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

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



The B.C. Article content But the B.C. schools were probably better prepared than other schools to meet the COVID-19 learning challenges.



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



Stephen Whiffin, chief information officer and director of instruction for the Coquitlam School district, says there has been a broad trend to implement technology in schools across Canada for quite some time.



Since the past few years, the goal was to make use of information technology to improve learning for the district's 30,000 students from a variety of backgrounds.



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



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



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



The new hardware and devices that the school board bought are powered by the latest cloud-based Windows 10 operating system, which allows for seamless synching with Microsoft's Education tools. Microsoft also provides IT management tools that allow administrators to manage connected devices, 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 tools for education are based on Office 365, the most popular software for business around the world. Microsoft offers a free version its education software to teachers and students across Canada through an agreement with school boards. This gives users access to powerful tools like Teams, PowerPoint, Excel and Word on their home device to help them learn, as well as access to Minecraft Education Edition. Parents and students also get access to add-ons specifically designed specifically for classroom use.



"For example, Microsoft Teams - a core communication tool within the M365 suite - comes with special plug-ins specifically designed for education to facilitate working in the classroom and remote learning," says Whiffin.



Additionally, Microsoft's education package includes apps such as OneNote Class Notebooks, which lets teachers easily create virtual spaces for private, group, one-on-one and classroom activities.
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It's not just about software but it's about more than that. As Whiffin adds, Microsoft provides the total package, which is vital in a world where learning is increasingly moving beyond the walls of the classroom.



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



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



"That was vital for parents and teachers to be sure that they knew students would be safe using the tools," he says. It would be much more difficult to introduce 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 proof of its power to transform lives was that students and teachers continued to use it after returning to learning in person.



"That's an indication of the quality of the learning experience and the efficacy of the tools for enhancing education," he adds.



Microsoft's unifying platform, that addresses all needs of teachers and students 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 that can be used to go from A to Z in the learning experience," says Whiffin, whether it be crunching numbers in Excel or putting together an presentation in PowerPoint or chatting in real time on Teams.



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


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