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Limitless Learning: how Microsoft's Educational Tools can Benefit Students Remotely and in the Classroom

Article content Public schools in Coquitlam (B.C.) could not have predicted the outbreak.



Article content But the B.C. Article content But the B.C. schools were probably more prepared than others to face the COVID-19 challenges to learning.



It is largely due to its partnership Microsoft. This partnership allows for enhanced use of Microsoft's cloud-based interactive, interactive, and educational tools that enrich learning experiences in the classroom.



Stephen Whiffin, chief information officer and director of instruction for the Coquitlam School district, says there has been a general movement to adopt technology in schools across Canada for a while.



Making use of information technology to enhance learning for the school district's 30,000 students has been a major goal for several years in the past.



"We have been focusing for a while on the introduction of Microsoft 365 Education, because it is a suite is widely used by people."



He notes that Microsoft's familiarity is essential for educators and learners to be able to swiftly take on the software. The school district was able quickly to transition to a virtual, at home learning format following the pandemic.



"All of our teachers already had laptops and laptops that were running Microsoft software and we had the IT infrastructure - also backed by Microsoft - ready to go to ease this shift," says Whiffin.



The new equipment and devices that the school board bought are running the latest cloud-based Windows 10 operating system, allowing for smooth synching with Microsoft's Education tools. Another benefit is that Microsoft provides IT management tools, which allow administrators to manage connected devices and networks.



Article content It also offers its own Surface brand of touchscreen tablet/laptop/desktop hybrids for exceptional performance in educational settings, with affordable to premium price points.



Microsoft's educational tools are built on Office 365, the most popular software for business worldwide. Microsoft offers a free version its education software to teachers and students across Canada through a partnership with school boards. It gives access to powerful tools like Teams, PowerPoint, Excel and Word on their personal devices to help them learn, as well as access to Minecraft Education Edition. Parents and students can also access specific add-ons designed specifically for classroom use.



Whiffin states that Microsoft Teams, a core communication tool in the M365 suite, comes with special plug-ins to support education. This allows remote learning as well as working in the classroom.



Microsoft's education package also includes apps such as OneNote Class Notebooks. This allows teachers to create virtual spaces for individual, small group, and classroom work.



But it's more than just software. As Whiffin adds, Microsoft provides the total package, and that's vital in a world in which learning is expanding beyond the confines of the classroom.



"All the resources must be aligned not only for learning, but for the infrastructure needed to support learning, whether in the classroom at home, in the classroom or wherever education is required to take place.



Article content All Microsoft 365 Education tools are secured by unbeatable security and privacy measures, Whiffin adds.



"That was absolutely critical as parents and teachers were sure that their students would be secure using them," he says. cranialcavity "Without that trust it would have made it difficult to smoothly implement these tools in our classroom."



Microsoft's 365 Education suite proved to be a valuable tool for remote learning during the pandemic. However the most striking proof of its transformative power was that students and teachers continued to use it after returning to classroom learning.



He continues, "That's a testament the quality of education as well as the effectiveness of tools to enhance it."



Microsoft's unifying platform, which addresses all needs of educators and students is the key to the success of the Coquitlam school system.



"The value lies in the fact that Microsoft 365 Education provides one set of tools for doing A to Z in the learning experience," says Whiffin, whether it's making calculations in Excel creating an outline in PowerPoint or chatting in real time on Teams.



To find out more about Microsoft 365 Education, or download the suite, click here.


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