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“Education and political leaders in countries around the world have recognized the imperative to prepare their youth for the 21st century, a goal that many believe requires the fundamental transformation of educational opportunities together with the integration of technology into teaching and learning. But educational change is complex. It takes place within an ecosystem of influences that range from national policies, programs, and supports to local community contexts and school-specific professional cultures. As part of Microsoft’s commitment to education transformation, its Partners in Learning Program initiated the Innovative Teaching and Learning (ITL) Research project to contribute information and policy insights on where and how effective education transformation is taking place around the world.ITL Research is a multiyear global research program designed to investigate the factors that promote the transformation of teaching practices and the impact those changes have on students’ learning outcomes across a broad range of country contexts.”
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The Microsoft IT Academy Program is a college- and career-ready education program available to all accredited academic institutions, designed to provide students with the 21st century technology skills necessary to acquire certification and be competitive in today’s rapidly evolving workplace. The IT Academy Program also provides educators and staff with professional development opportunities. This subscription-based membership offers a world-class technology curriculum with lesson plans, E-Learning, student projects, and assessments. To date, there are more than 10,000 IT Academy members in more than 160 countries.Resources available through the IT Academy Program give educators the opportunity to stay up-to-date on the latest Microsoft technologies and easily integrate these technologies into new or existing curricula. With these resources, educators can tailor classes to meet the needs of students of all ages and levels of experience.
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Onetastic for OneNote – Extending possibilities with Macros
Add-ins for OneNote that add a lot of functionality.
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KinectEDucation is an educator-driven community resource for developers, teachers, students, enthusiasts, and any other education stakeholder to promote the use of Kinect applications in classrooms. Our goal is to transform classrooms to a 21st-century model of learning with accessible technology – to integrate a “connected education” – and we want you to be a part of this!
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“Bring your Xbox LIVE avatar to life to socialize, create and share! Control your avatar’s movements and even facial expressions with the power of Avatar Kinect. Available now through Kinect Fun Labs.”
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“More than 200 ready-to-go activity plans are available to help you bring Kinect to the classroom, physical education and after school programs! Use the filter on the left side of the page to find activities based on subject, age, or Kinect game.”
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Secure Web Services for Schools, Colleges and Universities – Office 365
“Great for academic institutions that are ready to take advantage of the cloud. Office 365 offers free email, instant messaging, group video and voice chat, and online document viewing and editing.”
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Microsoft Education Competencies
“The Education Competencies represent many of the attributes, behaviors, areas of knowledge, skills, and abilities required for successful job performance in education. The competencies were created in in 2006 and adapted for education. Schools and districts around the country are using these tools in a variety of ways.”
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Microsoft – Partners in Learning Toolkit
“The Innovative Schools Toolkit is an accessible and practical guide for you and your school community to begin the journey of innovation. It is intended to be a starting point rather than a complete solution and it offers a process that can be customized based on your unique needs”
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SPSProfessionalDevelopment – Tech Tastings
Tech Tasting ideas for PD