Notes

Limitless Learning Microsoft's Educational Tools help Students Remote 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 , however, the B.C. schools were likely more prepared than other schools to take on the COVID-19 challenges to learning.
Teen Time


It is in large part due to its partnership Microsoft. This partnership provides an enhanced use of Microsoft's suite of cloud-based interactive, interactive, and educational tools that enhance learning in the classroom.



"There has been for a while there has been a general trend to implement technology in schools everywhere in Canada to encourage new and exciting approaches to education," explains Stephen Whiffin director of instruction and chief information officer of the Coquitlam School District.



Utilizing information technology to improve learning for the school district's 30,000 diverse students has been a key goal for several years since.



"We have been focusing for a while on the introduction of Microsoft 365 Education, because it is a suite the majority of people are familiar with."



That familiarity with Microsoft is not overemphasized in its importance in helping with the ease of adoption among learners and educators He explains. As such, when the pandemic struck the school district was able to quickly move to a virtual, at-home learning format.



"All of our teachers already had laptops and laptops that used Microsoft software and we had the IT infrastructure - also backed by Microsoft and ready to help facilitate this fast-paced change," says Whiffin.



The new hardware and devices that the school board bought are powered by the most recent cloud-based Windows 10 operating system, allowing for smooth synching with Microsoft 365's Education tools. Another upside is Microsoft offers IT management tools that 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 globally. Microsoft offers a free version its education software to students and teachers across Canada through the partnership with school boards. This gives users access to powerful tools like Teams, PowerPoint, Excel and Word on their home device for learning, as as access to Minecraft: Education Edition. Students and parents also have access to specific add-ons designed specifically for classroom use.



"For instance, Microsoft Teams - a core communication tool within the M365 suite - has special plug-ins specifically designed for education to assist in classroom learning and remote learning," says Whiffin.



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



It's not just about software but it's about more than that. As Whiffin says, Microsoft provides the total package, which is vital in an era where learning is increasingly moving beyond the walls of the classroom.



"All resources should be aligned, not only for learning, but also for the infrastructure to support learning in the classroom as well as at home.



Article content All Microsoft 365 Education Tools are protected by the most advanced security and privacy measures, Whiffin says.



He says, "That was absolutely crucial to ensure that parents and teachers knew students could use them safely." It would be difficult to implement these tools in our classrooms without that trust.



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



"That's an indication of the quality of the education and the effectiveness of the tools to enhance education," he adds.



Microsoft's unifying platform, which meets the needs of all educators and students is the foundation for the success of the Coquitlam school system.



Whiffin states that Microsoft 365 Education offers one set of tools that can help students learn regardless of whether they're using Excel to create presentations, PowerPoint to crunch numbers or Teams to communicate in real-time.



To learn more about Microsoft 365 Education, or download the suite, visit this.


Website: https://www.teen-time.net/