What's up, everybody!
What's New in EDU is back in your world.
I'm Toney, a fourth-grade teacher and classroom superhero from Hackensack, New Jersey.
Microsoft asked me to give you the scoop on all their news, updates, and features from
this really cool event called Bett.
And if you didn't see the previous episode, go, go take a look!
Well maybe after this.
Today, we're talking all about Office 365 Education and Skype in the Classroom.
Let's go talk to Mike and see what he has for us.
Thanks, Toney!
Now in the modern classroom, we know that there's a lot of diversity.
We know that there are up to four levels of reading in a single classroom.
There are also three-quarters of all classrooms have at least one or more special education
students in the general population.
Then we also know that over half of classrooms have at least one non-native speaker.
So in that diverse environment, Microsoft is really focusing on the inclusive classroom.
We have a bunch of announcements that we're going to talk about today.
The first one, the one I'm most excited about, is Office now has built-in dictation.
So I'm going to put on this headset, which is always great for the most accuracy, and
I'm going to go up here and click the Dictate button.
Microsoft Office has built-in dictation.
There we go!
And it's not just in Word, it's also in PowerPoint.
There's also a Dictate button.
So, we're bringing this across Office into Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and also
Word Online and OneNote Online.
Beyond just dictation, we're announcing Learning Tools coming to many more platforms.
So we're bringing to OneNote on the iPad, OneNote for Mac, Word Mac, Office Lens for
Android, Edge is getting more capabilities.
So, we're really bringing learning tools across all of Office and Windows to make it mainstream,
non-stigmatizing and built in.
Now the other big announcement I'm going to talk about it today is one of my favorites,
we have some OneNote stuff coming out!
So in the OneNote side, we have the number one most requested feature of the past couple
years for Class Notebooks, which is the ability of teachers to lock a page.
So that means a teacher can put in all this feedback and then lock all the pages so a
student can't change it afterward.
So teachers all around the world have been asking for that and we're excited to give
it to you!
The other big announcement we have is Capita SIMs, which is the top SIS, MIS in the UK.
We now have an assignment and grade integration with Capita SIMs coming out very soon.
And then we also announced, lastly, that we now have Desmos integration.
Desmos math is one of the most popular scientific calculators for the classroom and so STEM
teachers around the world can celebrate because we know they've been asking for Desmos integration.
So that's all integrated, ready to go.
So there you have it, Toney.
A bunch of tools for your classroom.
Thanks!
Awesome, thanks, Mike!
Now let's switch gears to Skype in the Classroom.
I've had a chance to use it.
I'll be using it next week when I get back.
The online community is amazing and it enables teacher like me to inspire the next generation
of global citizens through transformative learning over Skype.
So let's go talk to Iro.
She has an event you're not going to want to miss.
It's awesome that you're already using Skype, Toney.
As educators, you all know that literacy is the foundation of education and one of the
most important skills for a child's success in school and life.
But how can you really bring literacy to life for your students?
Did you know that you can invite an author, illustrator, and storyteller
live into your classroom via Skype?
Yes, it's true.
Every year, Skype in the Classroom celebrate literacy globally and gives you an opportunity
to break down the walls of your classrooms and inspire the next generation of readers
and writers no matter where you are in the world.
Join us this year on World Read Aloud Day, February 1st as we kick off the month celebrating
literacy with live connections.
And let the magic begin.
Back to you, Toney.
As soon as I get home I'm going to hit up an author and read to my kiddos on February
1st.
Now Microsoft Teams is an amazing digital hub that brings conversations, content, and
apps together in one place.
Let's go chat with Yusuf, from Microsoft Teams and Cathy, an educator from Perth, Australia.
They have some exciting news in store.
Thanks, Toney.
Last year we met Cathy at Bett and this year we're so excited to welcome her back to share
her school's system transformation using Microsoft Teams.
Cathy, tell us a little bit more about what you've been sharing with our Bett audience
this week.
For us with Teams, it's all about reducing fragmentation of attention and fragmentation
of experience.
So Teams brings people together and Teams brings their apps and their communication
and their resources together so that they can focus on themselves and each other and
getting the work done that they need to do.
Awesome.
Now tell us a little bit more about the virtual classroom experience that you're building
out for your school system.
We're very excited about our virtual school.
We've got students in very remote schools who don't have access to certain courses in
their own school, so now we have 70 students coming together with 14 teachers all from
different schools and they'll be looking for specialized teachers and they've got that
combination of that synchronized Skype conversation so they don't have any isolation feeling and
the ability to continue their learning using the class notebook.
That's excellent.
To see all the Office 365 apps coming together in the Teams hub for a virtual environment.
Now often times we think of Teams with classroom collaboration with students and teachers,
but how are educators using Teams for professional learning and development?
Right, so we want to make sure that teachers and staff get continued learning opportunities
so they can stay up to date.
So, we use them for professional learning communities where teachers can come together
with other colleagues to share an interest.
We use them for school improvement, so that schools can work on their problems and practice
and even bring in external experts who might be able to contribute to the work that they're
doing and we use it for formal adult learning courses where teachers actually want to apply
their skill that will help them in their practice.
That's excellent to hear about.
Not only students using Teams but educators and school leaders too and just a diverse
set of ways.
Thanks, Cathy.
Now before we go I want to show you guys three new updates that we have coming to Teams.
First, assignments on mobile.
Now with Teams on mobile, students can turn in their homework assignments and check their
grades.
The fun doesn't stop there.
Teachers can also create assignments and grade assignments all from their mobile and tablet
devices.
Second, we have multiple class distribution with Teams.
Now a teacher can create one assignment and push it over to multiple classes on their
Teams platform.
And then finally, new education apps coming to Teams.
Everything from checking attendance to creating flashcards and digital quizzes to even visualizing
student achievement data.
Make sure to check out the Microsoft Teams tech community blog to get a list of these
new apps coming to your Teams platform.
That's it.
Thanks, Toney.
Thanks!
Now look, if this is new to you or you want to learn where to start using technology in
the classroom here's my advice.
Start small.
Focus on one thing.
First, maybe use Skype in the Classroom to participate in World Read Aloud Day, February
1st.
Try out OneNote in your classroom.
Or event just start a Team with your fellow teachers and see how it goes.
From my experience, I've learned that whatever you do Microsoft is here to support you.
Now stick with me, we have so much more that we will be covering all week.
Make sure to tune in live on Facebook at 4pm London time every day.
We'll see ya!