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

Article content Similar to schools across the world, public schools in Coquitlam, B.C., could not have predicted the outbreak.



Article content But the B.C. municipal schools were possibly better equipped than the majority of schools to face the challenges that COVID-19 presented to education.



In no small part this is due to its partnership with Microsoft which enables the use of Microsoft's collection of interactive, educational cloud-based tools that enhance learning experiences in the classroom and beyond.



"There has been, for a while, this general movement to adopt technology in schools everywhere in Canada to support new and innovative approaches to education," explains Stephen Whiffin director of instruction and chief information officer of the Coquitlam School District.



Since the past few years, the aim has been to use technology to enhance learning for the district's 30,000 students from a variety of backgrounds.



"We have been focusing for some time on the introduction of Microsoft 365 Education, because it offers a suite that most people are familiar with."



He explains that Microsoft's familiarity is crucial for educators and students to to quickly adopt the software. The school district was able to transition to an online, at-home learning model following the pandemic.



Whiffin claims that all of our teachers owned laptops and Microsoft software installed on the laptops. The IT infrastructure was also available to help support this rapid change.



The new equipment and devices that the school board bought run on the most up-to-date cloud-based Windows 10 operating system, allowing for smooth connection to Microsoft 365's Education tools. Microsoft also provides IT management tools that allow administrators to manage connected devices as well as networks and other resources.



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 education suite of software is based on the popular Office 365, the premier software for business across the globe. Microsoft offers a no-cost version of its education software to students and teachers across Canada through a partnership with school boards. This gives users access to powerful tools like Teams, PowerPoint, Excel and Word on their devices at home to help them learn, as well as access to Minecraft: Education Edition. welcome to my hut Students and parents also gain access to add-ons specially developed specifically for classroom use.



Whiffin says that Microsoft Teams, a core communication tool in the M365 suite, includes special plug-ins for education. This allows for remote learning and working in the classroom.



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



But, it's not just software. As Whiffin states, Microsoft provides the total package, which is vital in an age where learning is advancing beyond the boundaries of the classroom.



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



Article content All Microsoft 365 Education tools are protected by the most secure and privacy safeguards, Whiffin adds.



He says, "That was absolutely crucial to ensure that parents and teachers were sure that students would be able to use these tools in a safe manner." "Without this trust, it would have been a lot more 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 have continued to use it even after returning to classroom learning.



"That's an indication of the quality of the education and the efficacy of the tools that help improve education," he adds.



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



"The strength is 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 be making calculations in Excel or putting together a presentation in PowerPoint or chatting in real-time on Teams.



Click here to learn more about Microsoft 365 Education or download the suite.


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