of where you're going to be 20 years from now is how well you're doing in your education system."
There is a name change currently being rolled out to all Academic tenants where we are changing the A2, A3, A3 SKU display name to E1, E3, E4 respectively. The good news is there is no impact to PowerShell scripts or anything functionality or capability wise so this is just a change in name only within your academic tenant.
These are also the new names when you are ordering from your reseller.
Please see the SKU display name changes in the table below:
Old Name
New Name
Office 365 Education A2
Office 365 Education E1
Office 365 Education A3
Office 365 Education E3
Office 365 Education A4
Office 365 Education E4
Margo Day, Vice President, U.S. Education
University tuition has skyrocketed, there are heated discussions about university and college rating systems, and just in time is EDUCAUSE, the anticipated event where Higher Education Institutions come together to discuss information technology.
What's top of mind for me going into this week, where we'll all discuss what's pressing for higher education customers, is getting ahead of the business of learning. Student debt sits at $1.2 trillion, and universities are taking steps to alleviate costs where they can. The overarching issue here is that the business of learning must change.
Like commercial businesses in all industries, colleges and universities need to be able to compete effectively for educators and students, meet topline and bottom line financial goals, graduate students on time who are prepared to succeed in the workforce, and build for the future.
Higher Education is working hard to prepare students for the workforce and many of our customers are leading the way, but skyrocketing costs, huge amounts of data to manage and understand, and a proliferation of student and teacher-driven demand for new services supported in mobile environments are a challenge. However, if approached with the right solutions there's hope that the future looks bright for higher education.
For 25 years, Microsoft has been a technology partner in education. We've formulated a Higher Education Advisory Board bringing together some of the best tech leaders in higher education to really help us clearly understand the problems facing universities and colleges, test solutions and share best practices. From our work with Fortune 500 companies in the enterprise we're able to bring expertise about business and operations management to help our higher education customers manage the basics of running their operations, adding new technology that helps give them access to richer data and insight that helps them be more proactive, and addressing changing student demands like remote access to applications and hybrid learning options.
There are three things we'll be focused on at EDUCAUSE:
Years of legacy systems means critical student, facility, and educational data is trapped in application silos, making it difficult for university administrators to get a 360 view of their own information. In many institutions there are Student Information systems, financial systems, and Learning Management Systems containing vast amounts of key institutional data -but they don't talk to each other.
Getting students the classes they need to graduate on time, modeling class capacity and space requirements, and other key operational requirements to running a healthy operation, actually require capturing and analyzing thousands of data points. Today's business intelligence tools, like Microsoft's Power BI for Office 365, is one way we believe universities draw the right information from disparate sources that helps them better plan, forecast and manage resources that help them in the daily challenges of running a complex organization.
Teachers and students are collaborating and using new technologies and this has put pressure on university technology infrastructure and applications, but cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure allow universities to adopt infrastructure services, platform services AND hybrid solutions, making it easier for them to take advantage of the flexibility of the cloud. The Rutgers Business School IT staff had to meet the needs of the 40% increase in enrollment over a 4-year period with a lean IT staff to implement the IT services to support this growth. They turned to Azure's Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) for server, storage and networking, resulting in consolidated IT in the cloud, a host of important new services while also making it easier and safer for students and professors to access, all while maintaining a lean IT staff.
Universities are also required to create breakthrough research in order to maintain accreditation and ranking. Microsoft's Azure for Research program offering product grants to universities in need of big data research and partnerships that require high-performance computing. In one example, heart patients were returning to the hospital at alarming rates, so the Center for Data Science at University of Washington decided to investigate and used Azure to analyze massive amounts of patient data to spot and understand the factors that predict to a heart patient being readmitted after Congestive Heart Failure.
The cost of higher education means many universities are being forced to articulate their value to students, taxpayers, and the market at large through new criteria based on things like return on investment. This typically means metrics like graduation rates, job success rate, four-year-graduation-rate that put new pressures on higher education administrators. New ways of offering value to students, through more flexible learning options, like online learning, or offering hybrid approaches to learning, have become paramount to embracing the new mobile, cloud and fiscally-minded 21st century student wanting to graduation on time. Students are increasingly asking for mobile access to complex, specialized applications once reserved only for in-lab use; they want to collaborate online with other students and their teachers; and physical presence isn't the only definition of "in class" these days. These trends create a demand for blending both lecture and online learning opportunities to create their learning experience which has put new pressure on outdated university technology infrastructure, to keep up.
Microsoft in Education offers a range of solutions for what students never see, but what they use every day. Cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure allow universities to adopt modern infrastructure services that scale with demand, helping them support and introduce new application services, develop custom, cloud-based learning applications, and at the same time work in a hybrid cloud-on-premise environment. Productivity applications like Office 365, offered free to students, just announced last week help them with everything from online collaboration from the comfort of their own dorm rooms, to video conferencing via Lync to digital note taking via OneNote, calling home via Skype, and more.
How we educate our next-generation of workers and what the future of higher-education looks like, is still in play. Technology, and finding the right partner who can think about what's happening in the classroom learning environment, as well as running the overall operation as a successful business, is paramount to higher education evolving through this massive time of transition, and preserving hundreds of years of great tradition at the same time. At Microsoft, we're excited to help shape the future of higher education and a new generation of future leaders.
You don't have to be attending EDUCAUSE in Orlando to connect with thousands of Higher Ed IT peers. Avid Twitter user? Simply follow @Microsoft_EDU and use the #EDU14 hashtag. Prefer Facebook? "Like" the Microsoft in Education Facebook page.
Would you like to join a visionary community of educators passionate about improving student outcomes through use of technology?
At Microsoft, we believe that technology alone cannot build 21st century skills for students. We believe in the power of the educator, and the impact educators can have when they are brought together and recognized for their achievements.
Each year, Microsoft selects innovative educator experts (MIE Experts) to be part of this exclusive global community who are paving the way for their peers to share ideas, try new approaches and learn from each other. Educators such as Julie Hembree -- a library media specialist in Sammamish, Washington -- joined the Expert Educator and found the program helped her connect with educators around the globe and share ideas on how to integrate technology into teaching. Read about how Hebree entices students to read more by making book video trailers to advertise library books she thinks students will enjoy reading.
Thank you for your commitment to teaching and learning. We look forward to your innovative learning ideas!
Imagine 1,000 students across 20 schools in 20 countries connecting to run 10 international companies, each with 10 regional offices and teams - all using Office 365. This is the Global Enterprise Challenge - the brainchild of UK's Broadclyst Community Primary School (a Microsoft Mentor School), and the winning project at this year's Microsoft Global Forum Innovative Schools Pitch Competition .
WE WANT YOUR STUDENTS in the Global Enterprise Challenge!
Registration is open NOW, and runs through September. The Challenge begins in October 2014, and runs through February 2015. Student teams ages 10-11 (exceptions for ages nine and 12 can be requested) are eligible and will receive all the information and tools they need to complete the challenge successfully. This is a unique opportunity to expand your students' skills, experiences and horizons on a global scale.
Here's how it works:
The student teams will develop, produce and market 10 products, and then pitch those products, competing with each other to become the most successful global company.
Each week, The Project Coordinator will post the Global "Profit and Loss" account for each International Company to the Leader Board.
The most profitable international company will be determined through rankings based on their accounts.
The winning team will be chosen by judges among the teams that make up the most profitable international company.
For more details, visit the Global Enterprise Challenge website.
The winning student team will be flown to Microsoft headquarters in Seattle, where Anthony Salcito, Vice President of Worldwide Education, will present their award. There, they'll also get a chance to see a real global enterprise in action. Watch Anthony's video about the challenge!
While Broadclyst has been running this project for several years, the school's vision - driven by Headteacher Jonathan Bishop (intererviewed after the competition) - was destined for a bigger audience. They won the pitch competition by offering a way to promote social interaction and collaboration within teams and across countries - all using Microsoft's anywhere, anytime tools.
According to Jonathon, "The Global Enterprise Challenge provides an amazing opportunity for children from around the world to work together to run an International Company. I am so excited to see it begin as the schools involved will meet and collaborate with other children from many other cultures and backgrounds and will have a unique experience which will develop their entrepreneurial skills and understanding of world economics. Using the powerful tools of Office365 the children will share their ideas to establish a company that will pitch for start-up funding to turn their ideas into a reality. The challenge will be to use the investment wisely to manufacture and market a product that delivers the most profit. We are hoping to recruit 20 schools from across 20 countries with over 1000 children all competing to be the most successful team. There are already schools from Brazil, Kenya, Dominican Republic, Columbia, Jamaica, US, the Netherlands… why not sign up now!"
Microsoft Global Enterprise Challenge from Broadclyst Primary School on Vimeo.
The Global Enterprise Challenge is a perfect way to incorporate project-based learning into your classroom, encouraging real-life 21st century skills of collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking through the use of technology. The challenge will connect schools and children from around the world into one global education project, helping students increase their awareness of cultural diversity and gain an understanding of world markets and currencies, as well as honing their entrepreneurial skills and economic mindfulness.
So don't miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience for your students. Register your school for the Global Enterprise Challenge today!
By Anthony Salcito, Vice President of Worldwide Education
As students and teachers head back into the classroom this fall, many will be thinking about what's next - specifically, how today's education will translate to tomorrow's most sought-after jobs. Recent Pew Research found a skills gap in education, concluding that today's education system is not adequately preparing students for the jobs of the future. In fact, IDC research commissioned by Microsoft found that this skills gap could be closed by focusing on communications, knowledge integration and presentation skills; combined with a solid competence in the productivity tools of Microsoft Office that facilitate 21st century work. And, with the job market beginning to tighten, having the right skills translates to finding the best jobs.
To check your eligibility and learn more about Office 365 ProPlus go to self-service sign-up page.
To that end, I'm pleased to share some very exciting news: Beginning today, students in the U.S. are eligible for free Office 365 ProPlus from their school using a new self-service sign-up process that gives them all the benefits of Office 365 ProPlus including all of the familiar (and professional grade) Office applications like Word, PowerPoint and OneNote. Also included is 1TB of storage on OneDrive for Business, Office Online and more. The new self-service sign-in is quick and easy for students, but still allows school IT managers to maintain all the control, flexibility and security that Office is known for while reducing the amount of administrative work needed to provide these free services to students. This same service will be available worldwide in the next few months.
Office 365 ProPlus benefit is an update to last year's well received "Student Advantage" program, and was created to address the very real needs of our fast-changing global economy. According to the IDC data, the high-growth/high-salary occupations of the future consistently require a high level of competence in communication, knowledge integration and presentation (CIP) skills. And many 21st century employers specifically require Microsoft Office or Microsoft Office-related skills. In fact, the only software package called out within the top 20 skills across all occupations is Microsoft Office.
For today's digital natives, Office 365 Education matches their anywhere, anytime learning style, putting them on a path to succeed. With tools like Lync, they can seamlessly collaborate with students in classrooms around the world. And with OneNote, students can keep class notes, photos, and important information in one, easy-to-find location that's available on all of their devices (PCs, Macs, Windows Phone, iPhones, iPads, Android Phones, Android Tablets) and now even wearables. Students can type directly into their notebooks, capture and convert photos of whiteboards and handouts, even record meetings or voice memos, and they're all available from any device with a simple search.
We're also excited to announce that faculty and staff will soon be able to access the same Office 365 ProPlus benefit as students. This means that any organization purchasing Office for all their faculty and staff can now include an Office 365 ProPlus subscription at no extra cost for all students, faculty and staff. Extending the Office 365 ProPlus benefit to teachers and staff ensures that educators have access to all their Office documents across all their devices, at work or at home. It also means that teachers are using the same technology and features as their students. With Office 365 ProPlus, teachers get continual updates, which means they are always using the latest, best version of Office. They can install Office on up to five PCs or Macs and can unlock the editing capabilities of Office apps for iPad. Using their Office 365 ID also means they can access the same Office content while on the go with the mobile apps on Windows Phone, iPhones and Android Phones. Teachers can take advantage of great Office apps and add-ins like Office Mix to record and publish class lectures. They also get plenty of storage space with the 1TB of storage on OneDrive for Business.
Eligible educational institution employees in the U.S. can sign up at office.com/teachers beginning in October with availability worldwide starting in December.
At Microsoft, we are committed to making both the technology and the programs needed for college and career readiness available to as many students as possible - an imperative in today's market, where worldwide youth unemployment is continuing to rise . The new Office 365 ProPlus benefit, along with the more than 30 programs included in the Microsoft YouthSpark initiative - which was developed to close the opportunity gap between those who have access to the skills and training they need to be successful, and those who do not - are just some of the many ways Microsoft works to to inspire and prepare students for success in the global workplace of tomorrow.
Check out the Office blog for even more information on this amazing offer.
To check your eligibility and learn more about Office 365 ProPlus go to self-service sign-up page. For more information on the benefits of Office in education visit Microsoft in Education. Students can also explore additional deals and resources Microsoft has to offer students.
More great news for students and faculty staff. Launching today we have Office 365 ProPlus for Students (aka Student Advantage) available as a new self-service sign up option. In addition, today we are announcing that you can use the same qualifying benefit for faculty and staff available on December 1st, 2014.
What is Student Advantage and or Faculty/Staff Office 365 ProPlus benefit exactly?
If your school/campus qualifies for both offerings, you can provide students and fac/staff (December) with full offline copies of Office 2013 Professional Plus, Office 2011 for Mac, and Office for iPad on up to 5 machines and 5 tablets per user at no additional cost. Please see my other blog post here for Student Advantage eligibility and a more in depth definition.
What link can I send to students for self service Student Advantage?
Send them here for self-service sign up:
http://office.com/getoffice365
What does self-service Student Advantage mean exactly?
There are now TWO options to provide Student Advantage and Faculty/Staff benefit(coming in December):
Option 1) Traditional Student Advantage – this is where your IT staff creates an Office 365 Education tenant, obtains Student Advantage licenses (and in the near future faculty/staff also) from your reseller, assigns these licenses to your students and fac/staff in the tenant (populated via Dirsync, etc) via Powershell or GRAPH API (see here for samples scripts), and then students and fac/staff download Office 365 ProPlus here and log into Office for valid usage.
Or
Option 2) Self-Service Student Advantage – this is what is launched today where customers without Office 365 Education tenants can provide students an option to obtain Office 365 ProPlus without having IT setup a tenant, without having to obtain licenses from a reseller, and without having IT having to assign Office 365 ProPlus licenses to users. Existing Office 365 Education tenants can also use self-service for auto-account creation and/or auto-assignment of Student Advantage licenses to users for easier enablement of Student Advantage.
What are the requirements for self-service Student Advantage to work?
There are four requirements:
1) Student must have an academic email to validate they are a student. Student would sign up using their academic email.
2) Institution must be eligible for Student Advantage – 100% of institution must have A3, Office 365 ProPlus, or Office via Volume License. Check with your reseller for eligibility if you are unsure.
3) Student must be age 13 or over
4) No ADFS for federated login with their Office 365 Education tenant AND the need for auto-account creation. Self-service account creation does not work with federated logins to Office 365 Education however self-service license assignment does work with federated logins.
Which direction should we leverage option 1 or option 2?
This all depends on your current situation with Office 365 Education. I laid out a few use case scenarios:
No current Office 365 Education tenant
If you do not have Office 365 Education and have no current plans to rollout Office 365 Education you can leverage option 2 (self-service) to provide Office at no additional charge for your students. The benefit is the school or campus does not need to really do anything to make this work as it is fully student self-service option. If at a later point, IT wants to gain control of this self-service tenant this option is available. See the FAQ for more details on an institution taking over a self-service tenant under ‘manage a tenant created by my students’ section.
Have Office 365 Education tenant but not Student Advantage
If you have an existing Office 365 Education tenant such as A2 for students only but have not yet obtained the Student Advantage licenses or assigned them. Option 2 (self-service) could be used to provide auto-assignment of licenses for your students and fac/staff in December within your existing A2 only tenant. This will avoid the additional step of using a reseller to obtain licenses and the scripting the Student Advantage licenses.
Have Office 365 Education but only for Fac/Staff but no plans for Students
If you have a tenant only for fac/staff but no plans for students. Option 2(self-service) would also be a good fit as you do not have to provision students nor assign licenses, etc. You could either allow the students to create their own self-service tenant if the academic email is different for auto-account and auto-license assignment or you could allow or not allow students to auto-account creation and auto-licenses assignment within your faculty/staff tenant by registering their academic email domain in the tenant. If the academic email is the same, you could allow or block this feature within your tenant. See the FAQ here under ‘Prevent students from joining my tenant’ section.
Have no academic email for students (K12) or under 13 users
If you do not have academic email for students or want to provide Student Advantage to children under age of 13 then the only option here would be Option 1(traditional). See my blog post here under “where can I obtain my Student Advantage license”.
Have an Office 365 tenant, have ADFS for federated login, students share the same academic email domain as fac/staff and do not have students created in tenant
For this scenario, you will have to leverage Option 1(traditional) as we do not support the auto-creation of accounts in a federated (ADFS) login scenario.
What about student support for Option1 or Option 2?
The best bet for support issues for students is to point them here as there are step by step guides and the top error codes.
For more information please see the Self-Service Student Advantage Sign up FAQ here.
Good news is this long awaited tool has finally shipped and it looks like this is the one tool to leverage for synching local identities to the Azure AD for use with Office 365 Education, Azure services, etc.
I put together a quick FAQ about the new AAD Sync tool to help with this launch:
Does this replace the Dirsync or AAD Dirsync tool I use today with Office 365 Education?
Yes and no. Long term AAD Sync is slated as a replacement for the Dirsync/AAD Dirsync tool you may have deployed already. However, you can remain on Dirsync/AAD Dirsync as this will continue to be supported for some time.
How can I move from Dirsync/AAD Dirsync/FIM to AAD Sync?
The good news is it is relatively easy to replace your existing sync tool with AAD Sync. You can simply uninstall the sync tool on the server you had it on and install AAD Sync or you can stand up a new AAD Sync server in parallel.
See here for steps.
What does AAD Sync do that Dirsync/AAD Dirsync does not?
What are some scenarios that I could use AAD Sync in education?
There are several use case scenarios I can see for AAD Sync in education including:
Is there a place I can go to see all the feature differences between FIM, Dirsync and AAD Sync?
Yes, see the full matrix here.
Does this replace the need for FIM synching to Azure AD?
Yes, it can replace this need for syncing identities to Azure AD only for multi-forest and non-AD directory scenarios. It will not replace the need to sync on prem to on prem identities like FIM/MIM can do today.
Does AAD Sync work well with Azure AD Basic and Azure AD Premium?
Yes, it has plenty of additional sync features to leverage the new Azure AD Basic and Azure AD Premium skus. See here for more info.
Where can I go find more details on AAD Sync?
Please visit here and the FAQ here.
One of the most ubiquitous back-to-school necessities is the book bag. For years, the typical student book bag has weighed in at about 20 pounds, filled with textbooks that are obsolete as soon as they're published. If you ask many teachers and students today, book bags are getting lighter all the time, thanks to the adoption of online curriculum, education apps, and tablets like the Microsoft Surface.
In preparation for back-to-school this year, many schools -- such as University Prep in Washington State -- have adopted a bring your own device (BYOD) program to become 1:1 schools and have compiled a list of approved devices list for incoming students.
University Prep requires both laptop and tablet functionality for their students, making the Surface Pro 3 a great 2-in-1 device, and saving parents from having to buy both a laptop and a tablet for their child.
At Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts -- home to 80 middle school students and 450 upper school students representing 27 U.S. states and 27 countries -- everyone uses a Surface Pro, even the faculty. "Having faculty and students on the same platform is absolutely critical," says Robert Hill, Headmaster at Williston Northampton.
See more on how Williston Northampton is empowering students and educators with 1:1 learning with Microsoft Surface:
"I think one of the great benefits in what we're seeing is not that students are becoming more like teachers, but that teachers are becoming more like students, so that they are being flexible and creative in their thinking. They're willing to take risks," adds Hill.
At St. Mary's College in Northern Ireland, an all-girls specialist school for science and a Microsoft IT Academy, Microsoft Surface was a perfect fit with the school's focus. "The skills the girls were getting in the STEM area complemented the Microsoft IT skill set very nicely," says Marie Lindsay, Principal at St. Mary's College. "The Microsoft Surfaces are showing us as educators what is achievable. I think that they are influencing our pedagogy and our school development planning will change dramatically."
"We have tried and tested different products from different vendors, [but] we settled quite quickly on the Microsoft Surface device," says Paul Wade, ICT Support Manager at St. Mary's College. "The key issues for us were the ease of use, the fact that they are so intuitive, the fact that they are so user friendly and really the fact that the pupils and the staff using them don't need that much support and don't need that much training."
So, instead of trudging to school uphill both ways in the snow with a 20-pound backpack, kids these days are "enlightened students" - reading, writing, and creating all on one innovative, lightweight computing device like Microsoft Surface.
Register today for the September 16th Microsoft EduCast
The Wonders of 1:1 Learning: How devices can empower and enhance student learning - September 16th, 8:00 - 9:00 A.M. Pacific Standard Time
The debut webinar in the 2014-15 Microsoft EduCast series in just one week away! Register today to join academic leaders and educators from around the world for an engaging discussion on the latest insights on 1:1 learning, brought to you by Microsoft IT Academy and the Microsoft Educator Network.
In this month's Microsoft EduCast, " The Wonders of 1-to-1 Learning: How devices can empower and enhance student learning," we'll speak with author Pamela Livingston and expert educator Robin Lowell about how they've used 1:1 learn to break down physical and mental barriers in learning, as well as what the future may hold. Be inspired and learn from their remarkable insights and ideas!
View the upcoming sessions and register today for the September webinar.
Guest post by Todd LaVogue, an innovative teacher at Watson B. Duncan Middle School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
I always felt I was doing things differently in the classroom than other teachers around me. Most teachers I encountered didn't embrace my non-traditional approach to student learning. My students were making significant learning gains but I felt alone. I felt as if I was on an island within my school.
That feeling changed when I was selected as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. I am now in a community of like-minded, forward thinking educators who want to be better at their craft every day.
I have participated in numerous monthly professional development webinars, both as presenter and student, allowing me to learn from some of the best educators in the world from my home.
Even better though, as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, I have had the opportunity to visit the beautiful European cities of Prague (Czech Republic) and Barcelona (Spain) where I collaborated and learned from these amazing educators in person. I have made friends for life and fostered relationships that have connected my classroom with classrooms around the world.
The Microsoft Educator Network is an invaluable source of cutting edge global learning activities and free Microsoft resources. The latest in teaching pedagogy can be found in the "Hot Topics" section within the Microsoft Educator Network.
Being selected as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert has been a validation of my teaching pedagogy. I am more confident in the classroom because of the learning activities I've seen accomplished by teachers from around the world.
Finally, the single greatest experience of being a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert occurred this past spring when I was the only classroom teacher invited to a 90-minute education round table discussion with His Royal Highness Prince Felipe of Spain, who is now the King of Spain. Having His Royal Highness ask me for my opinion on how to approach teaching in an urban classroom environment and watching him take notes while I answered his questions was surreal.
About Todd LaVogueTodd LaVogue is an innovative teacher at Watson B. Duncan Middle School in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Todd placed first in the Educator's Choice category at the 2012 Microsoft Partners in Learning US Forum and third in same category at the 2012 Global Forum in Prague, Czech Republic.
Educators have long recognized back-to-school season as a time for a fresh start. Whether it's rethinking a classroom set-up, reading lists, or a long-standing policy, the new school year represents a unique opportunity to reevaluate decisions -- big and small. When it comes to assessing what technology is right for your school, those decisions are never clear-cut. While innovative education for the 21st century is not just about the device, it's becoming more and more evident that the right device is a critical component of a meaningful learning experience, focused on positive student outcomes.
Today, many schools are choosing Windows 8 devices for flexibility, ease of management and business class security with the Microsoft commitment to privacy. Hear why IT school leaders are choosing to standardize on the Windows 8 platform to support both their 1:1 and blended mobile device deployment models:
At Brighton Grammar School for boys in Australia, a new chapter in its educational program is beginning with their switch to Windows 8 devices. "For our senior years - that's years 7 to 12 - we had the Android program," says David Humphreys, Director of ICT at Brighton. "Both parents and students were telling us that the devices weren't as suitable as they would like for learning, and they were seen as more of a device for content consumption. Pretty quickly we decided on a Windows 8 platform."
The intuitive touch screens and interactive stylus in Windows 8 devices have captured the students' imaginations, empowered teachers with the possibilities of engaging students to learn anytime, anywhere , and satisfied demanding parents who wanted to ensure their students were learning with powerful technology that was safe, secure, and would prepare students for their futures.
"We have heard feedback from some parents who are considering the school because of our technology program, which is largely based around the Windows 8 platform and Microsoft software tools."
- David Humphreys, Director of ICT, Brighton Grammar School
"I would say that the most important change that we've seen is that the boys are moving away from simply using the devices to read, to scan, to jot down information," says Shelley Turek, Coordinator of Teaching and Learning Year 7-8 at Brighton. "We are now using the devices and the programs to be involved in collaboration in a way that we couldn't on the last platform."
Like most districts in the U.S., California's Fresno Unified School District - home to 72,000 students, 10,000 employees and 150,000 parents, on more than 100 different campuses - has been preparing for the move to Common Core, looking closely at the right technology to support their vision for a district-wide 1:1 Program. Fresno USD is in a metro area surrounded by a large agricultural community, which is one of the highest concentrated poverty areas in America, so finding the robust technology at the right price was essential. They chose a Windows 8 platform.
"We looked at the Chromebook, Android tablets, and the iPad," says Kurt Madden, CTO of Fresno Unified School District. "Ultimately we felt a Windows 8.1 device would better meet our needs across the board due to security, management, cost, and Common Core requirements."
At Easterby Elementary, a K-6 school in Fresno, Windows 8 has transformed classrooms - for both the teachers and students. "It allows me to get kids out of seats," said 4th-grade teacher Patrick Martino. "They can work anywhere!"
"Ultimately we felt a Windows 8.1 device would better meet our needs across the board due to security, management, cost, and Common Core requirements."
- Kurt Madden, Chief Technology Officer, Fresno Unified School District
Fresno USD and Brighton Grammar School are vastly different schools that represent the broad array of schools and districts around the world choosing Windows 8 - others include the School Improvement Network, Erasmus Hogeschool, Springfield Public Schools, Stockton Unified School District and Willis Independent School District. School leaders at these schools and districts have found that Windows 8 devices provide their students and teachers the most features, flexibility, security, affordability, and increased productivity. "We haven't once regretted our decision to move to Office 365," says Philippe Van Laethem, IT Manager at Erasmus Hogeschool. "Microsoft provided great tools to make the migration as smooth as possible, and Office 365 is an excellent platform."
Of course, features and devices alone won't impact education in a way that significantly affects student performance. That's why Microsoft provides product-specific training with ongoing, integrated professional development to ensure that teachers and school leaders have the skills they need to deliver curriculum on the devices that leads to improved student outcomes.
"It's engaging; it's exciting; it hits the kids right where they're at," adds Martino. "It connects us with the rest of the world. It puts the ability to think, to create, to read, to learn right at their fingertips."
To learn even more about how schools around the world are making the switch to Windows 8 devices.
More Information
Delve
Delve just launched today and will be rolling out to all Office 365 Education tenants very soon.
What is Delve?
Delve is a new way of having information presented to you rather than you searching and finding information. It is the first in a new series of intelligent and social work experiences.
See more on Delve here.
Custom theme on the portal navigation bar
You can now select a custom theme to change your school colors and logo on the Office 365 portal navigation bar. You can even link the logo to a school intranet or external site page.
Select the Company hyperlink in the upper right hand corner in the Office 365 administrator console:
Change the default navigation bar themes. End users can also customize their own colors if they choose.
This is rolling out to every tenant. See here for more details.
Shared Computer Activation
This is a very useful feature for education customers that have Citrix or Terminal Services machines or even classroom carts and would like to leverage Student Advantage or Office 365 ProPlus on these virtual/physical machines. Prior to SCA, there was no way for Office 365 ProPlus (OPP) to run on an RDS machine or even shared classroom cart machine.
You can now install OPP using the Office Deployment Kit on in these use case scenarios and it will enable SCA when you add the following to the configuration.xml file:
<Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="True" /> <Property Name="SharedComputerLicensing" Value="1" />
Screen A would be an OPP installation using SCA and Screen B would be traditional OPP installation with activation:
See here for more details on SCA.
Students heading back to school in the next few weeks will be graduating into a very different world from that of their parents and teachers - one where technology is woven into every aspect of college and work life. And today's digital natives are keenly aware that the right kind of education can set them on the right course for life.
"Kids are always very interested in 'How does this apply to me?' and 'Where does this fit in real world?' and it's a no-brainer to me that the biggest hook is technology," says Tim Harkrider, Superintendent of Willis Independent School District in Texas.
At Willis ISD, as with many school districts, a high percentage of students live in low income households, where technology isn't easily accessible. The technology available at school has even more importance as students prepare to enter the 21st century world of college and the workforce. "We've gone from the stage of needing a big, powerful computer to needing something that's more simple," says Deborah Menefee, Director of Technology at Willis. Willis ISD chose ASUS Transformer Book T100 tablets, equipped with Windows 8.1 for their flexibility, portability, and security.
"We did look at Chromebooks," adds Menefee. "[And] we did not like the restrictions. It is a totally different atmosphere. They want to know where Word is or where Excel is because that's what they're used to using."
When it comes to finding the right device for your school or classroom, Microsoft provides the resources schools need to both consume and create content. With our offering, schools don't need to sacrifice or compromise their needs due to cost.
At Twickenham Academy in London, a Microsoft Showcase School, choosing the right device was about harnessing the power of technology to allow students to learn at their own pace, anywhere and at anytime. "We're actually creating is a situation where students are using the technology, the tools that they'll actually be expected to use in the workplace now and in the future," says Dwayne Philip, Assistant Principal at Twickenham Academy.
"When we were choosing which device, we couldn't think of a better device than the Surface," adds Philip.
And what about the students? For Brendan Hellweg, a senior at Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts, his Surface has changed the way he uses technology. "It's such a convenient tool, but at the same time it has so much utility, so many different functions, that it's more than just a tablet," says Hellweg. "It's a great combination and I've loved using it."
While every school and classroom has its own unique needs, providing students with every possible advantage to succeed is universal. "I want to be able to show them that the world they're going into is all about computers," say Joe Barbara, English Teacher at Willis High School. "There isn't a job that's going to ask you for your penmanship, and I want them prepared for that. The best way to do that, I think, is to put that in their hands now and let them start that process."
For More Information
Finding the right Windows 8 device is a key part of empowering education in classrooms. Visit Microsoft in Education for more information on which products may be best for your school or classroom, and for product specials for teachers and students. Compare Windows 8 devices to iPads and to Chromebooks.
As back-to-school preparations begin in earnest, many schools are embarking on a powerful journey of their own - the transition to 1:1 device learning programs that empower educators, inspire students, and transform entire school districts. "It may sound corny, but the digital transformation will mean these students will have the world in the palm of their hands," says Patricia Lewis, Chair of the Social Studies Department at North Miami Senior High School.
At Miami-Dade County Public School District, home to more than 500,000 students from pre-K to adult, Lewis and her fellow teachers are at the forefront of 1:1 digital convergence initiatives:
"Often [school] systems embark on a digital convergence plan, buying devices first, not considering the digital content needs, and forgetting about professional development," says Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools. "This district, in partnership with Microsoft, is leading with human capital development."
When Leon County Schools in Tallahassee, Florida, set out to become a 1:1 school district, they did so with teachers as their central focus. "For us, it was about the curriculum, not the technology," says Bill Nimmons, IT Director of Leon County Schools. "Key to this approach was choosing an operating system that minimized the need for additional training for our teachers and students, allowed us to use existing curriculum and applications without limitations and minimizing the need to retrain technical staff on additional software to support our 1:1 environment -- all things that Windows 8 allows us to do." Here's a look at Leon County's innovative 1:1 mobile program:
Ease of deployment, professional development programs, and maximum flexibility in devices were all paramount in Leon County's decision to use Windows 8 for their 1:1 program. "Windows 8 allows us to do this in a cost effective manner," added Nimmons. "Whether teachers choose to use a laptop, tablet, or other device, with Windows 8, our entire district-supported curriculum is available."
In South Carolina at Chester County School District , school leaders of this rural school district wanted to give their 5,526 students an innovative learning experience with technology. By having a 1:1 learning environment, they are ensuring all students have access to the devices and tools they need to be successful in the classroom as well as prepare them for the workforce.
"Windows-based devices were selected based on our priorities of Microsoft Windows 8, a long battery life, and durability," says Dr. Agnes Slayman, Chester County School District Superintendent. "Although [selecting] the device was a key part of our 1:1 initiative, we understood that the device was merely an educational tool. What we had to rollout was a whole new approach to teaching; we needed our teachers, students, parents, and community members to embrace the use of technology in learning and applying vast amounts of instant information."
Empowered education is bigger than any particular device. What truly matters are the programs, curricula, and tools to help students prepare themselves for the futures - and for teachers, the training and professional development they need to stay ahead of the curve. Innovative education today is about putting teachers and their students first, then technology. Microsoft is committed to partnering with schools to help them embark on a 1:1 learning journey and to consider how the devices, applications including education apps and products like Office 365, Bing, Skype, OneNote, and OneDrive all work together to support learning.
"This world is moving fast and finally education is catching up," says Jessica Mouttet, 7th grade teacher at W.R. Thomas Middle School in Miami-Dade County. "It's about time."
To learn more about how Microsoft's technology and tools can empower students, prepare them for the workforce and instill a life-long love of learning, visit Microsoft in Education, and find out more information on revolutionary learning systems - including 1:1 programs - and creating innovative schools.
Back-to-school time used to mean an abrupt - and sometimes difficult - shift from the freedom and fresh air of summertime to long days in the classroom. For today's students, learning takes place not only in the classroom, but also at home, outside, in libraries, and any place with an Internet connection. Effective learning technology needs to be as smart, flexible and hardworking as today's students and teachers.
For one UK school, anywhere, anytime learning plays a critical role in transforming their approach to 21st century learning, resulting in more engaged students and better student outcomes. Broadclyst Primary School, a Microsoft Showcase School, adopted a range of Windows 8 devices - from PCs to laptops to Surface tablets - all running Windows 8 with Office 365. According to Broadclyst head teacher Jonathan Bishop, "With Office 365, anytime, anywhere learning is becoming a real reality for all children." Watch more on how Broadclyst is using anytime anywhere learning to engage students in and out of the classroom:
Bishop sees the benefits of anywhere, anytime learning - and the flexibility and power of Windows 8 devices - in action every day.
"[Students] might be working on a project at their desks, but then they want to go and conduct some market research…they will take their device with them [to other parts of the school] or outdoors into the forest school or the allotment. We've got a ruggedized Windows 8 device so it's waterproof and drop-proof, and having the array of different devices that meet the needs of the task makes it really powerful."
- Jonathan Bishop, Head Teacher at Broadclyst Primary School, UK
Teachers at the school appreciate the easy transition to Windows 8, and the seamlessness of a single operating system across multiple devices. As teacher Matt Pitt explains, "[Students] can actually use the same operating system across a range of devices, which means we're teaching one skillset instead of several." He adds, "[This] means that children can get on with the task of learning without having to worry about whether they can use equipment correctly because the operating system for Surface, for a desktop, for a laptop -- it's all the same."
For Twickenham Academy in London, another Microsoft Showcase School, Windows 8 Surface devices have empowered anywhere, anytime learning and then some.
Twickenham Assistant Principal Dwayne Philip says the initial goal was simple: "How do we give students a set of learning experiences that would prepare them for the world after school to lead successful lives and to become life-long learners?"
School leaders and teachers at Twickenham knew they needed portable devices to bridge the at-home digital divide and to accommodate different styles of teaching and learning. They also recognized that Office 365 would provide a learning platform that would translate beyond school and into the world of work. "In terms of making the choice, I think the critical thing for us was coming back to our values," Philip adds. "One of our core values was that we educate for life. And we had to think, well, life beyond school walls."
Find more information about how your school can empower students and educators with anytime, anywhere learning
Guest blog by Gina Ruffcorn, a 5th grade teacher at West Harrison Elementary School in Mondamin, Iowa, who is obsessed with exploring new ideas and Mystery Skype!
The magic of Mystery Skype can be discovered in a myriad of ways. Sometimes you don't even see the trick; it just manifests itself right before your eyes.
Allow me to share an example from my 5th grade classroom. Before Mystery Skype my students never considered themselves or their lives to be of much interest to anyone. They didn't believe they had anything unique or special to offer. Just small town kids in a small rural school district in Mondamin, Iowa. However, through the power of Mystery Skype my kids soon realized the reasons they perceived themselves to be ordinary were in fact the things that made them unique. As we took part in Mystery Skype lessons, sharing our information and our personal experiences with many others, my students began to view themselves and their community from a new perspective. They carried themselves differently, spoke more confidently, and held their heads up just a little higher. It was a magical transformation which was completely unforeseen and unexpected.
Skype in the classroom is free global teaching community. It helps teachers create and find a variety of transformational and engaging experiences for their students through the use of Skype. It's free, quick, and easy to join at www.education.skype.com.
Mystery Skype - an educational activity played by two classroom on Skype, where each has to guess where the other is located - has been described using many words like exciting, engaging and even magical. Those adjectives are completely accurate; Mystery Skype encompasses all of those concepts and more. However there is one thing that Mystery Skype is not. It is not a mere time-filler. The very idea that Mystery Skype could be viewed as a fluffy activity to pass time is ludicrous. I have had this discussion more than once and I have answers to stifle the hardiest of naysayers.
First, Mystery Skype addresses many areas of Common Core standards. Social Studies benchmarks, Speaking and Listening standards and 21st century skills can be met through the use of Mystery Skype. It incorporates the 4Cs: critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and of course communication. Ah, that may all be fine and good you think, but what about assessing the activity?
Well, evaluation can be done summatively or formatively. Let me share a student response from a formative assessment in my class that demonstrates this.
The skills I have now from my experiences.
The things I know now that I learned from our sessions.
Mystery Skype is most definitely a game-like learning activity, and a fun one at that. However, it is inarguably a genuine learning opportunity -developed by teachers - that meets Common Core standards and assessment criteria. Teachers adapt the process according to age group, subject taught, and level of expertise. We've even introduced 'Fantasy Skype' to our classroom. If we've completed and enjoyed a Mystery Skype lesson with a class and want to interact with them again, we simply both choose a fantasy location and recreate the activity that way.
Just this time last year I was a Mystery Skype novice. In the beginning, we encountered a few learning challenges and I worried that my students' critical thinking skills were woefully undeveloped. We persevered successfully, and I will start this year with a good amount of Mystery Skype experience and 100 sessions under my teaching belt. As teachers, we return to the classroom with ideas, hopes and dreams for the new school year. We all make plans to incorporate more innovative, collaborative activities in our classrooms. Mystery Skype should be at the top of the list!
To learn more about how it works and find classes to Mystery Skype with, it's free and easy to join Skype in the classroom. Also consider following #MysterySkype if you use Twitter. If you are interested in the ways I use Skype in the classroom, you can connect with mehere, follow me on Twitter, @gruffcorn13 or read more on my blog. Finally, be sure to check out @SkypeClassroom and #SkypeAtoZ on Twitter for 26 days of lesson-inspiring stories and tips, from A to Z in the run up to back-to-school.
As many students head back to school over the next few weeks, they face ever-increasing pressure - to perform well on standardized tests (including Common Core in much of the U.S.), to meet parent and teacher expectations, and to prepare themselves for higher education and a fast-changing job market. Yet when students are inspired, those pressures can quickly take a back seat to deep, meaningful learning.
Most teachers will tell you that the best way to inspire students is to engage them in ways that are comfortable for them - there's simply no better way to connect with students than to do it on their terms. The proliferation of mobile computing has created a generation of digital native students. Windows 8 devices are powerful, flexible and secure -- built to support serious learning, as well as fun and creativity.
These students, representing a range of grade levels in U.S. schools, weren't shy in expressing their enthusiasm for learning with the devices and apps empowered with Windows 8:
With the right devices and tools, both teaching and learning are transformed. A powerful yet affordable Windows device - whether tablet, laptop or smart phone - becomes a jumping-off point for real creativity, expression of ideas, and meaningful learning. Students can conduct research using safe and ad-free Bing for Schools, while simultaneously collaborating with peers across the room -- or even across the ocean. As one teacher noted, "They can imagine when they're reading, but they can experience with the tablet."
At Jean-Jaurès School in Albi, France, Windows 8 tablets are motivating both students and teachers:
According to school principal Jean-Pierre Crochet, their successful digital transition started from a simple observation: "The children are part of the digital generation," he says, "they are familiar with these tools, so it is important for teaching to evolve and for digital technology to be introduced." With the ultimate objective - preparing students for the future - front-and-center, Crochet adds, "We have new citizens that we need to train with the tools they will find in the world of work."
With devices and technology that keep students' needs in mind, learning moves effortlessly between school and home. Technology teacher David Arderiu notes, "The tablet running Windows 8 was a very easy choice because 99 percent of students already had Windows at home." The school's students can now access their work anywhere and at any time, expanding the definition of "classroom" and promoting life-long learning.
Enthusiastic student react with excitement to Windows 8 devices and learning apps. As one student noted, "Nothing is out of bounds with these things!" Without fail, students discover new ways to learn using Windows 8, often surprising even their teachers. By breaking down boundaries and giving students the tools to explore and experience, Windows in the classroom offers limitless opportunities to learn. Teacher Jessica Mouttet of Miami, Florida says it best: "It's amazing how they can do and how far they can go with this."
Learn More
To learn more about how Microsoft's technology and tools can empower students, prepare them for the workforce and instill a life-long love of learning, visit Microsoft in Education, and discover special offers for teachers and students at the Microsoft Store.