SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 5 May 2021 – Microsoft today introduced new technological tools and updates designed to support the 5 key areas educators require to create a holistic learning environment and move education forward: student centricity, skills focus, social learning, safety, security and scalability.
In partnership with YouGov, Microsoft found that 71% of K-12 educators felt technology has helped them improve their instruction and expanded their teaching capacity.[1] With the rise of digital classrooms and hybrid learning environments, Microsoft recognizes how crucial it is to help teachers find new ways to engage students remotely. New tools and solutions launched include Reading Progress, to enhance students reading skills remotely, and features like Group Assignments and third-party app integrations in Microsoft Teams that will empower educators and support students in their classroom experience. Other updates include the availability of Minecraft: Education Edition outside the classroom and the launch of Reflect, a Microsoft Teams app that provides teachers with capabilities that support their students’ well-being virtually.
“We are grateful for the resilience and commitment educators have displayed in evolving their teaching styles over the past year, and we aim to keep supporting them to deliver quality education for their students during these challenging times. At the beginning of the pandemic technology often served as a much-needed lifeline between students, teachers, and parents enabling remote and hybrid learning. As time moved forward many educators transformed their teaching, their pedagogy, their professional development, and more, with technology often being a critical component enabling that change. Innovation will continue to transform learning experiences and stands to help prepare students for their futures � we are honored to partner with educators and schools across Asia in our mission to help every student on the planet achieve more,” said Larry Nelson, Regional General Manager, Education, Microsoft Asia.
Enabling student-centered learning with Reading Progress
Studies show that reading skills have declined for some students due to the pandemic. To reverse learning loss, educators are seeking ways to evaluate their students’ progress, and help them advance at their own pace. With this in mind, Microsoft is introducing Reading Progress, a free tool designed to support readers who are learning a new language or educators trying to raise students’ general comprehension.
With Reading Progress, educators can:
Available prior to the next school year, Reading Progress is free for all students and teachers using Microsoft Teams for Education, and is compliant with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
New tools to support student engagement in the classroom
Microsoft is also enhancing Teams and other tools to help educators unlock digital experiences that complement and enrich in-person learning. These new free offerings will be available ahead of the next school year and were inspired by insights from education experts, system leaders, educators, and students alike.
Making learning more engaging and fun
Educators are recognizing how pivotal immersive experiences can be to engage students on a deeper level. To support them in seeking different ways to keep students actively engaged, Microsoft is releasing new features to Minecraft: Education Edition. This will provide more opportunities for students to play and learn in the classroom and out.
Supporting student well-being
Emotional well-being is key to student success and research shows that approaches to support student well-being are in high demand, but low supply.[2] New tools to equip educators with the ability to understand the complexities students face, and their emotional state, as they guide them in navigating the challenges of today have also been introduced.
These will be critical in helping build students’ confidence and enabling educators to facilitate valuable learning conversations in and beyond the classroom.
Enabling safe and secure classrooms
Lastly, with more learning taking place outside the physical school, the increase in digital traffic and the number of connected devices brings new challenges: from malicious attacks to uninvited guests in the digital classroom.
To ensure students’ safety in digital and physical spaces, Microsoft is launching Supervised Chat in Teams. Available later this month, this feature allows designated educators to initiate chats with students, while preventing students from starting new chats unless an appropriate educator is present meaning students can engage in safe discussions.
For more information on the latest features, please see here.
[1]“Learning Forward” Teacher/Student YouGov Survey commissioned by Microsoft, December 2020
[2]Emotion and Cognition in the Age of AI,”The Economist Intelligence Unit
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
CAIRO, EGYPT - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 December 2024 - Eand, Novo Nordisk, BSH,…
Trend Vision One™ – Email and Collaboration Security is a critical part of Trend’s centralized…
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 December 2024 - Madame Tussauds Singapore is proud…
BANGALORE, INDIA / SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 December 2024 - GangaGen announced…
TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 December 2024 – The 2024 Christmasland in…
Hungarian-based technology leader underscores its commitment to education, sustainability, and innovation SINGAPORE - Media OutReach…