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Limitless Learning Microsoft's Educational Tools Benefit Students Remotely & in The Classroom

Content of the article is similar to schools all over the world public schools in Coquitlam, B.C., could not have foreseen 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 with Microsoft. This partnership provides enhanced use of Microsoft's cloud-based interactive, interactive, and educational tools that enhance learning in the classroom.



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



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



"We'd been focusing for some time on the implementation of Microsoft 365 Education because it provides a set of tools that most people are already familiar with."



He explains that Microsoft's familiarity is essential for teachers and learners to be able to quickly use the software. The school district was able change to a virtual, at home learning format following the pandemic.



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



The new hardware and devices the school board has purchased are running the most recent cloud-based Windows 10 operating system, which allows for seamless synching with Microsoft 365's Education tools. Another upside is Microsoft provides 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 frequently used software for business globally. In collaboration with school boards, Microsoft offers a free version of its education software to teachers and students across Canada. This gives users access to powerful tools such as Teams, PowerPoint, Excel and Word on their personal devices for learning, as as access to Minecraft Education Edition. Students and parents also have access to specific add-ons designed specifically for classroom use.



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



Microsoft's education package also includes applications like OneNote Class Notebooks. This allows teachers to create virtual spaces for private small group, as well as class work.



However, it's more than just software. As Whiffin adds, Microsoft provides the total package, which is vital in an age where learning is increasingly moving beyond the walls of the classroom.



"All resources should be aligned, not just for learning, but also to provide the infrastructure needed to support learning in the classroom and at home.



Article content All Microsoft 365 Education Tools are backed with unparalleled security and privacy features, Whiffin says.



"That was absolutely critical, so parents and educators knew students would be safe using these tools," he says. "Without that trust it would have been a lot more difficult to successfully implement these tools in our classroom."



Microsoft's 365 Education suite proved to be a useful tool for remote learning during the pandemic. Minecraftservers.website However the most striking evidence of its transformative power was the fact that students and teachers continued to use it even after returning to learning in person.



"That's an indication of the quality of the experience and the efficacy of tools for enhancing 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 claims that Microsoft 365 Education offers one set of tools to aid students in their learning whether they're using Excel to build presentations, PowerPoint to crunch numbers, or Teams to connect in real-time.



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


Website: https://minecraftservers.website/