Microsoft is proud to welcome more than 43,000 Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Experts and 900 Microsoft Showcase Schools into our global education empowerment community for the 2025–2026 academic year. The MIE Experts 2025-2026 cohort and this year’s Showcase Schools distinguish themselves through their visionary leadership, embracing AI transformation and fostering AI literacy to reimagine learning.

Across education institutions, educators, and students, AI use is surging. MIE Experts and Showcase Schools play a crucial role in their communities by integrating Microsoft technologies and championing learning. With 70% of skills used in most jobs expected to change by 2030, these educators and schools are at the forefront of preparing students for the future.¹ We’re excited to work alongside these changemakers, and we anticipate a year filled with meaningful connections, shared learning experiences, and transformative impact.

Championed by Microsoft Elevate

The MIE Expert and Showcase School programs are set to benefit from a deeper commitment to people-centered AI innovation through Microsoft Elevate, Microsoft’s initiative to empower educators, nonprofit organizations, and workforce partners with advanced AI capabilities. By connecting the MIE Expert and Showcase School programs to Microsoft Elevate, we are renewing our focus on educators to ensure that individuals remain at the center of progress, while fostering community engagement and driving meaningful impact across global learning communities.

During the launch of Microsoft Elevate, MIE Expert Eleanor Jenkins expressed her enthusiasm about the transformative potential of AI in education:

The future of what students are going to be working in, the careers they’re going to have, don’t exist at the moment…we have to define the way the world works and the way the world is going to change.

Eleanor Jenkins, Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert

The benefits of joining these communities are substantial. Educators gain access to exclusive resources, leadership opportunities, and recognition for their impact. Through Microsoft Elevate, participants also receive support in using AI to enhance teaching and learning. Whether through coaching, presenting at conferences, or collaborating across the world, these educators are empowered to lead change, inspire others, and shape the future of education. Together, they form a vibrant community committed to equity, innovation, and lifelong learning.

MIE Experts 2025-2026

MIE Experts are visionary educators who utilize Microsoft tools to create inclusive, student-centered learning environments. Participation begins with completing professional learning paths which equip educators with future-ready skills and tools to personalize learning. They engage actively in Microsoft technology integration, build connections through both global and local networks, and inspire innovation within their schools and communities. We honor their passion for growth and proudly welcome the 2025–2026 MIE Experts!

MIE Fellows 2025-2026

MIE Fellows are distinguished leaders within the MIE Expert and Showcase School community, personally nominated by Microsoft team members. They have demonstrated excellence in the MIE Expert or Showcase School program—or both—through coaching, mentoring, sharing their knowledge broadly at conferences, and providing rich professional learning to other educators. As part of this program, MIE Fellows take on leadership roles within their region and work closely with the Microsoft Elevate team to offer support and growth within the MIE Expert community.

Microsoft Showcase Schools 2025-2026

Microsoft Showcase Schools serve as trailblazers in educational transformation, leading the way in the integration of AI and future-ready skills. These schools use Microsoft technology and AI solutions to boost student engagement, foster collaboration, and prepare learners for the evolving demands of the modern world. As models of innovation and leadership, they demonstrate how purposeful use of technology can empower students to thrive in an increasingly digital society.

How to join: Become an MIE Expert

If you’re interested in joining this vibrant community, get started today:

• Learn more about the MIE Expert community.
• Complete the AI for Educators learning path through Microsoft Learn.
• Complete the Reading Coach learning module through Microsoft Learn.

How to join: Microsoft Showcase School Program

If you’re a school leader ready to lead transformation, here’s how to get started:

• Learn more about the Microsoft Showcase School program.
• Review the Microsoft Showcase School criteria.
• View the Microsoft Showcase School rubric.

All schools begin on the Incubator path and can apply to become a Showcase School once they meet the criteria.

Elevate education together

As we welcome the 2025–2026 cohort of MIE Experts, MIE Fellows, and Showcase Schools, we celebrate a shared vision: to elevate education through innovation, collaboration, and purpose. These educators and institutions are not just adopting technology—they’re leading transformation, empowering students, and redefining what’s possible in learning. Together, we’re building a global community that uplifts every learner and educator, driving forward a future where education is inclusive, impactful, and inspired.

Stay connected with us

• Join the Microsoft Learn Educator Center.
• Follow Microsoft AI Skills on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
• Follow Microsoft Education on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Pinterest, and YouTube.
• Bookmark the Microsoft Education Blog and visit frequently for news that inspires and resources that support learning.

¹ AI and the Global Economy: Unlocking Growth and Reshaping Work, LinkedIn, 2025

The post Celebrating the 2025–2026 MIE Experts and Showcase Schools appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

From creating personalized practice problems to identifying learning gaps, Math Progress offers insights designed to complement your instruction while keeping students engaged. Whether you’re reinforcing key concepts or identifying areas for growth, Math Progress helps make it easier to support the needs of every student.

Educator benefits:

• Saves time by streamlining assignment creation while providing powerful performance insights to help accelerate learning.
• Tracks student progress and performance at both the student and class level to make informed instructional decisions.

Student benefits:

• Improve math skills with targeted, personalized practice.
• Share feedback on question difficulty so that educators know how to adapt instruction.

How to use Math Progress and generate math problems

Math Progress helps build math skills through educator-led assignments, activities, and insights. You can use the problem generator to create sets of math problems based on a specific topic or design your own. Available in a number of languages, Math Progress is a flexible and inclusive Learning Accelerator for developing math proficiency.

Get started with Math Progress:

1. Launch Microsoft Teams for Education and sign in with your school-issued credentials.
2. Choose a class and select Assignments.
3. Create a new assignment.
4. Select Learning Accelerators and choose Math Progress.
5. Select the Generate tab.
6. Choose a category and topic from the dropdown menus.
7. Select the Generate button.

Use Math Progress to create problems in four categories: numbers and operations, fractions, expressions and equations, and algebra. Each category includes specific topics so that you can target concepts that need more focus.

Tip: Want a different set of questions? Simply select the Generate button again for a new set of questions.

Selecting questions to include

Math Progress can help you save time by making it easier to build assignments tailored to your students’ needs.

After generating questions, select the types of questions and number of problems that best suit your students—challenging them without overwhelming them. The questions you pick appear in the sidebar beneath Selected questions. To remove one, select the “X” next to the problem to remove it from the list.

Tip: Choose a few questions, then select the Generate button again. Math Progress keeps your selected items and provides a fresh set, making it easy to build the ideal assessment.

Creating your own math questions

Need a custom word problem or exit ticket? Write your own questions with Math Progress and mix and match them with the generated items for more personalized, flexible assignments. This option can be used in a variety of ways—whether you’re reinforcing key concepts, differentiating for student needs, or aligning with classroom events. For example, you might tie assignments to themes like Pi Day.

To write your own items for a Math Progress assignment:

1. Select the Create your own tab.
2. Select the Add question button.
3. Choose an option from the Category and Topic dropdown menus.
4. Choose Multiple Choice or Short Answer.
5. Type a question.
6. Add a point value.
7. Type the equation or select the blue icon to open a Basic calculator or Formulas.
8. Select Save to add the problem to the Selected questions list.

Tip: For multiple choice questions, Math Progress automatically creates answer options from your equation—saving you time and letting you focus on supporting your students.

Customizing math assignments and sharing with students

Math Progress gives you control over how assignments are presented and the types of student feedback you collect. After you’ve generated or written questions and selected Next, you’ll see three customization options in the sidebar:

• Show your work – Ask students to upload a photo showing how they solved a problem. Images can be uploaded from Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, or their own device by taking screenshots or using their device’s camera.
• Student rating – Encourage students to rate each question from easy to hard, giving you insights about the challenge level.
• Shuffle question order – Randomize questions for students while keeping the original order in place for your review.

When you’re finished customizing your questions, select Done to open the Microsoft Teams assignment screen. There, you can add a title, description, due date, and additional options before sharing it with students.

Tip: From the Customize settings window, you can also edit questions and response options. This is helpful for spotting and refining assignment details before publishing.

Tracking student progress and performance

Math Progress gives you rich insights to support each student’s growth in math. After students submit their assignments, you’ll see automatically reviewed results to help you address student misconceptions and adjust your instruction. Pinpoint areas of opportunity by analyzing trends at both the individual student and class level.

To review assignment submissions:

1. Go to Assignments and select Ready to grade.
2. Choose the Math Progress assignment.
3. Select a student in your class to review their work.

Each submission includes the student’s assignment grade, point total, and question rating for at-a-glance review. Compare to class provides a convenient way to link examining an individual’s performance in relation to the class and over time. Student misconceptions are also listed, helping you identify areas for growth and target your instruction more efficiently.

When you review student math assignment submissions, you’ll find color-coded correct and incorrect answers along with a drop-down menu where you can change the grade to correct, incorrect, or incomplete. You can even select a thumbnail of each student’s work to better understand their problem-solving process.

When you’re ready, add written feedback and choose how you want to return the assignment. Returned work includes a breakdown of the student’s grade, point total, question ratings, misconceptions, and feedback along with automatically generated steps for solving incorrect problems. This means students can learn from their mistakes and keep improving—while helping you save time on providing individualized feedback.

Tip: Select the paperclip icon in the feedback box to attach a tutorial video, help guide, or a Word file with extra problems, making it easy for students to revise and reinforce skills.

Get started with Math Progress

Engage your students in deliberate practice with real-time coaching on math concepts. Use Math Progress to free up your time with tools that streamline assignment creation, review, and analysis. Gain insights to personalize math instruction, strengthen foundational skills, and boost student confidence—one problem at a time. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to deepen your impact, this guide to Math Progress is designed to help you make the most of every learning moment.

The post An educator’s guide to Math Progress appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

Designed for teachers, instructional leaders, and decision makers, these AI practice activities offer hands-on opportunities to build skills, spark innovation, and support thoughtful integration of AI into your everyday tasks. Download the latest version of the Microsoft Education AI Toolkit to get started.

What’s new in the Microsoft Education AI Toolkit

The Microsoft Education AI Toolkit offers a dynamic collection of resources to help educators and leaders confidently explore and implement AI in your institution. Our latest update includes:

• Refreshed AI Snapshots – Connect with role-based AI scenarios and use cases that reflect real classroom and leadership needs.
• Localized, translated versions – Access the toolkit in your preferred language.
• Updated research resources – Stay informed with the latest studies and strategies for responsible and effective AI use in education.

In addition to being part of the full toolkit, AI Snapshots are available as a standalone resource. This offers additional flexibility to explore practical, role-specific AI usage—whether you’re engaging with the full toolkit or seeking quick, targeted insights.

Educators, school leaders, and administrators can discover scenarios and ideas that align with their unique needs and contexts. Start by browsing the AI Snapshots to find examples that resonate with your role and get ideas for implementation.

Find inspiration in AI activities for educators

School breaks and quieter moments in the academic calendar can be a great time to explore new tools. These six activities are designed to help you build confidence with Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat while offering practical ways to build skills, streamline tasks, and spark fresh ideas.

Copilot and Copilot Chat offer unique features for your organization. Copilot Chat provides AI-powered web chat using the latest models, with built-in enterprise data protection at no extra cost. You can view links to sources, generate images, summarize or analyze files, and even use pay-as-you-go agents—all in one place. Microsoft 365 Copilot brings that same intelligence into the apps you use every day, like Word, Excel, and Outlook. It combines the power of AI with your institutional data—documents, presentations, emails, meetings, chats, and more—plus the web to deliver relevant responses with sources.

Activity 1: Celebrate memorable moments

Start your day with something unexpected. Use Copilot Chat to explore a fun or unusual event from that day in history—like a surprising invention, a little-known holiday, or a unique historical first. Then, turn that discovery into a quick classroom activity or conversation starter.

Copy and paste this prompt into Copilot Chat to get started:

What fun events happened on this day in history? Include things like national holidays, inventions, or unusual milestones. Suggest a simple classroom activity I could do with [grade level] students to explore or celebrate that moment.

Activity 2: Transform lesson plans with a twist

For educators new to using Copilot Chat, creating a simple lesson plan can be a great way to get familiar with its features. Start with a basic prompt, review the output, and refine your prompts to get more detailed and tailored responses. This iterative process helps to ensure that your lesson plans are thorough, engaging, and impactful for your students.

Opportunities for your team:

• Educators – Create custom lesson plans to reflect current topics or classroom needs.
• Instructional coaches – Develop templates and engaging resources to support educators.
• Curriculum developers – Design comprehensive standards-aligned materials.

Level up with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Use Copilot in PowerPoint to create a visually appealing presentation based on your lesson plan. Transform your lesson content into slides, incorporating multimedia elements and compelling visuals.

Activity 3: Curate custom reading lists

Design an inclusive book club experience that excites your students—or even your colleagues. Ask Copilot Chat to suggest books based on a theme, grade level, or reading goal. You can go further by prompting it to include discussion questions, vocabulary highlights, or companion activities.

Opportunities for your team:

• Literacy specialists – Prepare resources for home practice that reflect student interests.
• Librarians – Plan a seasonal or themed reading event in the library.
• Paraeducators – Create inclusive book club experiences tailored to students’ interests and reading goals.

Copy and paste this prompt into Copilot Chat:

Design an inclusive book club experience for my [students/colleagues] based on a [theme, grade level, or reading goal]. Suggest a list of books and use evidence-based strategies like Universal Design for Learning (UDL), cognitive diversity, and accessibility best practices. Include discussion questions, vocabulary highlights, and companion activities that support diverse learning needs.

Level up with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Use Copilot in Word or PowerPoint to generate a polished reading guide using your past lessons, student data, or curriculum themes. Copilot can pull from your existing documents to format the list, add parent or caregiver communication, or align suggestions with current instructional goals.

Activity 4: Design your own professional learning adventure

Build new skills with a plan tailored to your goals. Use Copilot Chat to help you design a learning plan based on your timeline and focus areas. Whether it’s tech tools, leadership, or curriculum design, Copilot Chat can break it into steps and adjust as you progress.

Opportunities for your team:

• Instructional technology coaches – Create an engaging implementation plan.
• Educators – Set learning goals that align to your teaching focus.
• Grade level team or department – Identify shared skilling needs and build new skills together.

Level up with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Use Copilot in Word or PowerPoint to turn your growth plan into a professional artifact—like a skilling roadmap, reflection summary, or team presentation—drawing from your past professional learning records, meeting notes, or goal-setting documents. Let Copilot help you structure and polish it for use in performance reviews or team planning.

Activity 5: Tidy up your digital files

Managing digital files can become overwhelming, making it difficult to find essential resources when you need them. Copilot simplifies this process by helping you organize and streamline your files effectively.

Opportunities for your team:

• Educators – Organize lesson plans, student work, and resources for easy access.
• School leaders – Manage important documents and reports efficiently.
• Counselors – Organize student records, counseling notes, and resources to provide timely and meaningful support to students.

Copy and paste this prompt into Copilot Chat:

I’m an educator organizing files like lesson plans, slide decks, handouts, assessments, and grading sheets. Suggest a consistent, scalable file naming convention that includes subject, grade level, date or term, and version.

Level up with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Use Copilot in OneDrive to categorize and tag files, making them easier to search and retrieve when needed.

Activity 6: Discover, share, and inspire with your favorite prompts

Explore the Copilot Prompt Gallery to find practical ideas for using AI in your role—whether you’re in the classroom, coaching, or leading a team. Then, use what you’ve learned to inspire others. Ask Copilot Chat to help you share your favorite tips, prompts, or strategies in formats like newsletters, team updates, or social posts.

Opportunities for your team:

• Educators – Find new use cases tailored to your daily responsibilities and share innovative AI prompts with fellow educators.
• School leaders – Inspire colleagues with practical, ready-to-use ideas.
• IT professionals – Build momentum for AI adoption across your school or team.

Level up with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Use Microsoft 365 Copilot to build a resource or campaign—combine key prompts, outline a rollout plan, and tailor content for your audience.

These AI activities for educators are just the beginning. By trying even one or two, you’ll get a feel for how Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat can support your day-to-day work—while helping you build skills for the future.

Ready to elevate your teaching with AI tools? Bookmark this post and download the Microsoft Education AI Toolkit to enhance your educational strategies.

The post 6 inspiring, real-world AI activities for educators appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

Enhance classroom instruction and student engagement

Copilot availability for students 13 and older

Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot availability for students aged 13 and older is coming this summer with enterprise data protection and IT controls. A study from Microsoft Research found that most students demonstrated remarkable curiosity when using AI, asking sophisticated questions that extended beyond their task at hand and led to deeper understanding.

Feedback from schools in our preview emphasized the value of training, clear guidelines, and space for students and educators to learn together. As we move forward, we’re focused on providing tools and support that help schools use AI in ways that work best for their communities. We’re optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead to help students advance their learning and build skills to prepare for success in their future.

Empowering everyone with agents in Copilot Chat

Specialized AI assistants, known as agents, expand the capabilities of generative AI by allowing customization and the ability to work for you or alongside you. Agents can be tailored to support you with expertise in instructional design, unique student preferences, institutional data analysis, and many other tasks. You can build an agent using natural language and additional configuration in Copilot Chat or get started with an agent template.

With Copilot Chat, agents can be accessed and managed directly in the chat and enterprise data protection helps keep your experience safe and secure. Whether you’re building a custom agent or taking advantage of agent templates, there are numerous ways that agents in Copilot Chat can make a positive impact on your day-to-day activities. Get started and discover how agents in Copilot Chat can enhance the way you learn and teach.

New educator features in Reading Coach

Reading Coach, a Microsoft Learning Accelerator, now includes features designed to support educators in guiding and monitoring student reading practice. Educators can create and share custom reading practice, set time-based reading goals, and select passages from the built-in ReadWorks library or allow students to choose from AI-generated stories.

Here’s what’s new:

• Create and share reading experiences – Share your own passages or choose from the robust ReadWorks library to bring high-quality content designed to improve effectiveness and student achievement to your students. They’ll also have the option to explore AI-generated stories that match their interests.
• Encourage independent practice – Encourage students to increase their reading endurance by setting personalized, time-based goals.
• Simplify access – Students can join practice sessions using a link or code, depending on what works best for your classroom.
• Stay connected to progress – Teacher mode offers visibility into how students are engaging with each practice and how their reading is developing over time.
• Use data to guide support – Track time spent reading, passage completion, correct words per minute, and reading accuracy to help inform instruction.

These features are available to educators and students using school-issued Microsoft credentials. Explore the new features and get started today.

Professional learning opportunities

A collection of AI literacy resources

Educators across the world are using AI to streamline lesson planning, personalize instruction, and enhance accessibility. There’s a strong opportunity to boost understanding and use AI more intentionally through professional learning and thoughtful practices. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine your AI capabilities, we have free training and resources to help you build AI skills and integrate AI in meaningful and responsible ways.

These resources will help you build confidence in using AI and discover innovative ways to support student learning and save time. Continue growing your expertise by experimenting with AI tools and collaborating with peers to share best practices. Explore our collection of AI skilling resources for you and your students.

Equipping learners with essential AI skills

Over the past few years, companies around the world have seen a paradigm shift in how individuals consume content and attain new skills—changes that will only continue to accelerate and evolve. This shift highlights the need for continuous adaptation to emerging technologies and collaborative efforts to bridge the AI skills gap. Microsoft and Pearson, the world’s lifelong learning company, announced a strategic collaboration to help organizations realize the full value of AI through reskilling.

The partnership extends the efforts of both Microsoft and Pearson to provide AI skilling to people across the globe. Whether you, your team, or your students are just getting started or looking to refine your capabilities, discover learning opportunities to support your journey.

Possibilities for innovation

Become an MIE Expert or Showcase School

The opportunity of AI is here, empowering educators and institutions to drive innovation and redefine possibilities in education. We recognize and support leading educators and schools through the Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Experts and Showcase Schools programs. If you’re leading education innovation for your students, this is your opportunity!

Nominations for the 2025-2026 academic year are open until July 31, 2025. Learn how you can empower your entire community—students, educators, and staff—to achieve better outcomes today and prepare for the opportunities of tomorrow.

Defend against cyberthreats with student SOCs

The Microsoft Student SOC (Security Operations Center) initiative aims to bridge the significant skills gap in the cybersecurity sector and education. This initiative includes the Microsoft Student SOC Toolkit and implementation guide as free resources, along with training and certification to assist leaders at high schools and universities in addressing the cybersecurity challenges faced in education.

Student SOCs are becoming increasingly popular across the US, largely because of the need for an extra set of hands on security teams. With a student SOC, educational institutions can strengthen their cybersecurity defenses while also offering students invaluable hands-on training that equips them with the skills to step confidently into the workforce.

Optimizing AI strategy in higher education

As generative AI is increasingly embraced in higher education, school leaders are rethinking how they teach, conduct research, and support students and staff—driving innovation that’s reshaping the future of higher education. Define your institutional strategy and innovate with confidence by using the Cloud AI Adoption for Higher Education e-book. It offers structured guidance that helps prepare organizations to adopt AI at scale.

To fully harness AI’s potential, it’s important to develop cohesive strategies that align AI adoption with the core mission of your institution, ensuring long-term impact and responsible evolution. Get started with the Cloud AI Adoption for Higher Education e-book to develop an AI strategy and implementation plan.

These are just a few of the latest updates and features available—and we’re not stopping there. Microsoft Education supports educators with tools, features, and resources designed to simplify workflows, enhance student engagement and professional learning, and foster innovation. Explore these tools and updates today—and check back often for more ways to reimagine education with Microsoft.

The post Extend your teaching toolkit with the latest updates from Microsoft Education appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

School breaks are a powerful time to dream, explore, and tinker with new ideas, tools, and approaches. What could next year look like with a fresh perspective and a little inspiration?

With Microsoft’s suite of tools—especially the ease and power of Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat—you’re well-equipped to refresh your approach, spark creativity, and return with renewed confidence. This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing differently—with tools to support your creativity, flexibility, and joy.

Still mid-year where you’re located? These ideas are just as useful when your own break arrives. Whenever your season of rest comes, we hope you’ll take time to reflect and recharge.

Reflect and embrace educator self-care and inspiration

School breaks are a time to slow down. Before diving into anything new, take a moment to reflect on all you’ve accomplished.

• What energized you this year?
• What did your students love?
• What might you want to try differently next time?

Based on these questions, use one of these prompts in Copilot Chat to create a fun memento of your school year:

• Write a rap that summarizes the most valuable lessons I’ve learned this year including [lessons]. Make it fun and inspiring.
• Draft a letter to my future self about what I want to remember from this school year, including [lessons learned, great moments, challenges, and things to do differently next year].

If you have access to Microsoft 365 Copilot, copy and paste these prompts to deepen your reflection:

• Summarize the top themes from my meeting notes this school year so I can reflect on what worked well.
• Create a gratitude journal entry using my Microsoft Planner or OneNote entries from this year.

However you process—journaling, walking, talking with peers—we invite you to pause and celebrate your impact. You’ve earned it.

Play with new ideas

Learning during breaks doesn’t have to be formal. Think of it as a creative sandbox: open-ended, low-stakes, and even fun.

Curious about what’s possible with the tools you already use? Try out Learning Accelerators—free tools included in Microsoft 365 Education that personalize learning, provide real-time coaching, and help students build both foundational and future-ready skills.

Want to experiment with AI? Here are a few prompts to try in Copilot Chat to help you experiment, imagine, and try something new—on your own terms. No grades. No deadlines. Just space to explore.

• Write three “what if?” questions to help me rethink my classroom setup or daily schedule.
• Help me explore a new theme or concept I could center my teaching around next year—something that brings joy and meaning to my [grade level] students.
• Generate three simple ideas I could try next year that make learning more engaging and creative in my [grade level] class. They should be very low-prep and adaptable to different concepts.

Even one small idea can reshape how next year feels. Let Copilot Chat be your creative assistant to help you imagine, test, and create with freedom.

Grow your skills your way

Professional growth can happen anytime—it doesn’t need to wait for a workshop or professional learning day. Whether you’re diving deep or just browsing, Microsoft has flexible, on-demand resources to support your goals. Pick what feels useful now and save the rest for later.

• If you’re helping to shape your organization’s AI strategy or policies, the Microsoft Education AI Toolkit offers guidance and strategies designed for K-20 leaders to support effective and responsible AI integration.
• If you’re looking to introduce AI to students, the AI Classroom Toolkit uses storytelling and activities to help students aged 13–15 understand AI in an engaging, age-appropriate way.
• If you’re an educator looking to collaborate and grow your AI skills, the Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert program connects you with a global community of educators leading the way in transforming learning with technology.

Professional learning should feel energizing, not overwhelming. These resources are here to help you explore what’s out there and see where it leads.

Dream big for a new school year

Whether you’re designing new lessons, rethinking your classroom setup, or imagining a more joyful next term, this is a perfect time to plant seeds. Educators who explore new tools in low-stakes environments are often more likely to foster innovative, student-centered classrooms. Your playful experiments today could shape a more joyful, engaging year ahead.

Use this quiet stretch to ask, “what if?” What if grading felt easier? What if students could create in new ways? What if you had tools that worked for you? Let this be your season of curiosity.

With your school or work account, you can build an agent using natural language right in Copilot Chat. Explore and customize agents to perform a variety of tasks, working alongside you to offer suggestions, automate repetitive tasks, and provide insights. Simply open Copilot Chat, select “Create an agent” from the panel on the upper right, and describe what you want the agent to do.

Note: If you’re creating a student-facing agent, be sure to check with your institution’s policies around AI tools and student data first.

Tailor these agent ideas in Copilot Chat to help you lighten your workload and inspire fresh inspiration. Add specific publicly available websites or any relevant SharePoint files to help the agent provide the most accurate information.

• Welcome agent: Build an agent to help eligible students navigate classroom routines, schedules, and where to find key materials during the first week of school. The agent should provide daily reminders, a class schedule, and a guide for finding supplies and materials.
• Reading buddy agent: Develop an agent to guide students through independent reading. The agent should offer book suggestions based on reading level and interests, provide daily reflection prompts, and present vocabulary support relevant to the book students are reading.
• Unit planner agent: Craft an agent that supports curriculum organization by suggesting pacing and supports. The agent should recommend a weekly plan for lessons, propose formative assessments, and include resource links to enhance student learning.
• Individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan accommodation reminder agent: Design an agent that summarizes student accommodations and provides differentiation ideas in lesson planning. The agent should list students with specific accommodations for upcoming lessons or tasks and suggest modifications for tasks based on their needs.
• Morning message agent: Create an agent that generates cheerful, reflective prompts or quotes to start the day. The agent should offer positive greetings, suggest mindfulness activities, and ask reflective questions to foster a positive classroom environment.

Ready to turn your ideas into reality? Use the “Configure” tab to refine your agents’ instructions, add knowledge sources, or adjust starter prompts. Breaks are a great time to experiment, so let your creativity lead the way.

Here’s to you

We see you. We’re grateful for everything you’ve done this year—whether you’re wrapping up your school year or still moving through it. As you rest, reset, and reimagine what’s next, we’re here when you’re ready—with tools, ideas, and possibilities for the year ahead.

The post Recharge and reimagine your next school year appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

AI in education professional learning resources

Integrating AI in education is a journey that takes time, practice, and professional learning. With the right support you can explore new tools, build confidence, and use AI in ways that make a real difference to you and your students. These free resources are here to help you grow, and help your students thrive:

• AI for educators learning path – Discover how to enhance teaching and learning with Microsoft 365 Copilot, along with AI-powered tools in Microsoft Edge browser, Word, PowerPoint, Minecraft Education, and more. You have the option to complete the entire learning path or focus on individual modules based on your goals.
• AI for education – Learn how to use AI for educational purposes with a collection of training and professional learning resources for educators on Microsoft Learn.
• AI skills for educators – Prepare yourself and your students with AI skills for the future with free, ready-to-use AI training, resources, and programs from Microsoft.
• Microsoft Education AI Toolkit – Navigate AI frameworks, guidelines, and examples quickly with a toolkit tailored for education leaders and educators.

Integrating AI into your teaching can support student learning, streamline routine tasks, and help build digital fluency. Continue developing your knowledge, collaborating with colleagues, and lead the way in responsible AI use in your school.

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat professional learning resources

Copilot Chat is the AI chat experience you can use every day. It’s powered by broad knowledge from the web, built on the latest AI models, and designed to be safe and secure. Enhance teaching and learning with Copilot Chat by personalizing learning, boosting creativity, and simplifying administrative tasks.

Learn how you can maximize the potential of AI in education with these Copilot Chat resources:

• Enhance teaching and learning with Copilot Chat – Learn how to use Copilot Chat, along with basic concepts, modes, features, and strategies to create effective prompts.
• Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat resources for education – Access resources to help you, your colleagues, and your school community get started with Copilot Chat.
• Copilot Scenario Library – Discover how to integrate AI into your daily workflow with day-in-the-life examples tailored to your role in education.

Try a few AI ideas out now and bring fresh collaboration, creativity, and engagement strategies to your classroom later.

Minecraft Education professional learning resources

Use Minecraft Education to engage students in immersive lessons, group projects, build challenges, and e-sports programs. Students can build digital skills while practicing critical thinking and collaboration in creative worlds. Check out these trainings and resources to help bring Minecraft Education to life in your classroom:

• Minecraft Education Teacher Academy – Learn how to incorporate Minecraft Education into your teaching practice no matter your level of experience in game-based learning. Explore free, on-demand content where you can learn alongside others.
• AI Foundations: Teaching AI Literacy – Discover how to integrate Minecraft Education’s AI Foundations lessons and tools into your classroom, equipping students with the skills to understand and use AI responsibly.
• Minecraft Teachers’ Lounge – Connect with more than 10,000 fellow educators in the Minecraft Teachers’ Lounge on Facebook—a vibrant, moderated space to find inspiration, share your wins, and discover creative ways to use Minecraft across subjects.
• Minecraft Lesson Crafter – Try your hand at creating a custom lesson plan for Minecraft Education with this AI-powered lesson generator tool. The tool offers a straightforward way for educators to use generative AI to create practical teaching resources, build confidence with using AI, and introduce Minecraft Education in their classrooms. Get started by signing in with your school-issued Microsoft credentials.

Minecraft Education helps you spark creativity, encourage collaboration, and build essential digital skills—preparing students for success in an evolving world.

Additional professional learning resources for educators

Your passion for teaching shows in everything you do—and Microsoft Education has the tools to help you go even further. Whether you want to learn more about literacy skill building, accessibility in educational environments, or cybersecurity best practices, you’ll find free, ready-to-use resources to support your goals and your students.

Explore resources to strengthen key skills:

• Build reading fluency with Reading Coach – Learn how to use Reading Coach, a free, standalone Learning Accelerator that uses AI to personalize reading content and practice for students. This learning module includes a new unit on the educator features in Reading Coach.
• Accessibility: Build the foundation for inclusive learning – Discover how to create an inclusive learning environment with accessibility principles and the Microsoft tools to support it.
• Build cybersecurity resilience in K-12 classrooms – Understand cyberthreats, implement security best practices, and foster a culture of cybersecurity to protect students and educators.
• Microsoft Learn Educator Center – Explore additional professional learning resources for educators and find programs that help meet your goals.

Take this opportunity to cultivate your passions and expand your professional skills. No matter your focus, Microsoft solutions and resources are designed to help you drive innovation, foster inclusion, and prioritize security.

Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert program

Take your professional growth to the next level by joining the Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert program. MIE Experts share a common vision: They inspire students with creative thinking and collaboration, using Microsoft technology across their curriculum and in their classrooms. If this describes your experience, we’re looking for visionaries like you! As a member of the MIE Expert global community of 30,000 educators, you’ll connect with colleagues around the world to share insights, learn from each other, and shape the future of education.

By exploring these professional learning resources now, you can gain new strategies and deeper skills to support your students’ success. As you learn, know that Microsoft is here to support you—helping you navigate change, implement new tools, and stay focused on what matters most: your students. Bookmark this post, share it with your peers, and revisit it anytime as you plan for a fresh start, whether it’s a new term, semester, or school year.

The post Boost your skills with flexible learning for educators appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

Join the Microsoft Skills for Social Impact team for informational office hours to start your journey as an MIE Expert or Showcase School. They’ll share more information about each program, and you’ll learn about new opportunities and resources available for educators and schools. These sessions are open to every educator and school leader: Invite your colleagues and register now!

Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert program

MIE Experts share a common vision: They inspire students with creative thinking and collaboration, using Microsoft technology across their curriculum and in their classrooms. If this describes your experience, we’re looking for visionaries like you! As a member of the MIE Expert global community of 30,000 educators, you’ll connect with colleagues around the world to share insights, learn from each other, and shape the future of education.

How to become an MIE Expert

1. Join Microsoft Learn: Start by creating your profile on Microsoft Learn to track your achievements.
2. Complete key learning paths on Microsoft Learn:
   • Microsoft Educator academy
   • AI for educators
   • Build reading fluency with Reading Coach (featuring new features for educators)
   • Build cybersecurity resilience in K-12 classrooms
3. Review the nomination questions: View helpful guidance and access the list of nomination questions (automatic download).
4. Nominate yourself: By July 31, 2025, submit your self-nomination, showcasing your innovative use of Microsoft tools as an educator. Note that only nominations submitted during the nomination period will be considered.

Microsoft Showcase Schools program

If your school is a center of innovative teaching and learning, becoming a Microsoft Showcase School can help you achieve even more. Showcase Schools are models of education innovation that use technology to create learning experiences, building essential skills for the future.

How to become a Showcase School

1. Familiarize yourself with the Showcase School criteria: Review the Showcase School criteria to understand the program’s principles.
2. Assess your school: Use the Showcase School rubric to evaluate your school’s current standing and areas for growth.
3. Prepare your evidence PowerPoint: Collate evidence of your use of Microsoft tools to enhance teaching and learning.
4. Nominate your school: Fill out the self-nomination form by July 31, 2025, demonstrating how your school has integrated technology to enhance education. Note that only nominations submitted during the nomination period will be considered.

Embrace the future of education

Recognition matters—but becoming a Showcase School or MIE Expert goes beyond recognition. You’ll become part of a global movement that redefines education through technology. This is your opportunity to shape education and to prepare students for a world where digital literacy is not just valued—it’s essential.

Microsoft Education equips educators and institutions with the tools to foster innovation, productivity, and equitable learning opportunities. By empowering students and educators to achieve their potential, Microsoft helps build a future where inclusive, effective education is accessible to all. We’re calling for educators and institutions who dare to dream big. Join the community of innovators who are creating the future of education.

Connect with Microsoft

Stay up to date on the latest news and resources from Microsoft Education and Microsoft Skills for Social Impact to support teaching and learning around the world.

• Join the Microsoft Learn Educator Center.
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
• Bookmark the Microsoft Education Blog and visit frequently for news that inspires and supports learning.

From simplifying operations to fostering meaningful engagement and driving innovation, Microsoft provides education institutions with tools and resources to excel in a competitive, digital-first world. Learn how you can empower your entire community—students, educators, and staff—to achieve better outcomes today and prepare for the opportunities of tomorrow.

The post Educators of the future: Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts and Showcase Schools appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

The 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report from Microsoft and LinkedIn also found that 66% of leaders say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills. As we celebrate National AI Literacy Day in the US on March 28 this year, it’s clear that no one company will likely be able to meet the opportunities of tomorrow. We believe it’ll take innovative partnerships to meaningfully impact the lives of people around the world with AI literacy and skills development.

Empowering learners with essential AI skills

Microsoft and Pearson, the world’s lifelong learning company, announced a strategic collaboration to help address one of the top challenges facing organizations globally: skilling for the era of AI. The partnership will focus on providing employers, workers, and learners with AI-powered products and services to help prepare the current and future workforce across industries for the evolving landscape of work in an AI-powered economy. By combining Pearson’s expertise in learning and assessment with Microsoft’s cloud and AI technologies, this partnership will play a foundational role in helping organizations realize the full value of AI through reskilling.

Microsoft and Pearson are addressing the challenges and opportunities around reskilling at the ASU-GSV Summit in San Diego, US, April 6-9, 2025. The summit is dedicated to the scaled innovations in the delivery of education and workforce skills that are critical to creating a world in which all people have equal access to the future.

At ASU-GSV, Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Learning, Jeana Jorgensen, will join Pearson President of Workforce Skills, Vishaal Gupta, for a discussion on transforming skills development and talent planning for the AI era. They’ll talk about how rapid intervention is needed or we risk the AI skills gap becoming a skills chasm, threatening the ability of individuals and organizations to thrive in an AI-powered future.

I’ll be also joining Vishaal and Jeana for a discussion at ASU-GSV on skilling for the AI era. We’ll dive deeper into how the Microsoft and Pearson collaboration will transform and scale AI skilling and help organizations equip learners and workers with the critical skills they need to succeed in a technology-driven world.

Rethinking reskilling

Given the urgent need to rethink learning and reskill workers, Microsoft and Pearson will collaborate in several ways, including:

• Personalized learning at scale – Pearson will power its trusted and world-renowned content, assessment, upskilling, and certification services with Microsoft Azure cloud computing and AI infrastructure. This partnership will help Pearson further scale AI and technology capabilities across the business, expanding personalized learning and AI-enabled services to millions of learners, at different stages in their learning journey across the globe.
• Innovative collaboration – Pearson and Microsoft will launch a strategic collaboration aimed at helping people build AI proficiency and technical skills through new AI credentials and certifications. Additionally, Pearson and Microsoft will collaborate on a series of copilots, agents, and AI tools targeted at helping people develop skills—such as English language learning—and identify skills gaps seamlessly while they work.
• Investing in technology-driven careers – Microsoft will extend its current partnership with Pearson VUE, a key provider of Microsoft Cloud and Office certifications, through 2029. These certifications have already helped millions of young people, educators, and workers prepare for jobs that use Microsoft’s world-class technology. This expansion will open these vital credentials to scores of additional learners and workers around the world.
• Powering the Pearson workforce – After having piloted and tested Microsoft 365 Copilot, Pearson will expand its use by deploying it to its global workforce. This is part of an ongoing effort to introduce workplace AI tools that enhance efficiency, creativity, and productivity and drive better operational performance.

The partnership extends the efforts of both Microsoft and Pearson to provide AI skilling to people across the globe. In 2024, Microsoft and its partners trained and certified over 23 million people in digital skills. Pearson launched its Generative AI Foundations certification to equip professionals and students with the essential skills needed to work with generative AI technologies. Additionally, organizations around the world use Pearson VUE, along with Pearson’s AI-powered Faethm capability, and Credly badging to diagnose, assess, and certify skills.

Develop your AI skills

Curious about additional ways to develop AI literacy and build AI skills? Get started today and join the Microsoft AI Skills Fest. Registration is open now to engage in deep dives, experiential content, hackathons, and practical sessions that will enhance your AI skills over 50 days of discovery and learning, starting April 8, 2025.

There’s a significant opportunity to work together to build AI skills and empower the future workforce. Whether you, your team, or your students are just getting started or looking to refine your capabilities, discover resources to support your journey.

¹ IDC InfoBrief: sponsored by Microsoft, 2024 Business Opportunity of AI, IDC# US52699124, November 2024

The post Transforming the future of learning and work with AI skilling appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

There’s a strong opportunity to boost understanding and use AI more intentionally through professional learning and thoughtful practices. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine your AI capabilities, we have free training and resources to help you build AI skills and integrate AI in meaningful and responsible ways. Get started by exploring our curated list of resources to help you and your students develop AI literacy skills.

Develop your AI literacy with professional learning

To support meaningful AI integration in education, it’s important to engage in professional development opportunities that build foundational knowledge. Explore these free learning resources designed to deepen your expertise and give you the tools to incorporate AI into your classroom:

• AI for educators learning path – Use this foundational training on Microsoft Learn to enhance your AI literacy and explore how to integrate AI into your classroom.
• AI skills for educators – Jump-start your AI skilling through free training courses and programs like the Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert global professional learning community.
• AI for education resources and learning opportunities – Discover resources and courses on how to use AI for education with Microsoft.
• Microsoft Education AI Toolkit – Access a collection of AI resources, research, and best practices for education leaders to support AI adoption in schools.

By engaging with these resources, you’ll build confidence in using AI and discover innovative ways to support student learning and save time. Continue growing your expertise by experimenting with AI tools and collaborating with peers to share best practices.

Grow your skillset with the Microsoft AI Skills Fest

Join the Microsoft AI Skills Fest to build your skills and stay ahead. No matter your role in education, the AI Skills Fest offers experiences tailored to your needs. Engage in deep dives, experiential content, hackathons, and practical sessions that will enhance your AI skills over 50 days of discovery and learning, starting April 8, 2025.

Additionally, we can make history together while attempting a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS^TM title for most users to take an online multi-level artificial intelligence lesson in 24 hours. It’s easy: Join us on April 8, build your skills, test your knowledge, and attest your participation. We’ll kick things off on April 7 at 23:00 UTC (9:00 AM AEST) and conclude on April 8 at 23:00 UTC (16:00 PDT), with learning events scheduled around the globe. Participate in this unique opportunity to learn, compete, and celebrate your achievements!

Enhance teaching and learning with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat

Copilot Chat enhances teaching and learning by helping you simplify administrative tasks, personalize learning, and enhance creativity. Learn how you can maximize the potential of AI in education with the following Copilot Chat resources:

• Enhance teaching and learning with Copilot Chat – Explore using Copilot Chat in education by learning basic concepts and features and then applying that knowledge to design effective prompts and analyze results.
• Copilot Chat resources for education – Find resources to help you, your team, and your institution get started with Copilot Chat.
• Meet your AI assistant for education – Delve into this blog post to help you get started with Copilot Chat to write prompts and generate images.

These materials will help you integrate Copilot Chat into your daily workflows and create more engaging learning experiences. Keep exploring new ways to use AI-powered tools to personalize instruction, prepare students for the future, and save time on your routine tasks.

Improve your students’ AI literacy

Building students’ AI literacy is essential to preparing them for the future. Use these pre-planned lessons and immersive experiences to demonstrate AI concepts while fostering critical thinking and responsible AI use:

• AI Foundations – Discover a set of accessible, engaging materials for building AI literacy with Minecraft. The program is designed to empower students, educators, and families with a fundamental understanding of how AI works and how to use AI tools responsibly.
• CyberSafe AI: Dig Deeper – Help students develop responsible AI habits by exploring academic integrity, human oversight, and data privacy in this engaging Minecraft world.
• AI Classroom Toolkit – Access lesson plans, activities, and teaching strategies for students ages 13-15 to introduce AI literacy into your classroom.

By incorporating these experiences into your curriculum, you’ll empower students to understand and interact with AI responsibly. Encourage continued learning by fostering discussions about the role of AI in society and the importance of human-centered skills for future careers.

Build a solid foundation with online safety

Empowering students and their families to support informed choices about their online activity is crucial, especially in the context of generative AI. As students engage with AI, it’s important that they have the skills to stay safe and make informed decisions. In 2024, we launched a Family Safety Toolkit which provides guidance on how to use Microsoft’s safety features and family safety settings. This toolkit supports and enhances digital parenting and offers guidance for families looking to navigate the world of generative AI together.

Take the opportunity to build your AI skills on National AI Literacy Day and continue to enhance them throughout the year. By embracing AI literacy, you can empower yourself and your students to confidently navigate the evolving digital landscape. Get started with our free AI literacy resources today to deepen your understanding, integrate AI into your teaching, and prepare your students for the future.

The post Level up your AI skills on National AI Literacy Day appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

Findings from the 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report from Microsoft and LinkedIn show that the cybersecurity industry has an urgent talent shortage that’s expected to grow. MSLE aims to help educators build an effective and continuously updated curriculum to teach students these cybersecurity skills and prepare them for the workplace of the future.

Whether you need guidance on integrating security teaching into your curriculum or you’re an experienced security educator looking to discover additional resources and labs, MSLE has you covered.

Work with Microsoft Training Services Partners to be cybersecurity ready

In August 2024, we launched the MSLE Cybersecurity and AI Bootcamp, building on the popular MSLE Foundational AI Bootcamp. The MSLE Cybersecurity and AI Bootcamp is designed to prepare educators and faculty across multiple disciplines to use MSLE curricula and classroom resources to teach students critical security concepts, threat mitigation, and related AI skills. The bootcamp takes the form of flexible, train-the-trainer sessions, either in person or virtually, depending on your school’s or institution’s preferences.

“We know that it’s really hard for educational institutions to not only keep their curriculum up to date on technical topics,” explains Liz Butowicz, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of Microsoft Training Services Partner (TSP) Black Dog Black Cat, “but also to skill their faculty and educators on delivering those new skills to their students. Microsoft developed the Microsoft Learn for Educators AI Bootcamps program to tackle these problems.”

Bootcamps are led by trainers from the global network of Microsoft TSPs equipped with official MSLE resources. They’re designed to train higher education and other post-secondary educators on how to use these resources within their existing course syllabi, create new courses or programs, and deliver Microsoft Certification exam preparation courses to their students. “Educators are often just presented with resources,” continues Butowicz, “and they need to figure out what to use. In the bootcamps, we can walk them through that and help speed up adoption of the material.”

The bootcamp structure and content can be customized to meet your institution’s specific needs, and it is typically divided into three sessions.

The three-part Microsoft Learn for Educators Cybersecurity and AI Bootcamp was fantastic, helping our faculty understand the AI-related teaching resources within MSLE they can now use in their courses. It can be difficult to find technical instructors, and the bootcamp helped build instructional capacity and can help educators transition into advanced teaching roles.

Jonathan W. Townes, Vice President of Career and Technical Education, Sponsored Grants, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Initiatives, Hinds Community College

Boost your cybersecurity curriculum with MSLE training resources

Even if you don’t feel the need for an instructor-led bootcamp experience, you can still use MSLE resources to help you learn new skills and build curricula around cybersecurity and AI-related concepts. With MSLE offerings, you can access tools and resources to enable innovative, experiential learning to augment students’ existing degree paths.

MSLE uses Microsoft Official Courseware (MOC), along with up-to-date training materials that feature an emphasis on real-world scenarios. The program includes instructional tools, test preparation content, interactive labs, and resources supporting Microsoft Certifications—all designed to integrate into your classes.

Microsoft’s teaching resources and materials, with self-paced study and certification options, [made] it ideal for teachers and students in any subject: science, math, and even humanities. The content can be used in any course or classroom and [can] help students prepare for future transitions into higher education or the workforce.

Jonathan W. Townes, Vice President of Career and Technical Education, Sponsored Grants, and HBCU Initiatives, Hinds Community College

MSLE also offers professional development, training resources, and support for educators and faculty at your institution through TSPs. This is coupled with community features, such as forums, networking sessions, office hours with community managers, and more. The program also offers discounted exam vouchers to help you get certified to teach cutting-edge technology subjects.

Take the next steps with MSLE

MSLE is here to help you get the training and skills you need to prepare your students for the opportunities of the era of AI and cybersecurity. To learn more about bootcamps or to find a TSP and discuss joining a bootcamp, check out the MSLE AI Bootcamp for Educators.

To access training materials, education resources, and more, join the Microsoft Learn for Educators program for free.

The post Level up your cybersecurity curriculum with MSLE appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

Microsoft Education prioritizes providing solutions and tools to help you be cybersafe. Learn five ways that you can prioritize cybersecurity—from using AI for school cybersecurity reports to implementing role access—to help keep your school and users safe during the school year.

• Assess vulnerabilities with Microsoft Defender XRD and Defender Vulnerability Management.
• Generate complex security reports with Microsoft Copilot for Security.
• Manage threats with Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, and SecOps.
• Implement role-based access with Microsoft Entra ID.
• Safeguard student devices with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 – Students.

1. Assess vulnerabilities

It’s critical to regularly evaluate systems for vulnerabilities and security risks in addition to strategically setting up proactive controls and resilient infrastructure. Because school cyberthreats like phishing, malware, and data exfiltration deliberately seek and target known vulnerabilities, prioritize closing existing security gaps with vulnerability and risk assessments.

Microsoft Defender XDR offers various features to identify risks and vulnerabilities, complementing your existing Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solution, based on your subscription including Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management. Play the video to learn how you can gain real-time insights for threat discovery.

2. Generate complex security reports with custom promptbooks

Microsoft Copilot for Security helps you increase your defense efficiency, capabilities, and outcomes at machine speed and scale, while remaining compliant with responsible AI principles. 

This natural language, assistive experience can support you in end-to-end scenarios such as incident response, threat hunting, intelligence gathering, and posture management. Watch the video for a more comprehensive understanding of how Copilot for Security can help you use AI for cybersecurity in your school.

Copilot for Security includes built-in promptbooks—predefined sets of prompts that automate common, repeatable workstreams that generate complex security reports—and includes these time-saving features.

• Suspicious script analysis: Analyze the intent, intelligence, threat actors, and impacts of a suspicious script.
• Microsoft Defender incident investigation: Learn about a specific incident, with related alerts, reputation scores, users, and devices.
• Threat actor profile: Profile a known actor with suggestions for protecting against common tools and tactics.
• Vulnerability impact assessment: Summarize the intelligence for a known vulnerability and how to address it.
• Microsoft Sentinel incident investigation: Explore a specific incident, along with related alerts, reputation scores, users, and devices.

Explore the Get started with Microsoft Copilot for Security learning path on Microsoft Learn to discover prompting tips and more.

3. Manage threats

Schools must identify and mitigate known threats and vulnerabilities. A cybersecurity framework (CSF) assists in managing risks, identifying threats, safeguarding infrastructure, and communicating initiatives. You can rely on Microsoft’s security solutions like Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, and SecOps platform to meet these needs.

• Microsoft Defender XDR: Secures endpoints, identities, workloads, and data, and protects against cyberthreats.
• Microsoft Sentinel: Responds to cyberthreats through data analysis, automation, and machine learning.
• SecOps platform: Unifies XDR and SIEM capabilities for real-time threat detection, exposure management, and AI-driven response.

4. Implement role-based access

Access control is a vital component of security strategy because it helps keep sensitive information from falling into the hands of bad actors. It’s one of the best tools that you can use to minimize the security risk of unauthorized access to data—particularly data stored in the cloud.

As schools use more endpoints, the risk of unauthorized access increases, highlighting the need for comprehensive access control policies. Identity and access management solutions, like Microsoft Entra ID, can simplify the administration of these policies. Recognizing the need to govern how and when data is accessed is the first step.

• Connect on goals: Align with stakeholders on the importance of access control solutions.
• Set strong policies: Design policies to grant, limit, or block access as needed.
• Follow best practices: Set up emergency accounts, apply policies to all apps, test before enforcing, standardize naming, and plan for disruptions.

Explore ways that you can use Microsoft Entra ID for app management, authentication, and more.

5. Secure student devices

Safeguarding student devices against malicious activity has never been more crucial, and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 – Students is here to help. Defender for Endpoint P2 – Students delivers enhanced cybersecurity for students, including device protection that shields students’ devices from phishing, malware, and other attacks. Microsoft integrates advanced cybersecurity measures with Microsoft 365 and other classroom applications to mitigate risks and ensure a secure learning environment for everyone.

Read our blog post about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 – Students to learn more.

In today’s rapidly changing landscape, embracing cybersecurity innovation is crucial. Microsoft is committed to making cybersecurity accessible and affordable for schools by assessing vulnerabilities, generating security reports, managing threats, implementing role-based access, and safeguarding student devices. Learn more with the Secure K-12 school IT practices and systems with Microsoft tools training module on Microsoft Learn.

Join us in creating a safer, more resilient learning environment for students, educators, and staff everywhere.

The post Five tips for IT teams to enhance school cybersecurity this summer appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

Developments in AI are happening quickly, with many exciting new products and features launching. Wondering where to get started with AI tools in education? We’ve got you covered! We’ve compiled a list of free AI tools and offers to kickstart your AI journey.

AI offers opportunities to reshape how we approach creativity, problem-solving, learning, and communication in a time where these skills are more important than ever. It can help educators grow and focus on what matters most and help prepare students for a future where AI will play an increasingly important role in many careers. It’s also important to teach students how to use AI tools in a safe and responsible way, making sure they understand the benefits and potential impacts.

In addition to leveraging new products below, we recommend first building a strong foundation for understanding AI in education with our free training courses and resources. Take the courses in the AI for educators learning path to understand essential AI concepts and applications for your classroom. Use the Classroom Toolkit: Unlock generative AI safely and responsibly to help students gain skills like fact-checking, cultivating good digital hygiene habits, safeguarding their data privacy, and adopting strategies to manage their mental wellbeing effectively.

Take a step toward a more informed and inclusive future with AI. Let curiosity be your guide and explore these free AI tools from Microsoft.

1. Microsoft Copilot

Learn all about Microsoft Copilot, your AI assistant for education. Copilot offers AI-powered web chat, using the latest AI models, with sources and enterprise data protection. It’s available to education staff, faculty, and higher education students aged 18 and older at no additional cost. Get an overview of how to use Copilot, as well as ideas and inspiration for how you can use Copilot to save time, differentiate instruction, and enhance student learning.

• Read Meet your AI assistant for education: Microsoft Copilot to get started.
• Take the Copilot Chat learning module to learn more about using Copilot Chat in education.

2. GitHub Copilot

GitHub Education brings tech and open-source collaboration to students and educators worldwide. To empower the next generation, GitHub Copilot is free for all verified educators and students aged 13 and above. GitHub Copilot suggests code and entire functions in real-time from your editor, allowing you and your students to focus on solving bigger problems and building better software.

With GitHub Copilot Chat, students and teachers can not only get code suggestions, but also ask questions, get explanations, offer prompts for code, and more, all in the integrated development environment (IDE) while staying in the flow.

• Visit GitHub Education to start your journey.
• Read more about GitHub Copilot Chat for students and teachers.

3. Learning Accelerators

Learning Accelerators can help students catch up, keep up, and get ahead. With these powerful tools included in Microsoft 365 Education, students can start practicing right away, and you can start gathering data to help them build their skills.

• Use Reading Coach to provide personalized, engaging, consistent, and independent reading fluency practice. It allows learners to create unique AI-generated stories by choosing characters and settings from a curated collection of options. Reading Coach is available for free as a Windows application and a web app to use in the classroom or at home with a Microsoft account.
• Leverage Search Progress and Search Coach, two information literacy tools, to empower students to seek, evaluate, and use online sources responsibly—a critical step in helping them navigate AI-generated content and the wider information ecosystem with confidence.
• Try Speaker Progress to help develop students’ public speaking with AI-powered real-time coaching. It helps students build confidence, offer a private space to practice and refine presentation delivery, and develop critical communication skills. And as an educator, you can create, customize, and assign speaking projects to your students and collect insights about their performance over time.
• Visit Learning Accelerators: Tools for Students to get started with these powerful tools in your classroom.

4. Microsoft Teams for Education

New AI-powered features in Microsoft Teams for Education, a free communication app for schools, are available to all educators for no additional cost. They leverage AI to draft content like rubrics, assignment instructions, personalized reading passages, and learning objectives, all while keeping the educator in control.  

• In Assignments, get multiple suggestions for how to enrich your content, including creating rubrics and assignment instructions. After the content is created, you can make edits and generate different options. 
• Use Reading Progress, a powerful reading fluency tool, to track students’ reading skills, get actionable insights quickly, and focus students on specific areas for improvement. New enhancements in the tool—AI passage generation and AI comprehension questions generation—can help you save time and personalize learning.
• Visit Microsoft Teams for Schools and Students to download Teams and get started.

5. Minecraft Education AI Foundations

Build AI literacy and digital citizenship with Minecraft Education’s learning content and teaching resources. In fun, immersive worlds and videos, students explore how AI can help us solve real-world problems, demystify the risks and opportunities of AI, and build confidence through game-based learning. Use Minecraft’s lesson planning resources to spark classroom engagement and inspire AI learning.

• Watch and share AI Adventurers, a new animated video series with classroom-ready teaching materials, a parent guide, and free movie poster to capture young imaginations and spark discussion.
• Discover Fantastic Fairgrounds, the new Minecraft world for students ages 8-14, to bring AI concepts to life through fun, values-driven gameplay.
• Teach standards-aligned STEM lessons that build AI literacy like Hour of Code: Generation AI, AI for Earth, and Hour of Code: AI for Good.
• Use the Minecraft Prompt Lab for educators to learn how to use Copilot with sample prompts to create engaging game-based learning lessons and assessment materials.
• Visit aka.ms/MinecraftAI to get started!

6. Khanmigo for Teachers

Khanmigo for Teachers, a pilot AI-powered teaching assistant, is free for educators in more than 40 countries in English due to our new partnership with Khan Academy. Khanmigo streamlines class prep and gives teachers more time and energy to spend with students. As your planning ally and instructional collaborator, Khanmigo leverages Khan Academy content to simplify AI for teachers. No prompting is required. Khanmigo will help create engaging lesson hooks, provide insights on student performance, recommended assignments, and support for refreshing your knowledge.

• Read the article Enhancing the future of education with Khan Academy to learn more and get started today.
• Visit Khanmigo for Teachers to get started.

AI tools are quickly transforming the way schools foster creativity, approach challenges, and enhance learning. We’re here to help you find the tools and resources to feel inspired and level up your teaching skills. Get started with these free AI tools from Microsoft and seamlessly integrate AI into your teaching and learning.

The post Get started with free AI tools from Microsoft Education appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.