Investing in teachers’ growth to help them be more effective is key to improving student learning. The reason: teacher quality has more impact on students than any school education program or policy does, and in fact, teacher effectiveness is the largest factor influencing student outcomes, outside of family background1.
To transform education, it’s critical that all teachers, leaders, and staff have the ability and capacity to continually evolve their methods and adopt new technologies as lifelong learners. Microsoft education has developed many resources for educators and other school staff, whether they are classroom teachers, school leaders, or in other roles.
Introducing the Microsoft Learn Educator Center
With the shift to the new Microsoft Learn Educator Center, we have taken the opportunity to refine the professional growth offerings we have available for educators and school leaders. We strive to support them in becoming proficient in Microsoft technologies, and in learning more innovative classroom skills through fun, guided, hands-on content specific to their role and goals.
Beginning on July 1, 2022, the Microsoft Innovative Educator badge will be retired. In its place, we’ll have a new set of educator learning opportunities to help you and your colleagues grow your skills—and work towards the Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE) program.
Microsoft Educator
(Starting July 1, 2022)If an educator or school leader is new to Microsoft teaching and learning tools, this learning path we have curated will help get you started. Focused on best practice and some basics for facilitating a blended or hybrid learning environment, this is the first step in a professional growth journey. To unlock this badge, successfully complete this online through the Microsoft Learn Educator Center, or through one of our training partners in an instructor-led setting.
Microsoft Advanced Educator
(Starting October 1, 2022)
Once an educator or school leader has earned the Educator badge and is ready to go deeper into Microsoft tools in teaching and learning, successful completion of two learning paths will unlock the Advanced Educator badge.
To experience all the toolsets and features that Teams has for supporting an inclusive and accessible learning environment, begin with Master Microsoft Teams for any learning environment.
Navigate through the 21st Century Learning Design learning path to see how skills such as collaboration, self-regulation, skilled communication, problem solving, knowledge construction and the use of Information and communications technology (ICT) for learning can be embedded into lessons to ensure that students are successful in their future roles. By successfully completing this learning path, you will be prepared to take the Microsoft Certified Educator Exam.
(Note: This is an annual badge and there will be new criteria each year for educators and school leaders to earn their annual Microsoft Advanced Educator badge).
Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE)
Are you an educator who is striving to find new ways to engage your students and colleagues? (By “educator” we mean either a classroom teacher, a school leader, a professional learning specialist/trainer, an instructional aide, a curriculum specialist, or anyone who impacts teaching and learning in their role). If so, and you’d like to connect with a global, professional learning community of other educators just like yourself who are constantly pushing the boundaries of how learning functions in the classroom, we would love to have you as a part of our Microsoft Innovative Expert (MIE) community!
MIE Experts will be selected by the regional Microsoft representative based on the quality of the responses to the self-nomination form, the level of innovation and use of Microsoft tools described in the learning activity, and the level of detail describing how becoming a part of the program will impact both teaching and student learning.
1Aaronson et al., 2007; Jordan et al., 1997
