New this year: The Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts and Microsoft Showcase Schools programs are now being supported by the Microsoft Philanthropies team. The programs are highly valued and are being supported this year in strong collaboration from teams across Microsoft.

Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Experts and MIE Fellows

We invite you to learn more about our community of inspiring educators who take every opportunity to enhance their own learning, enabling them to do more within their educational institutions. In using Microsoft technology, MIE Experts build skills that have a direct impact on the future of their schools and communities at large. They also build connections with an exclusive digital community, at local events, conferences, through social media, and additional mediums.

In welcoming MIE Experts for the 2024-2025 academic year, we recognize their dedication to professional growth and their unwavering enthusiasm for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in education. Through their leadership and innovative practices, MIE Experts are inspiring students to become active participants in their own learning journey, equipping them with the skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world. Join us in welcoming the 2024-2025 MIE Experts!

The MIE Fellows are a select group of MIE Experts who’ve emerged as leaders in their areas, motivating their colleagues and students with creative teaching methods. They actively share their knowledge and experiences, playing a vital role in a global community dedicated to advancing education through technology. Welcome MIE Fellows for 2024-2025!

Microsoft Showcase Schools and Microsoft Incubator Schools

Microsoft Showcase Schools have embraced technology as a catalyst for positive change, weaving it into the fabric of their educational programs to enhance student engagement, collaboration, and achievement.

Being designated as a Microsoft Showcase School is a testament to an institution’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and empowerment by using Microsoft tools. Showcase Schools serve as living examples of how educational technology can elevate learning outcomes, preparing students with future-ready skills.

In the 2024-2025 academic year, we celebrate the remarkable achievements of Microsoft Showcase Schools. These institutions have not only embraced technological advancements but have also created inclusive and student-centered environments where learners are encouraged to explore, experiment, and excel. Join us in welcoming the 2024-2025 Microsoft Showcase Schools!

The Microsoft Incubator Schools are just beginning their journey toward educational transformation. As they embark on this path, their involvement in the Incubator School program allows them to work alongside Microsoft and educational leaders globally, laying the groundwork for substantial, lasting impact. Their journey is in its early stages, and the opportunities for growth and innovation are vast. Welcome Microsoft Incubator Schools for 2024-2025!

Join our community of MIE Experts

In the first half of 2025, you’ll have the opportunity to join nearly 30,000 educators in our MIE Expert community. You can get started by joining the Microsoft Learn Educator Center, where you can access free professional development and resources to support your growth as an educator! Once you join, start working to earn your Microsoft Educator and Advanced Educator badges.

Nominations to become an MIE Expert are expected to open in May 2025. Prepare for your nomination by learning more about how to join the MIE Expert program.

Join the Microsoft Showcase School program

If you’re a school leader who’s interested in joining the Showcase School program, please follow these steps:

• Find out where your school is on the transformation journey by consulting the Showcase School rubric and decide in which areas you’d like your school to grow.
• Learn about the Showcase School program engagement process.
• Fill out a self-nomination form for your school.

Note that all schools joining the program start on the incubator path to begin or expand their transformation journey. When a school reaches the Showcase School criteria, they can then apply to become a Showcase School.

Transforming education together

By embracing these opportunities and resources, educators and school leaders can drive meaningful change and inspire a new generation of learners. Together, let’s transform education and unlock the potential of every student, making a lasting impact on our communities and beyond.

Stay up to date on the latest news and resources from Microsoft Education to support teaching and learning, no matter where you live:

• Sign up for our educator newsletter.
• Subscribe to the Microsoft Education YouTube channel.
• Follow us on TikTok, X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

The post Welcome the 2024-2025 MIE Experts and Microsoft Showcase Schools appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

We’ll highlight some of the recent product updates and capabilities to help you boost student engagement, improve your instruction, and simplify your tasks. We’ll also share professional development opportunities to help you develop and enhance your skills. Let’s dive in and see what’s new in Microsoft Education.

Simplify your workflow with new tools, features, and capabilities

1. Get free access to Khanmigo for Teachers for US educators

We recently announced a new partnership with Khan Academy to help turn the promise of AI in education into reality and increase access to innovation. As part of the partnership, Microsoft is enabling Khan Academy to provide free access to Khanmigo for Teachers to all US educators, we’re collaborating to explore opportunities to improve AI-powered math tutoring with a new open-source small language model, and bringing high-quality education experiences to more learners.

Read about our collaboration with Khan Academy and learn how US educators can get started with Khanmigo for Teachers for free. You can also save or print this quick guide to Khanmigo for Teachers to refer back to as needed.

2. Discover new Minecraft Education, Reflect, and MakeCode experiences inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2

Engage your class with new experiences from Microsoft Education inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2. Create an open and accepting classroom with these new activities from Minecraft Education, Reflect, and MakeCode.

• Dive into a world where emotions come to life and find what brings you joy in a new Minecraft Education build challenge inspired by the movie, complete with a lesson plan and a custom world.
• Explore new brain breaks in Reflect that include stories, games, and coloring pages featuring characters from the movie.
• Celebrate the release with a new Bubble Popping arcade tutorial from MakeCode that features art and characters from the movie.

3. Teach computing skills with Visual Studio Code for Education

Consistent with Microsoft’s commitment to preparing students for the future, we announced the release of our latest product to empower the next generation of developers—Visual Studio Code for Education, a free online computer science education platform. Visual Studio Code for Education is designed for students and educators and provides integrated curriculum and a sandbox coding environment for everyone, with zero setup.

Get started with Visual Studio Code for Education and see how it can be a valuable resource in your classroom!

4. Practice summer reading with Reading Coach

School may be out for summer in many places across the northern hemisphere, but learning doesn’t have to stop! Have your students practice their reading and personalize their own stories using Reading Coach online during the summer break. Reading Coach provides personalized, engaging, and independent reading fluency practice by allowing learners to create unique AI-generated stories by choosing characters and settings from a curated collection of options.

One of the newest features, “Unlock characters and settings,” empowers learners to get a new character or story setting for every 20 minutes of reading. Learners can even trade characters and story settings from a whole new collection. Get started with Reading Coach online for school or home use and scroll further to learn about the new Reading Coach training course for educators on Microsoft Learn.

5. Leap into summer learning with a free game from Microsoft

Help your student stay sharp over the summer break with our free game for students, Leaps and Logs. In this summer learning game, players take on challenges across various subjects including English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Coding, and Arts/Music. The free summer learning activities in Leaps and Logs can be completed by students of most ages (age 8 or older recommended) and players can engage with Leaps and Logs in two different ways: digitally or on paper (with access to a device for embedded task links).

Visit Leap into summer learning with a game from Microsoft for full game directions and the Leaps and Logs game board.

6. Check out the new AI enhancements in Microsoft Teams for Education

New features in Microsoft Teams for Education, a powerful communication app for schools, leverage AI to help you draft content like rubrics and assignment instructions, all while keeping the educator in control.   

• Using generative AI to create rubrics in Assignments: With generative AI integrated into Assignments, enter what you want the rubric to assess, and Assignments will suggest criteria and complete the rubric for you.
• Using generative AI to create instructions in Assignments: Get multiple suggestions for how to enrich the content, such as adding more details, adding learning objectives, emphasizing key concepts, and even making your assignments more interesting. After the content is created, you can make further edits and updates as you go.

Visit What’s New in Microsoft EDU | May 2024 to learn about all the new updates in Microsoft Teams for Education.

7. Explore the new wild wisdom activities collection in Microsoft Reflect

We’re excited to introduce the wild wisdom activities collection in Reflect, featuring stories and coloring pages centered around nature. Reflect is a Learning Accelerator that helps students build important social, emotional, and academic skills by offering quick check-ins, intentional brain breaks, mindfulness activities, and actionable data. Each story in the wild wisdom collection is paired with a corresponding coloring page and highlights the fascinating behaviors of various animals—from dolphin friendships to elephant empathy, and penguin teamwork.

Explore the engaging stories and coloring pages in the new wild wisdom activities collection in Reflect.

8. Enrich teaching and learning experiences with Microsoft Forms updates

Microsoft Forms helps educators assess student progress and create engaging, interactive learning experiences for their students. Check out these updates in Microsoft Forms to easily access your responses and insert a form into a Stream video.

• Form or quiz data sync to Excel: You can now access all your responses in Excel for the web. New responses will sync automatically in real-time, while also leveraging Excel’s robust functions to analyze and evaluate your class’s performance.
• Embed Forms and callouts into Stream videos: You can now insert a form or quiz directly into a Stream video. As the video plays to a specific moment, the form or quiz will appear to the students. Once they’ve completed the form or quiz, they can continue watching the video, providing you with a new way to enhance engagement and assess comprehension in real-time.

Read What’s New in Microsoft EDU | May 2024 to learn about all the latest updates in Microsoft Forms.

9. Adding Universal Print value for educational organizations

Many schools have told us that they need simpler printing solutions and more predictable costs to manage their budgets effectively. To help educational organizations meet their printing needs, we recently announced licensing changes that will address both these issues. Organizations with Microsoft 365 A3 and Microsoft 365 A5 licenses¹ now receive 100 print jobs per license per month. This means that most organizations can use Universal Print with no extra cost if they have eligible licenses.

Read the article Adding Universal Print value for educational organizations to learn more about Universal Print and the new increased print volume.

Stay ahead with professional development opportunities and events

10. Take the new Reading Coach course on Microsoft Learn

Learn how to use Reading Coach, a free tool that uses AI and built-in fluency detection to personalize reading content and practice for learners, with a new training module on Microsoft Learn. The new course will help you understand how to access Reading Coach and use the tool in your classroom. It’ll also help you learn how to describe the core reading functionality of the tool, and how to best use the different reading modes to support your students’ reading fluency.

Take the new Build reading fluency with Reading Coach training module on Microsoft Learn and learn how to get started with Reading Coach.

11. Recharge and explore with summer learning for educators

Many educators in the northern hemisphere are getting ready to take a well-deserved break for the summer. We know that many of you embrace this opportunity to explore new things, so we’ve curated a list of exciting learning experiences to inspire you this summer. These free, flexible professional development resources for teachers allow you to move at your own pace and can be accessed anytime, anywhere.

Visit Recharge and explore with summer learning for educators to tap into our collection of free professional development resources for teachers.

Tap into new possibilities for innovation in education

12. Become an MIE Expert, Showcase School, or Incubator School for 2024-2025

The future is here, and it’s time to step into the spotlight as a beacon of educational innovation. The Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert nominations for the 2024-2025 academic year are open until June 17, 2024, and Showcase School nominations are opening soon. This is your opportunity to shine! Being part of these programs means actively participating in a global movement that redefines education through technology.

Check out the article Become an MIE Expert, Showcase School, or Incubator School for 2024-2025 to learn how to nominate yourself and your school.

Whether you want to discover new ways to engage your students, expand your learning, or tap into possibilities for innovation at your school, Microsoft Education has new features and experiences for you to explore. Happy teaching!

¹ Users with Student Use Benefit licenses can print with Universal Print, but these licenses do not contribute print jobs to the pool. See Product Terms for details about Student Use Benefits and Academic Programs.

The post Discover 12 new ways to enhance your teaching with Microsoft Education appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

MIE Experts

Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Experts have demonstrated a deep commitment to integrating technology into their classrooms, fostering collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking among their students. This community of educators is redefining teaching and learning in the digital age.

The MIE Expert program brings together a diverse community of educators from around the world who share a passion for leveraging Microsoft tools and solutions to create immersive and engaging learning environments. We are proud of their endeavors and honored to support their work as they transform the lives of students.

As we welcome the MIE Experts for the 2023-2024 academic year, we recognize their dedication to professional growth and their unwavering enthusiasm for pushing the boundaries of what is possible in education. Through their leadership and innovative practices, MIE Experts are inspiring students to become active participants in their own learning journey, equipping them with the skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world. View all the MIE Experts for 2023-2024.

Microsoft Showcase Schools

Microsoft Showcase Schools have embraced technology as a catalyst for positive change, weaving it into the fabric of their educational programs to enhance student engagement, collaboration, and achievement.

Being designated as a Microsoft Showcase School is a testament to an institution’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and empowerment by using Microsoft tools. Showcase Schools serve as living examples of how educational technology can elevate learning outcomes, preparing students with future-ready skills.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, we celebrate the remarkable achievements of Microsoft Showcase Schools. These institutions have not only embraced technological advancements but have also created inclusive and student-centered environments where learners are encouraged to explore, experiment, and excel. View all the Microsoft Showcase Schools for 2023-2024.

Join our community of MIE Experts!

Do you want become part of the 30,000+ educators in our MIE Expert community? Get started by joining the Microsoft Learn Educator Center, where you can access free professional development and resources to support your growth as an educator! Once you join, start working to earn your Microsoft Educator and Advanced Educator badges.

Nominations to become an MIE Expert will open in May 2024. Prepare for your nomination to today by following these steps:

• Complete the Microsoft Educator Academy.
• Complete the Master Microsoft Teams for any learning environment learning path.
• Complete the 21st century learning design learning path.

Join the Microsoft Showcase School program

If you are a school leader who is interested in joining the Showcase School program, please follow these steps:

• Review the Microsoft Education Transformation Framework.
• Find out where your school is on the transformation journey by consulting the Showcase School rubric and decide in which areas you’d like your school to grow.
• Learn about the Showcase School program engagement process.
• Fill out a self-nomination form for your school.

All schools joining the program start on the incubator path to begin or expand their transformation journey. When a school reaches the Showcase School criteria, they can then apply to become a Showcase School.

Stay up to date on the latest news and resources from Microsoft Education to support teaching and learning, no matter where you live.

• Join the Microsoft Learn Educator Center.
• Sign up for our educator newsletter.
• Subscribe to our Microsoft Education YouTube channel.
• Follow us on TikTok, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

The post Microsoft’s 2023-2024 MIE Experts and Showcase Schools: Fostering a culture of innovation appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

Learning something new can be a time-consuming and tiring process, but it doesn’t have to be so. Learning Accelerators are designed to help educators boost student learning with free tools that support foundational and future-ready skills.

At Escola Bosque, a Microsoft Showcase School, we use Learning Accelerators, and we are going to specifically talk about how we use Reading Coach, Search Coach, Speaker Coach, and Microsoft Reflect. All these Learning Accelerators are aimed at improving reading and writing skills, which are essential skills for learning in all areas of knowledge.

Enhance reading fluency with Reading Coach

The importance of technology in the teaching and learning process is increasingly evident and, in the current context, technological tools have become even more relevant.

One second grade teacher noticed that some of her students had more difficulty understanding the proposed activities when they only read them but improved significantly when they listened to the instructions. To help these students, she adopted Reading Coach, a Learning Accelerator built into Microsoft Teams that helps students practice reading.

A student using Reading Coach, which helps learners practice reading where they are comfortable, reducing the anxiety associated with reading in front of a class or teacher.

Reading Coach allows students to practice reading where they are comfortable, reducing the anxiety associated with reading in front of a class or teacher. The tool automatically identifies which words need more attention when pronouncing them and enables better interpretation of the texts presented. The students have loved using Reading Coach and it has already been possible to notice a change in their engagement, as well as an improvement in their assessments.

The success of using Reading Coach is due to the safety and simplicity it provides for students. This makes the work of both the teacher and the student more dynamic and inviting. Reading Coach is an excellent option for teachers who are looking for more ways to make learning more effective and attractive for their students.

The adoption of technological tools in education can be a challenge, but it is also a great opportunity to innovate and bring more efficiency to the teaching and learning process. Moreover, the use of tools such as Reading Coach can make learning more accessible and inclusive for students with different learning profiles.

Download the one-page guide on Reading Progress and Reading Coach to learn more about using these literacy tools together.

Develop research skills with Search Coach

One of the most significant advantages of Search Coach, another Learning Accelerator built into Microsoft Teams, is that it provides students with tools and feedback on information literacy in real-time. For educators, Search Coach provides more transparency on how their students search, providing crucial insight into each student’s research process.

Search Coach suggests reliable sources and provides guidelines for writing more precise and effective questions. This feature is especially helpful for students who are not familiar with the research process or who struggle with finding credible sources. Using Search Coach, students were able to perform searches in different languages and filter the results according to specific criteria such as publication date and relevance.

What I like most about Search Coach is the filters for the category, type, and posting date of the information, which means that my work is always up-to-date, secure, and reliable, giving me great results at school.

Caio Pugliese, 7th grade student, Escola Bosque, São Paulo, Brazil

The student experience in Search Coach provides tips, shows the reliability of websites, and features a filter menu to get more accurate results.

The impact of Search Coach on students’ research skills has been noticed by teachers and built into their practices. In particular, the technology teacher has found that Search Coach is a valuable aid for students looking to improve their research skills and produce quality papers.

In addition to providing relevant search results, Search Coach also mentors students in critically evaluating sources, which is crucial when we are surrounded by fake news.

Leandro Reis, English Teacher, Escola Bosque, São Paulo, Brazil

To learn more, explore the Search Coach product guide, download the Search Coach one-page guide, or take the Microsoft Learn module Develop search strategies with Search Coach and Search Progress.

Strengthen presentation skills with Speaker Coach

Speaker Coach, has been a real revolution for our students, helping them to improve their presentations effectively and autonomously. By using Speaker Coach, students have received accurate assessments of their presentations and have been guided to highlight their best skills to convey more confidence and assurance.

Speaker Coach being accessed on the Slide Show tab in PowerPoint. Speaker Coach is also available in Clipchamp and Microsoft Teams.

Students who have used Speaker Coach have reported a significant increase in their confidence when speaking in public. They also greatly improved their vocabulary used during presentations, which made them more effective in conveying their ideas. With the help of Speaker Coach, students can practice their presentation skills in a safe and comfortable environment. This means they can make mistakes and learn without the fear of being judged or mocked.

Download the Quick Guide to Speaker Coach or read How educators can use Speaker Coach to develop confident public speakers to learn more.

Create impactful check-ins with Reflect

Socio-emotional health has become one of the most discussed subjects in the school environment in recent years, and the importance of working with this topic is increasingly evident. At our school, this theme is already part of our DNA, and we have been reaping great results with activities and projects in this area, which contribute significantly to the wellbeing of our students.

In this regard, Microsoft Reflect, a wellbeing app in Teams, has proven to be a powerful tool to work on children’s emotions. During English classes, one teacher has created opportunities for students in grades 6-9 to share their emotions and be heard.

Students are asked to respond to Reflect, and the data is collected and organized through Education Insights in Teams for Education. In this way, the teacher can check the most recurring words among the students and diagnose the emotional health of the class. Based on these results, the teacher discusses the socio-emotional issues collectively and individually in his classes, cultivating wellbeing and interaction among students.

Educators can explore Reflect check-in responses through the Feelings Monsters or in a summary view of their class.

This approach has brought significant results, not only for the students’ emotional health, but also for the climate in the classroom and the quality of learning. After all, when students feel welcomed and safe emotionally, they are more open and willing to learn.

Therefore, investing in students’ social-emotional health is fundamental for a complete and effective education. And Reflect is a tool that can help teachers work on this topic in a practical and efficient way, contributing to the formation of students who are more balanced and prepared to face life’s challenges.

To learn more, explore how to get started with Reflect in Teams, download the Quick Guide to Reflect, or take the Microsoft Learn module Build social and emotional skills in your classroom community with Reflect.

Top tips for using Learning Accelerators to boost learning

1. Know the tools: Before using Learning Accelerators, it is important to know their features and possibilities. Access the available documentation and tutorials to learn more about each tool. As a Microsoft Showcase School, we are also able to get training and advice from the community via the Global Showcase School Leaders Team.

2. Use the tools together: Learning Accelerators can be used together to enhance learning. For example, use Reading Progress to practice reading, Reflect to stimulate reflection and discussion of ideas, and Reading Coach to improve reading aloud skills.

3. Use the tools often: To enhance learning with Learning Accelerators, it is important to plan regular study sessions and use the tools frequently.

4. Take advantage of customization possibilities: Learning Accelerators have several customization options that can be used to create a more efficient study environment that suits your and your students’ needs.

Using the right tools to accelerate learning

Microsoft Reading Coach, Search Coach, Speaker Coach, and Reflect are examples of how technology can be used to accelerate learning. All these Learning Accelerators are designed to improve reading and writing skills, which are essential for the development of learning in many areas of knowledge. As educators, it’s important for us to be empowered by technology like Learning Accelerators so we can attend to our students with more assurance in their individualized learning opportunities.

Coming up next from The Beacon: Insights from the Global Showcase School Advisory Board: Learn how one school system supports better learning outcomes with efficient and effective data practices.

The post The Beacon: How to boost learning with Learning Accelerators appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

The potential of Minecraft Education for teaching and learning is endless. Students everywhere love Minecraft, with many creating and exploring virtual worlds on a regular basis outside of school with their friends. Harnessing this level of enthusiasm in the classroom has a positive impact, leading to high levels of student engagement and learning across the whole school curriculum.

Explore the wide range of resources and off-the-shelf lessons for educators that make it easy to start your Minecraft Education journey today.

Engaging and interactive for all ages

Minecraft Education can capture the attention of students of all age groups and keep them engaged in the learning process, helping build critical skills in an inclusive, fun environment. Some of the aspects it provides are to:

• Prepare students for the digital future by developing computational thinking skills with in-game coding and comprehensive computer science curriculum.
• Drive meaningful learning across the curriculum with standards-based content and immersive, imaginative worlds.
• Build social-emotional and important life skills like empathy and digital citizenship.

Additionally, Minecraft Education encourages collaboration, a crucial skill for thriving in school and the future workplace. Students work together to solve problems, whether they’re exploring pyramids of ancient Egypt, writing code to build a castle, or designing a more sustainable city. Virtual collaboration within Minecraft Education can extend the learning environment beyond the traditional walled classroom and school day, building classroom community and helping students stay connected.

Ribblesdale High School, a Microsoft Showcase School, uses Microsoft Education solutions to engage students in the classroom.

Join us as we share the story of how one educator uses Minecraft Education to accelerate learning and keep students engaged in the classroom.

Sparking the creative process

As a Microsoft Showcase School, Ribblesdale High School has integrated the use of Minecraft Education across the curriculum, in areas such as English, History, Geography, and Religious Education. Year 7 students in English have been using Minecraft Education to represent their creative writing scenes even before putting “pen to paper.”

Two students working on laptops at Ribblesdale High School, where Minecraft Education has been integrated across the curriculum.

Abi Hewson, an educator and leader within the department, highlights that it can be hard for students to get started with creative writing assignments. To help students feel more comfortable with the creative writing process, Abi started using Minecraft Education in the classroom.

Some students really struggle on getting started with creative writing work. Being able to build a world in Minecraft, before having to put it into words, really helps to get their creative juices flowing!

Abi Hewson, Department Leader and Educator at Ribblesdale School, UK

Initially Abi had little personal experience in using Minecraft Education, however this was soon overcome with support from her students and the Minecraft Teacher Academy learning pathway from the Microsoft Learn Educator Center. It gave Abi confidence in getting up to speed with the basics, plus it provided a range of tips on classroom management and readiness.

Teach with Minecraft Education and find your community

Luckily, there are a range of resources to support educators in making the first steps to integrate Minecraft Education into teaching and learning in the classroom. Explore these resources designed to help you learn how to teach with Minecraft Education and help you become more confident enhancing learning by moving into the virtual world.

• Join a free instructor-led, online professional learning that takes place over 4 one-hour sessions starting on July 25.
• Take the on-demand Minecraft Teacher Academy learning path from the Microsoft Learn Educator Center to learn on your own.
• Join the Minecraft Teachers Lounge community to meet and learn from passionate educators, gain access to new lessons and teaching resources, and find upcoming events.
• Save time with ready-made starter kits that include lesson plans, downloadable worlds, and tutorials in core school subjects.

Minecraft Education engages students across subjects while promoting creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving within and beyond the classroom. Begin your Minecraft Education journey or bolster your expertise today!

Coming up next month from The Beacon: Insights from the Global Showcase School Advisory Board: See how one school boosts learning with Learning Accelerators in Microsoft 365 Education.

The post The Beacon: Engage students and inspire creativity with Minecraft Education appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

Celebrating three MIE Experts

Microsoft Innovative Education Expert

To help celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we are sharing the experiences of three inspirational women from the Davis County School District (DSD) in Farmington, Utah. Jennifer Morgan, Hollie Fisher, and Ashtin Johnson are Microsoft Innovative Education (MIE) Experts who are using digital skills to take teaching and learning to the next level.

Jennifer Morgan, a School Technology Specialist, was the first MIE Expert in the state of Utah and brought her expertise to DSD where she has helped grow the MIE program for the last six years. DSD serves over 72,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, with two Microsoft Showcase elementary schools and one incubator middle school that is working to become a Microsoft Showcase school.

Morgan along with her colleagues in Technology Integration Center developed a staff training program in the district that utilizes online courses from Microsoft Learn as well as in-person training and coaching. When educators complete their training, they are encouraged to apply to become MIE Experts and continue building technology skills that students will use throughout their lives. Morgan has coached educators who were once “petrified of using technology.” After growing their skills through the MIE program, these same educators have now created technology mentorship opportunities between upper and lower grade levels.

Microsoft Learn user interface

Hollie Fisher, a 4th grade teacher at Lakeside Elementary, started her Microsoft journey in DSD and quickly became a MIE Expert and Microsoft Education Trainer. Fisher excitedly brought what she learned into the classroom to her eager students. In 2018, she developed a Junior Microsoft Expert program that is now being used throughout the district. Its success has received attention from schools across the United States.

Fisher’s Junior Microsoft Expert program allows 3rd and 4th grade students to become proficient in using a variety of Microsoft tools, such as OneNote, Teams, Sway, and Reading Progress, and to develop their 21st century skills. After self-selecting to learn a tool, students take an assessment using Forms to show their knowledge before earning a badge.

Fisher states students have become empowered leaders who are able to troubleshoot, and problem solve when issues arise. Her students have supported learners in other grade levels to develop their technology use, such as showing others how to use Minecraft Education, and how to open an email in Outlook. This program helps build student agency and Fisher has seen an improvement in academic scores and engagement as well as real-world application of learning.

It gave my students a sense of pride. They were super excited about the things that they’d learned [from the Junior Microsoft Expert program] and they felt value in that. It made all the curriculum more accessible to students because technology was never a hold-up in our classroom.”

Hollie Fisher, 4th grade teacher, Lakeside Elementary School, Davis County School District, Farmington, Utah

Ashtin Johnson, a 5th grade teacher at Kay’s Creek Elementary in DSD, has been implementing the Junior Microsoft Expert program in her grade level team for the last three years. Johnson has expanded upon the program by adding an end-of-the-year showcase where students share projects they created using the skills they learned. A few examples of projects from prior years’ showcases were the development of an app, the creation of marketing materials with a business partnership, and a 3D printed prosthetic for animals.

Additionally, Johnson boasts that the accessibility features that Microsoft provides, like Dictate and Immersive Reader, allow educators to enhance learning for all students. These features also enable her students to show learning in a variety of ways, such as developing a PowerPoint, Sway, or video, in addition to traditional methods like essays and tests.

Microsoft helps students right where they are. The 21st century learning skills that they learn aren’t just applicable [in the classroom]. They’re applicable as they go on into upper grades, into college, and into the workplace.”

Ashton Johnson, 5th grade teacher, Kay’s Creek Elementary School, Davis County School District, Farmington, Utah

Explore how the Davis County School District implemented remote and hybrid learning.

Honor women with Flip Live events

Learn more about the contributions of influential women during Flip Live events in March.

A Tribute to Mrs. Coretta Scott King with her Daughter Dr. Bernice A. King

March 8, 2023 at 10am PT

Flip Event ad for A Tribute to Mrs. Coretta Scott King with images of Coretta Scott King and date and time

A global thought leader, orator, peace advocate, and CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center For Nonviolent Social Change, Dr. Bernice A. King, joins us as we celebrate one of the most prominent women leaders of our time, her mother, Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Her contributions as a human rights activist for social change and peace have had a global impact. She was a living example of faith, fortitude, and integrity. It’s with much gratitude that we celebrate her life and legacy for Women’s History Month.

Register for this free event.  

The Science of Speed with Olympic Gold Medalist Erin Jackson 

March 16, 2023 at 10am PT

Erin Jackson holding a gold medal from the Bejing Olympics

Did you ever get a science lesson from an Olympic Gold Medalist? Meet the fastest woman in the world—Erin Jackson! From as far back as she can remember, Erin Jackson has loved skating and science. Hear how she put those two things together to wind up on the cover of Sports Illustrated as the first Black woman in history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in speedskating! 

Register for this free event.

Women Inspiring Change: A Talk with Heather C. McGhee & Carlotta Walls LaNier

March 21, 2023 at 12pm PT

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Heather McGhee and Carlotta Walls LaNier, two Black women who have made significant contributions to the fight for social justice. Learn about their personal journeys and the importance of community activism in creating positive social change. Discover the role of education in building inclusiveness and understanding, and how their books can be used as resources to support teaching and learning about diversity and inclusion.

Register for this free event.

Throughout the year, with added emphasis in March, we honor women who are making an impact on teaching and learning. Take a moment to celebrate with Flip and continue improving your skills with Microsoft Educator programs.

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Technological breakthroughs have always been the harbinger of change and innovation. And today is no different. In the past three years, we have seen the education sector reach a turning point as schools around the world embark upon a journey of digital transformation. And while many saw this solely to mediate the challenges of a global health crisis, other schools used it as an opportunity for improvement and to go beyond the limitations of traditional education.

The Global Showcase Summit focused on improving student learning outcomes. Sessions were presented by industry experts who spoke on important topics, such as promoting educator well-being and why it is essential to ensure student success, why building accessibility into learning environments is not only smart but necessary, and how technology enables both educators and students to achieve more.

Participants also listened to leaders of Showcase Schools in various countries, who were eager to share the best practices, tools, and services that allowed them to succeed. In an impressive display of creativity and goal-oriented thinking, the approaches ranged from highly innovative to profoundly inspiring. Educators used a variety of digital tools and services such as Microsoft Teams, OneNote and Minecraft: Education Edition to deliver engaging content that captivated students’ attention and made them want to learn more.

Seamlessly incorporating technology into the learning experience to improve outcomes

One such example was Southridge Tech Middle School, a public learning institution for middle schoolers in grade six to eight. The Fontana California based school inspires students to become innovative, independent, and excellent citizens who thrive in an ever-changing competitive world. Its digital transformation strategy prioritizes learners’ needs and prospects by incorporating technology in a seamless and intuitive way.

This can be as simple as using Microsoft Teams for collaboration, something that the teachers and students loved to do even before the pandemic when it became necessary. Another way the school enriched its digital offering is by enabling students to enroll in a digital arts class such as digital photography.

Those who take up music are encouraged by teachers to record themselves at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. Seeing how much progress they’ve made always gives learners a much-appreciated confidence boost. The school promotes the use of technology in ways that align with students’ existing interests. One creative solution involved starting a podcast for students looking to learn Spanish.

We’ve been figuring out ways to incorporate technology that is natural and helps students develop skills that they can carry into future grade levels. And high schools love receiving our students because they are innovative and creative and they have skills that can help with learning in the classroom.”

Roy Rogers, Principal, Southridge Tech Middle School

At Southridge Tech there is also a significant interest in STEM subjects. Educators have been using Microsoft’s Hacking STEM lessons to enhance their mathematics classes. While students’ love for Minecraft: Education Edition led the school to create a dedicated space where they can play during lunch.

The school also hosts special technology showcase events where educators promote the best tech-based projects developed by students to demonstrate their learnings. The exhibits range from robots to E-Sports and there is even an all-girls event scheduled to take place in March in honor of International Women’s Month.

Using games to equip students with future-ready skills

Herenwegschool is a Christian primary school from the Netherlands for children four to twelve years old, that is committed to making learning fun. The school regularly uses Minecraft: Education Edition to teach students about a variety of subjects and help them develop key skills within the 6C model – critical thinking & problem solving, communication, creativity and imagination, character building, collaboration, and cognitive skills.

There are multiple game worlds that provide students with a wide range of challenges. During a lesson about climate change, students had to defend a small village against rising sea levels. Just like in real life, players needed to consult with the townspeople to decide between raising the sea barrier or building windmills.

On a different occasion, the children visited an in-game version of the Gallery of Honor, the real-life museum that holds the most famous Dutch paintings. Inspired by the film “A night at the museum,” the works of art “came to life” in the game and players had to catch the characters and bring them back to their corresponding paintings. Later, the children visited the actual gallery and were easily able to pick out the artworks.

Similarly, when students at Herenwegschool who had immigrated from Ukraine wanted to show their classmates the beauty of Kyiv, the teachers contacted someone who had built a detailed model of the capital city in Minecraft. Students were free to roam the open world and even add to it by building rainbow crosswalks and playgrounds.

One of the biggest challenges came when the children had to build The City of Our Future. Players had to use their imagination to design a sustainable city that employed current and future technologies. Students were given six ideas to focus on when developing their project: the air, the water, their neighborhood, healthy food, infrastructure and technology.

How project-based learning enables students to impact the world

Escola Bosque is a private school in Brazil with almost 300 students between the ages of two and fourteen years old. It has been a proud Showcase School for the last six years. Escola Bosque’s mission is to foster each student’s well-being as a foundation for academic and life success and provide experiences that enable them to be more empathetic, engaged, collaborative, and passion-driven learners.

Escola Bosque prioritizes project-based learning as a more dynamic classroom approach that allows students to actively explore real-world problems and acquire a deeper knowledge. They believe projects promote integrated learning opportunities by connecting many subjects at the same time.

Innovation in education is a shift in mindset. Most schools are still content-based and teacher-centered. But to be innovative they must change their perspective on the teaching and learning processes and adopt a student-centered approach.”

Silvia Scuracchi, Principal and Head of Innovation, Escola Bosque, Brazil

Students at Escola Bosque recorded multiple podcasts on sustainability, nature conservation and other environmental challenges as part of the Blue Economy Project, which gave them the opportunity to contribute to real-life initiatives. The podcasts were published on Flip and were even broadcasted on the local radio station.

Showcase School Summit Biggest Impact Awards

Every year at the Showcase School Summit, we recognize schools that went above and beyond.  These schools led education transformation and achieved high levels of innovation and expertise in the optimal use of technology in teaching and learning. Their impact didn’t stop there, they expanded their reach to help other schools acquire new knowledge and abilities to implement and sustain transformation in their environments. Their passion to improve education for all students is an inspiration to every school around the world.  

This year’s winners of the Biggest Impact Award are: 

• EMEA: Kherson Gymnasium # 1, Ukraine 
• Asia: De La Salle University – Dasmarinas, Philippines 
• Americas: GOAL Academy, USA

Join Microsoft Showcase School program

If you are a school leader who is interested in joining the Showcase School program, please follow these steps:

• Review the Microsoft Education Transformation Framework.
• Find out where your school is on the transformation journey by consulting the Showcase School rubric and decide which areas you’d like your school to grow.
• Learn about the Showcase School program engagement process and fill out a self-nomination form for your school.

Stay in touch with us by:

• Joining the Microsoft Learn Education Center.
• Subscribing to our Microsoft Education YouTube channel.
• Following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to stay up to date on the latest news and resources to support teaching and learning, no matter where you live.

The post Schools promote digitally enhanced learning experiences at the Showcase School Summit appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

Today we recognize the achievements of those institutions that make up the new and returning cohort of the 2022-2023 Microsoft Showcase School program. This program represents a global community of K-12 schools that harness digital transformation to create immersive and inclusive experiences that inspire lifelong learning and empower students to achieve more.

These Showcase Schools are distinguished by their commitment to education transformation and have leveraged Microsoft’s Education Transformation Framework to drive a culture of learning, innovation, and continuous improvement. Their hard work is reflected in improved learning outcomes for their students and an increased focus on future-ready skills.

Listen to the podcast “Leading Innovation: What school leaders are thinking, saying, and doing today” to hear from Showcase School leaders about challenges they faced and how they overcome them.

The vibrant online communities of Showcase Schools come together to tackle challenges, celebrate successes, share learnings, and try new solutions using Microsoft Teams. These communities are also supported by Microsoft and our partners through capacity building, transformation guidance, amplification opportunities, and early access to research and solutions.

This year, we would also like to congratulate the following education systems for their visionary leadership; they leveraged the Showcase School program to build internal capacity and enable organic growth

• Philippines Department of Education
• Ministry of Education Bahrain
• Ministry of Education Oman
• Madeira Region
• Broward County Public Schools
• Millennium Education Management
• Discovery Schools Academy Trust
• Greenwood Academies Trust
• IGC Group

Congratulations to this year’s Showcase Schools and Showcase Systems!

We would like to also welcome our new and returning cohort of schools joining the incubator path of the Showcase School program. A big welcome to them and congratulations on starting this journey! View all the schools in the incubator path.

Join the Microsoft Showcase School program today

If you are a school leader who is interested in joining the Showcase School program, please follow these steps:

• Review the Microsoft Education Transformation Framework.
• Find out where your school is on the transformation journey by consulting the Showcase School rubric and decide which areas you’d like your school to grow.
• Learn about the Showcase School program engagement process.
• Fill out a self-nomination form for your school.

All schools joining the program start on the incubator path to begin or expand their transformation journey. When a school reaches the Showcase School criteria, they can then apply to become a Showcase School.

Please stay in touch with us by:

• Joining the Microsoft Learn Education Center.
• Subscribing to our Microsoft Education YouTube channel.
• Following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to stay up to date on the latest news and resources to support teaching and learning, no matter where you live.

The post Meet Microsoft’s 2022-2023 MIE Experts appeared first on Microsoft Education Blog.

Ursuline Academy of Dallas, a Microsoft Showcase School, is a model of this approach. Walk the hallways of the all-girls Catholic college preparatory school on any day and you will see students typing or inking on Surface Book devices that they use in classrooms, elsewhere on the campus, and remotely—for a seamless learning experience.

The school has enthusiastically embraced these devices—and Microsoft 365 apps—in an ongoing commitment to use technology that accelerates learning for all students in a personalized, inclusive, and immersive way no matter where they are. Ursuline also likes the Microsoft devices for their dependability, affordability, and sturdiness, that makes them easy to transport. The school had embraced student use of these devices and tools long before the COVID-19 pandemic—and has continually enhanced its approach to technology.

Learn below how Microsoft 365 apps and Surface devices have helped Ursuline shape learning and classroom design over time and with an eye toward the future.

An Evolution of Technology

At Ursuline, education technology is rooted in a solid foundation for how to best put it to use. Anytime, anywhere learning has been a fundamental approach since the mid-1990s when the school began providing 1:1 device access to students. Since 2017, the school has used Microsoft 365 apps as primary communication channels and for collaboration among students and departments. And these days, some of the most-used tools among Ursuline students at school and home are the messaging app Microsoft Teams and the notetaking and organizing app, OneNote.

Anne Robertson, Director of Technology, and Elizabeth Smith, Dean of Academics, work intentionally to ensure that the use of technology is strategic and truly contributes to learning. This includes a systemization that helps teachers align the use of technology tools to streamline assignments and provide feedback to students. Teams and OneNote are used to grade projects and collaborate, for example, while students often use a video tool like Flipgrid to record and submit presentations.

“Together, Teams and OneNote have become our learning management system. All teachers are using these apps in the same way,” says Anne, who notes that this uniformity, regardless of class or subject, helps streamline students’ work and contributes to student wellness by easing overwhelm.

One Teams feature helping teachers meet students’ personal learning needs is Education Insights, which provides analytics of student progress and activities. “Teachers use insights to analyze student activity and to recognize any anomalies that directly relate to grades or progress in the class,” says Anne.

Students and teachers had already used these cloud-based apps before the pandemic, including from home when Texas storms forced temporary school closures, so transitioning to remote learning early in the pandemic was seamless. The longtime 1:1 access to devices helped; the school had started using the Surface Book device four years before the pandemic. Students liked the Surface Book 3 device’s fast startup, long-lasting battery, easily detachable screen, and natural writing experience, while parents appreciated the four-year warranty and knowing that the device could last throughout their child’s high school years.

Teachers also love the Surface Book, says Anne. “It has a great graphics interface and graphics card, which our visual arts and science and engineering teachers love. The display is very clear.” The devices are so popular that graduating students often ask to buy a Surface Book for college through the school.

Two additional types of Surface devices are also used at Ursuline. The facilities and technology departments have adopted the Surface Go 2, a smaller device convenient for those constantly on the move around campus. The Surface Laptop Studio is a hit with the communications department and the engineering classroom uses the Surface Studio—with its large, high-resolution screen ideal for viewing detailed drawings, graphics, and photographs.

Hubs + 1:1 + Teams = Personalized Learning

Ursuline’s approach evolved with the circumstances of the pandemic. As classrooms transitioned to a hybrid learning environment, the school introduced a Surface Hub 2S into every classroom to maintain a sense of community.

“The Surface Hub brings students together in the classroom in real time” from wherever, says Valerie Oates, Ursuline’s Director of Communications. “It also enables collaboration, which is a key part of personalized learning.” Each Surface Hub was, and continues to be, connected to Teams, enabling remote and in-person students to screen share and collaborate using Microsoft Whiteboard.

“When you connect remotely to the Surface Hub, it’s like being in the classroom,” says Anne. “Because of the wide-angle camera, you can see everybody, and the microphone picks up people speaking anywhere in the classroom.”

The digital solutions also helped the school continue hosting events throughout the pandemic and better connect with parents through virtual-only and hybrid meetings. “It created a more inclusive feeling for both sides,” says Anne. Ursuline has continued to offer events and meetings virtually, with many parents preferring virtual meeting options.

The school has used its learnings for inspiration. In its 90,000 square feet of new learning spaces, the Surface Hub is used to create a technology-enabled active learning (TEAL) environment in every classroom. “Now we can turn any classroom into a TEAL environment, using Surface Hubs, Surface Books, and Teams,” says Anne.

Surface devices and Microsoft 365 apps have become invaluable to enhance learning, foster community spirit, and streamline collaboration not just at Ursuline but elsewhere, too. Microsoft solutions are available across varied resource and budget levels. Read more about Ursuline Academy success story and find out how Microsoft education tools and devices can support collaborative student learning, anytime and anywhere.

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Microsoft supports a thriving community of educators and school leaders who are working together to change students’ lives and build a better world. The Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert and Showcase School programs were created to help you learn, grow, and connect. 

Educators and schools that participate in Microsoft education programs benefit from the support provided by Microsoft on their digital transformation journey. In addition, Microsoft offers opportunities for educators and school leaders to share and exchange ideas around innovation and successes that highlight new practices and solutions through community connections, online and through regional and global events. 

The nomination period for the 2022-2023 Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert program and Showcase School program is now open. Nominate yourself by July 7, 2022, to become part of this coming year’s cohort of changemakers!

How to join the Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert program 

If you are a teacher, a school leader, a professional learning specialist, an education coach, a curriculum specialist, or anyone who supports teaching and learning and wants to grow your own practice, the Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert program is for you. It’s a community of self-driven educators who are passionate about integrating Microsoft technology into teaching and learning, who inspire students with creative thinking, and who enjoy working collaboratively. MIE Experts get access to free professional and career development opportunities and certification programs. They also share their learning by playing leading roles in regional training sessions, giving presentations at conferences, writing blogs, engaging in social channels, and more. Resourceful and entrepreneurial, they relish the role of “change agent” and work to achieve excellence in education using Microsoft technologies and innovative teaching practices. 

To join this diverse and exciting community, please follow these four easy steps to nominate yourself. 

Step 1: Join the Microsoft Learn Educator Center and complete your profile. You should have completed at least two modules in the Learn Educator Center. You will share the link to your transcript by clicking your profile picture, selecting “profile”, then selecting “transcript”. You will be asked to share the URL to your transcript in your nomination.

Step 2: Ensure that you have successfully passed two hours of courses on the MEC and earned your certified MIE badge. You must be a Certified MIE to become (or stay) an MIE Expert. 

Step 3: Prepare your nomination with our helpful guide that will answer your questions and provide links to get you up to speed on any tools you are less familiar with. Note that there are three phases to the nomination process: Sharing information about you, a scored questionnaire to demonstrate a base knowledge of Microsoft tools that support teaching and learning, and long-form answers which will be reviewed by the local Microsoft team in your country/region. 

Step 4: Nominate yourself by July 7, 2022. If you submit your nomination by June 30, 2022, and don’t make it through the scored questions, you will have a chance to rework your nomination and submit again by July 7, 2022. 

The 2022-2023 cohort of MIE Experts will be announced the week of August 30, 2022. 

We look forward to welcoming you into the growing MIE Expert community and celebrating innovation in teaching and learning together! 

How to join the Showcase School program 

Schools around the world are exploring new approaches to teaching and learning to ensure students are prepared for success in school and in life. The Microsoft Showcase School program supports such efforts, and we invite you to explore the Incubator Path, the first step toward becoming a Showcase School. 

Throughout a school’s education transformation journey, Microsoft and its partners assist in building capacity, guiding transformation, and providing early access to new research and solutions. There is a relentless focus through this Microsoft Education program on securing strong student outcomes by creating effective, secure, and efficient schools that provide personalized and predictive learning that empowers students. 

Whether your school is fully operational or is still a project idea—if you are considering a growth journey toward digital transformation, school leaders are invited to nominate their school to the Showcase Incubator Path. The Showcase Incubator Path is the initial step schools take before becoming a Showcase School. Schools will go through the Incubator Path at their own pace supported by Microsoft and its partners. Along the way, they will have access to the broader Showcase School community to establish global connections and facilitate learning from and with other schools. 

If you are an education system leader, consider leveraging the Showcase School program to build model schools to seed and spread innovation in your system. If this sounds like a program you would like to join, follow these two easy steps to nominate yourself before the deadline of July 7, 2022. 

Step 1: Familiarize yourself with the Microsoft K-12 Education Transformation Framework and review the Showcase School rubric to identify where your school is on the transformation journey and the areas in which you’d like your school to grow as a result of your participation in the program. The work of the Showcase School program is based around the Framework, which is designed to support school communities working toward transformational change. 

Step 2: If you’re part of a project to establish a new school, whether it’s brick-and-mortar or virtual, nominate your school. 

If you are a school that is open and operational: prepare a two-minute Microsoft Sway or video that tells the story through a single, clear example of how you as the school leader have led your school’s innovation in one of the following areas: vision for change, educator and leader professional development, improvement process and data-driven decisions, personalized learning and well-being, or future-ready skills.

Begin your Sway or video with your school’s name, city, and country. Your name and role should also be visible at the start of the presentation. Clearly respond to the following prompts:
1. This is what we think about education transformation today.
2. This is what we hope to learn about education transformation when we engage with Microsoft.
3. This is what we are keeping in mind as we take these next steps.
4. These are our current blockers/challenges.
5. Close your Sway or video with your school name, city, and country, as well as your name and role visible. 

Once you have completed these steps, you will be ready to fill out the self-nomination form. 

A blog announcing the new 2022-2023 cohort of schools in the Showcase School program will launch the week of September 26, 2022 

We look forward to welcoming you into the Incubator Path of the Showcase School program!

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UNICEF, ISTE, UNESCO, and the World Bank have recognized the importance of digital tools in this effort, as the tools can provide a flexible, personalized approach for students. At Microsoft, we too believe in this power of digital tools, which can transform educational systems and support schools, teachers, and students. Through our community-based Microsoft Showcase Schools (SCS) and Leaders in Digital Transformation of Education (LDTE) programs, we bring together forward-looking education leaders and technology experts in a collaborative environment where they can share best practices and explore innovative approaches to harness technology.

During the Microsoft Showcase School & Leaders in Digital Transformation of Education joint summits this week, we’ve unlocked a few key insights that guided participants’ success.

Device choice and availability matter

Effective and inclusive learning is highly influenced by the type of device students use. “For years we went to educational technology conferences and heard speakers preach device doesn’t matter. I would argue that it does. It depends on how you use them, but our students deserve a device that doesn’t inhibit their education,” says Jeff Gerdeman, Director of Technology, St. Francis High School, USA, a Microsoft Showcase School.

Devices can accelerate learning by providing key insights into a student’s progress and challenges. Jonathan Bishop, CEO of The Cornerstone Academy Trust, which has several schools in the Microsoft Showcase School program, says, “I think a personalized approach to education is about knowing the attitudes, skills, anxieties, and knowledge a student has so that we can build on that and ensure they progress.” One of Jonathan’s first schools, Broadclyst Primary School, was an earlier adopter of 1:1 device usage in the classroom, which enabled these personalized approaches. Having school-provided devices ensured each student had a good quality device appropriate to their learning level.

Data, insights, and AI-powered tools help personalize learning

Digital learning platforms, combined with learning analytics, can support every student’s journey by letting teachers view group progress and engagement along with individuals’ strengths and needs.

“We have heterogenous students in our classrooms with different backgrounds, skillsets, and goals, so our goal is to provide tools for teachers to personalize learning,” says Pasi Silander of Helsinki, Finland. Helsinki is Finland’s biggest school system and one of the first in the world to develop a digitalization strategy, which dates back to 2016. Helsinki was also a founding member of the LDTE program. The city relies on AI and data analytics to inform its education policies and determine the best strategies for boosting learning activities, allocating resources, and unlocking students’ full potential.

Vusal Khanlarov, Head of the Bureau on ICT for Education in Azerbaijan, another leader in the LDTE program, says data and insights are important for inclusive and personalized learning. “Everyone learns differently, and to define these different patterns we have to understand how each student is performing. That cannot be done without digital means,” he says. Thanks to their engagement in LDTE, the Bureau launched a new analytics project to analyze learning patterns resulting from remote learning, which it did on behalf of the Ministry of Education. Today, the Ministry of Education employs data-driven decision making, using data and AI to enhance learning based on each student’s strengths and weaknesses. “We have a system where we can see how each student in the country is performing and participating in classes. We can even measure, through various surveys, a student’s social-emotional condition,” says Khanlarov.

Yet teachers are not always eager to embrace technological innovation, so it’s key to help them see the benefits of new technologies. “Teachers have to understand the value that technology is bringing,” says Khanlarov.

It’s also important to humanize learning analytics and AI. Sir Mark Grundy, CEO of Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, says one way to do it is by enabling teachers to see their students in the data. “The moment they see children in data, people change their behaviors. When they just see numbers, they don’t see children,” he says. Sir Grundy’s team used Power BI to show a picture of each student alongside the data that educators were using to evaluate performance, allowing the teachers to “feel” the technology’s impact by associating the improved outcomes with real learners.

Driving scalable transformation requires a community of peers and mentors

Microsoft Showcase Schools and Leaders in Digital Transformation of Education are spreading innovation and proven approaches to success with local context.

Thomas Clarkson Academy (TCA) is in one of the highest areas of deprivation in the UK—an area with low social mobility and socioeconomic status. Trevor Jones, the Director of Digital Technology at TCA, says the digital transformation of his school accelerated once it joined the Microsoft Showcase School program. “It opened further access to a global support network, including events and access to help, hints and tips,” Trevor says.

“We have transformed education through staff and student IT skills; improved workflows; organization; working smarter; collaboration; security (GDPR); sensitivity labels; Flows; Power BI and insights that provide data analysis and automation; a staff information hub, and making a jump to the cloud.”

Trevor adds, “We’ve harnessed the collaborative tools Microsoft provides to lead training across our entire Trust and establish cross-school and cross-phase partnerships.”

Participants in both the Microsoft Showcase Schools program and the Leaders in Digital Transformation of Education program haven’t just driven transformational strategies in their own systems. They have helped other leaders evolve strategies. Engaging in both programs is a terrific opportunity for leaders globally to learn more from each other and impact students at scale through digital transformation.

Learn more and self-nominate to participate in the Leaders in Digital Transformation of Education program: https://aka.ms/ldte

To discover and connect with Microsoft Showcase Schools worldwide and learn more about the Showcase School program, visit https://aka.ms/scsp

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Today, we celebrate the accomplishments of the thousands of inspiring educators and schools across 100 countries who are joining our communities for their commitment to supporting a culture of learning, innovation, and continuous improvement. These schools represent the new and returning cohort of Microsoft Showcase Schools and we are thrilled to welcome their continued participation in the program. Click on ‘Discover and connect with a Showcase School near you’ at the link above to learn more about each one of these schools. The educators represent those who are leading digital transformation in education through our MIE Expert program. We welcome them to the 2021-2022 class of MIE Experts, and are inspired by these passionate educators who have worked to earn a place in this program. Congratulations to all our MIE Experts! You can see a list of their names here.

These educators and leaders are distinguished by their commitment to school-wide transformation, and have leveraged Microsoft’s Education Transformation Framework to drive a culture of learning, innovation, and continuous improvement. Their hard work is reflected in improved learning outcomes for their students and an increased focus on future-ready skills. Additionally, their dedication to education transformation has helped them and their schools effectively manage the transition to remote and hybrid learning during the current COVID-19 crisis, and they are now reimagining what the in-school experience will look and feel like.

The global Showcase Schools and MIE Expert communities come together to tackle challenges, celebrate successes, share learnings, and try new solutions in vibrant online communities through Microsoft Teams and social media. As they continue their education transformation journeys, they are supported by Microsoft, partners, and each other through capacity building, transformation guidance, peer learning, amplification opportunities, and early access to research and solutions.

Congratulations to this year’s MIE Experts and Showcase Schools! 

We would like to also welcome our new and returning cohort of schools joining the incubator path of the Showcase School program as they embark on their transformation journey to become a Showcase School. View all schools in the incubator path of the Showcase School program.

If you’re interested in becoming an MIE Expert, get started by joining the Microsoft Innovative Educator program. It is composed of more than 1 million educators worldwide who have joined the Microsoft Educator Center and successfully completed professional development online courses, accessed resources, and shared learnings with their colleagues. If you are an educator, get started on your MIE Expert nomination.

If you are a school leader who is interested in joining the Showcase Schools program, begin by familiarizing yourself with the Microsoft K-12 Education Transformation Framework. Next:

• Review the Showcase School rubric to identify where your school is on the transformation journey and the areas in which you’d like your school to grow.
• Learn about the Showcase School Program engagement process.
• Fill out a self-nomination for your school.

All schools joining the program start on the incubator path to begin or expand their transformation journey. When your school reaches the Showcase School criteria, you can then apply to become a Showcase School. There are two times per year for schools on the incubator path to become Showcase Schools.

In the meantime, there are plenty of other ways to stay connected with us.

• Join the Microsoft Education Center.
• Learn about blended learning best practices both for educators and schools to help ensure student success.
• Subscribe to our Microsoft Education YouTube channel.
• Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to stay up to date on the latest news and resources to support teaching and learning, no matter where you live.
• Check out our free online EduDays series and register for webinars.
• Become an MIE Trainer through our online MIE Trainer Academy and start reporting your trainings using our EduTrack tool. Between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022, earn your MIE Trainer badge when you train 100 people, and your Master Trainer badge when you train 400. You can re-earn your badge in subsequent years.

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