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Windows in the Classroom: Part 4: The magic of Windows 8 to Go for Schools

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Windows 8 also sees the availability of Windows to Go – think of Windows to Go as a snapshot of your computing environment that you carry with you wherever you go and on whatever computer you are using.

Using Windows To Go, users can travel light without sacrificing productivity, schools can enable new “Bring Your Own PC” scenarios, and staff can get up and running faster with more security.

Windows To Go enables IT administrators to provide users with a standard school Windows image that can include frequently used apps, settings, and school data on a compatible USB storage device. Users can boot and operate Windows To Go from any school or personal PC (Windows 7 or Windows 8 logo-certified), and continue to get a rich and consistent Windows 8 experience.

Here’s a great 2 minute overview of Windows 8 To Go by Mark Reynolds, Schools Business Manager (South), providing some ways it might be used in schools:

 

Additional how to videos are available via our IT Heads Up channel.

 

Blog posts in this series:

All information and resources can be found on the Partners in Learning Network – Join for free today.


Earn Microsoft badges for teacher and school leader professional development

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We believe in anytime, anywhere learning. We also believe your achievements should be recognised so that you can share your accomplishments and knowledge with your colleagues and communities. That’s why the Partners in Learning Network awards badges for the skills and knowledge that are learned and shared through our online professional learning community, in our in-person events, and in school communities around the world.

Check out the badges you can earn and add to your Partners in Learning online profile. Earn enough and you can establish yourself as a Microsoft Expert Educator (more info to follow on this).

 

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If you have met the criteria to earn one of these badges and it is not turned on in your profile, please let us know. We’ll be happy to confirm that you have met the criteria and turn your badge on.

Once signed in, don’t forget to complete your profile. Check out this innovid created by Jonny Carter, from St-Malachy's Primary school, who demonstrates how easy it is to build your profile on www.pil-network.com

Sir Ranulph Fiennes to conquer the last great polar challenge…

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the coldest journey

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is leading a team of explorers to conquer the last great polar challenge: crossing Antarctica in winter. The 2000-mile journey across the continent has for many years been considered too perilous to try and the expedition's six-man "Ice Team" will have to overcome one of earth's most hostile environments if they are to succeed, exposing themselves to temperatures dropping close to -90c and operating in near permanent darkness.

Their remarkable attempt aims to raise $10m for Seeing is Believing with match-funding from Standard Chartered, provide crucial scientific data and form the basis of an invaluable education programme.

The expedition offers an unprecedented opportunity to generate diverse, engaging, real-time educational content for schools that will galvanise children's interest in a host of subjects. From physics and maths to geography and meteorology, The Coldest Journey will be the backdrop and inspiration for a wealth of resources available to children across the Commonwealth and reach up to a hundred-thousand schools.

education_-_for_landing_page_v1_680x438Educational materials to match curriculum needs from Early Years to post-16 will be made available and cover topics from environmental sciences, history, geography, initiative and team workshops, to the fundamental questions concerning the aspirations of mankind.

An interactive map will enable students to identify the current position of the ship and the expedition team, and over the coming months there will be live feeds from Antarctica, including interviews with Sir Ranulph and the crew, and real science data collected on the expedition ship and traverse.

Microsoft has been working in partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation to develop the password-protected platform, which will be continually updated and managed using cloud technology during the expedition. For a modest fee, this education sub-site will be accessible to more than 43,000 schools in the UK and a further 57,000 across the Commonwealth's 54 nations. All proceeds from the subscription go directly to making the expedition possible, with any surplus paid to Seeing is Believing.

Your school's subscription includes:
  • Specially designed, downloadable education resources, matching curriculum needs at every level from Early Years to post-16, across a wide range of subjects.
  • Access to exclusive blogs and regular interviews with the Expedition teams, including key information that will ONLY be released to subscribing schools.
  • A large signed photograph of Sir Ranulph Fiennes for display at your school or college, to demonstrate your generous support.
  • Exclusive video and photographic material from Antarctica.
  • Opportunities to enter competitions with prizes for your school that money can't buy.
  • First-access to certain primary scientific data emerging from the Expedition, relevant to science, geography and mathematics.
  • A fund-raising guide that would enable schools to recover the full cost of their subscription through simple sponsored activities, so that your involvement with The Coldest Journey need cost nothing at all!

 

Add a Shout badge to your Microsoft profile:

The Partners in Learning Network would love to know how you have used the coldest journey.org educational resources in your classroom. Share your practice and experiences in our Shout community and upload a ‘Water-Matters’ learning activity to www.pil-network.com to qualify for the badge.

shout

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Microsoft Partners in Learning!

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bingWe have had a great year at Microsoft Partners in Learning, the highlight coming from Laura Ispsen, WWPS CVP, and Anthony Salcito, WWPS Education VP who announced that Partners in Learning will be funded a further $250 million with a five-year renewal, that reaffirms its commitment to education.

With this in mind, I thought it would be great to reflect on some of the Partners in Learning 2012 highlights:

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

Partners in Learning UK Live at Olympia

The Learning Suite–Good things come in small packages
      
The ‘new’ ICT curriculum and Partners in Learning.The Microsoft UK Partners in Learning Network shortlisted for a NAACE Impact Award

Microsoft Partners in Learning European Forum 2012 – Lisbon
Get Online @Home–the cheapest PC & Broadband package ever          

Easter Camp

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

Camp Wales–free CPD for teachers in Wales


So much to think about !- Microsoft Surface, Smartglass, Bing & Windows 8

Office 365 for education launch
Partners in Learning Teacher receives even more recognition.Summer Camp

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

UK Partners in Learning Network Manager–a new team member

Announcing the UK’s Microsoft Pathfinder Schools

Microsoft Youthsparks – Student Voice e-course launch         

London Camp
Microsoft Schools Programme – Training events

Windows 8 in Education Launch
Microsoft ‘Teaching with Technology’ curriculum on the Partners in Learning Network

UK Windows in the Classroom seminar series launch

Shape the Future Launch

Camp up North
Microsoft Online Learning Badges launch

UK win at the Global Forum for Teaching & Learning

We will be blogging again in the New Year, look out for news on the Microsoft Expert Educator Program which recognises an exclusive roster of our best educators. Another first-have is the Microsoft Innovative Schools World Tour. Via the Tour, education leaders and industry policymakers are able to visit schools and learn from them while using Microsoft tools and technology such as Windows8 and Office365 and don't forget we will have news on Bett 2013, it can’t get better than that!

Here’s to a great Christmas break and a fabulous New Year. We hope that our readers are enjoying the festive period and making the most of the ‘season to be jolly.’

Microsoft School Programme: SPRING TERM Training Events 2013

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67383.image_thumb (2)It’s hard to believe that teacher’s have already completed a third of the academic year, and after what we hope has been a great Christmas break, are now ready to start the spring term with a renewed energy.

If in this term you are looking for some great advice, examples and best practice in the use of Microsoft technologies and programmes; then our school partners might be able to help you!

Schools across the UK are hosting a series of training events, please see below for this term’s offerings. All events are FREE to attend, please contact the school directly or by the email contacts listed here.

 

When?Where?What?Who?
21st Jan 4pmsaltash.net community schoolMicrosoft Free ToolsBen Rowe
23rd Jan 4pmCalderglen High SchoolMicrosoft OneNoteOdette Frazer
23rd Jan 4pmSawtry Community CollegeMicrosoft IT AcademyPam Kitchen
28th Jan 4pmBroadclyst Community Primary SchoolMicrosoft Lync , Skype & OutlookJonathan Bishop
5th Feb 4pmNew Line Learning AcademyKodu - An Intro to programmingAlan Enfield
6th Feb 4pmCornwallis AcademyMicrosoft PublisherDavid Simmons
14th Feb 4:30pmHugh Christie Technology CollegeOffice 365 – OutlookKen Fassum
20th Feb 4pmSawtry Community CollegeTBCPam Kitchen
21st Feb 4pmDjanogly City AcademyMicrosoft free stuff - Photosynth and AutoCollagePaul Leatham
5th March 4pmCalderglen High SchoolMicrosoft Free stuffOdette Frazer
11th March 4pmsaltash.net community schoolHow to develop  policyBen Rowe
12th March 4pmNew Line Learning AcademyMicrosoft LyncAlan Enfield
13th March 4pmSawtry Community CollegeTBCPam Kitchen
13th March 4pmCornwallis AcademyOffice 365David Simmons
18th March 4pmBroadclyst Community Primary SchoolWindows 8 and the classroomJonathan Bishop
18th March 4pmsaltash.net community schoolWebinar - The ICT CurriuclumBen Rowe
20th March 5pmCalderglen High SchoolWindows Live MoviemakerOdette Frazer
21st March 4:30pmHugh Christie Technology CollegeKodu in the classroomKen Fassum

 

You can find out more about the range of programmes Microsoft Partners in Learning offers by joining for free at www.pil-network.com

Office 365 for education: Teaching in the Cloud ‘How to’ tutorials for Sharepoint

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Work better together! We are really excited that Microsoft Office 365 is available for FREE for education.Office 365 will help transform the way students and educators work in real time on assignments and group projects. Easily share information, view and edit documents in a browser or in Office. Check out this video that shows 21st century collaboration at it's best...

To demonstrate how teachers are utilising Office 365 in the classroom we are creating ‘Teaching in the Cloud’ innovids (tutorials) that will help show you how to get started with your very own Office 365 experience. Today’s post will explore how teachers are using Office 365 SharePoint in their classroom.

How are schools using Office 365 SharePoint in the classroom?

Teachers have used the class and group site features of Sharepoint 2012 to deliver lessons to students of different abilities. The class discussion tool is often used as a starter activity to get all students contributing to questions and ideas that shape the basis of the lesson. Wiki pages are used to help deliver differentiated learning resources, and students are given opportunities to work in real time on assignments and group projects using the office web apps.

Check out the 2 minute Innovid tutorials below that have been created by teachers to show how easy it is to start teaching in the cloud with Office 365 SharePoint.

Class surveys in Office 365
Setting homework in Office 365
Attach a workspace in Office 365

Look out for future posts that will explore other key tools and features of Office 365, however more Office 365 Sharepoint innovids and resources can be found on the Partners in Learning Network – Join for free today.

Office 365 for education: Assessment for Learning with Lync!

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Graphic from UK Office 365 for Education Partner Novotronix

Today’s workforce and workplace is mobile. In order to prepare students to succeed, we need to encourage and enable them to become mobile learners and active participants beyond the walls of the classroom. They can and they want to learn in different places, not only in the real-world, but also in virtual environments or a combination of both. Blended learning combines the traditional face-to-face classroom with online instruction. Office 365 for education is a great way to prepare your students to succeed in all types of environments.

How are schools using Office 365 Lync?

In Lync you can connect with others through instant messaging (IM), video calls, online meetings, and phone calls. Oakswood Junior have used Lync to set up an online numeracy support group. Making use of Lync students are using the chat feature to provide support to one another on homework issues. Lync can be accessed by students at home and in school and teachers are using the status tool feature as an ‘Assessment for Learning’ strategy to monitor progress. Hence, if students set their status to red they require assistance, if they show green they know the answer and are available to help others and if they display amber they are still working on the learning activity.

Check out this two minute innovid tutorial below to see how easy it is to start teaching in the cloud with Office 365 Lync:

 

 

Your academic institution can use Office 365 for free. If you’re waiting for your institution to get Office 365, you can apply for your own 30-day trial version, which you can use to build your virtual classroom. Sign up for your free trial at this web link.

Blog posts in this series:

 

Look out for future posts that will explore other key tools and features of Office 365, however more Office 365 for education innovids and resources can be found on the Partners in Learning Network – Join for free today.

What's happening at BETT 2012? Tim Bush reveals all….

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Guest blog post from Tim Bush (Microsoft School’s Blog)

Wow - I can't believe Bett 2013 is nearly upon us. It only seems like yesterday that we were packing up our stand at Olympia after a fun and rewarding 4 days at the show. In this case, time definitely does fly!

So, with a fairly wide remit at Bett 2012 that was built around the theme of 'Anytime, Anywhere Learning… for all', what's on the cards for Microsoft @ Bett for 2013?

Well, with the move to Excel, we are all definitely going to need to find a new café for that much needed bacon sandwich in the morning (Franks Sandwich bar, you will be missed). On a more serious note, though, we are super excited about many of the new opportunities that the new venue, and the fresh new approach by the Bett organisers for the 2013 show, provides to help us add greater value to our community.

More specifically, the theme for Bett 2013 is going to be a 'New Era for Digital Learning'. With a number of sub-themes that align to this umbrella theme, such as Windows 8, Office 365 for education, 1:1 Computing and tablets in education, we will be discussing how technology can help create more engaging and emotional connections with learning that is steeped in real world problem solving.

Furthermore, in response to the tremendous amount of innovation in the technology available in classrooms, we will also be extending our focus on supporting teachers in the resulting shifts in pedagogy, practice and management needed for us to deliver on the promise of a new era of digital learning through Partners in Learning (PiL) and our Windows in the Classroom seminar programme.

Microsoft @ Bett 2013: So what about the detail…

New for Bett 2013 is the Bett Arena, and we are proud to be sponsoring its inaugural year. We have been busy working closely with the folks at Bett to curate an amazing line-up of insightful, entertaining and informative speakers that will add a new dimension to visitors experience at the show. With a mix of household names and passionate in-sector speakers, visiting the Bett Arena is going to be an essential part of your day at the show.

2352.clip_image004_thumb_0755BCBB Our very own VP for Education, Anthony Salcito, will be presenting in the Arena on the opening day of the show and we are also running a computer science in the curriculum panel discussion. More details on both of these will be available via the blog at a later date.

Moving beyond the Bett Arena, Microsoft's presence is very much focused around sharing best practice and solving your problems. With the Microsoft Learn Live Theatre, we are delivering a wide range of keynotes across all 4 days of the show that address the sub themes associated with the show.

These include:

  • Windows 8
  • Office 365 for education
  • Cloud: Public and Private
  • 1:1 Computing
  • Apps
  • Community and teaching & learning - Windows in the Classroom and Partners in Learning
  • Devices inc Surface RT
  • BYOD

As with previous BETT events, Learn Live Theatre sessions will be delivered by a mix of teachers, network managers and Microsoft Staff. We feel privileged to work with some amazing teachers and I highly recommend taking the time to visit the theatre to learn more about how the likes of Charlotte Beckhurst, David Rogers, Janet Hayward and Kristian Still are using technology to raise attainment and help their students realise their full potential.

Full details regarding the schedule for the Learn Live Theatre sessions will be made available in a future blog post.

In addition to the Learn Live Theatre, we are also hosting a Windows 8 stand for 2013. This space will complement the Learn Live Theatre by giving a more direct focus on Windows 8, devices (including Surface RT) and apps.

The Windows 8 stand will include representatives from a selection of our OEM community - Acer, Toshiba and Asus- and the partners behind our Top Apps in Education. Our Surface RT device will also be available to trial on the stand. I personally can't get over the build quality of this device and can't wait to make it available for you to test on the stand. It really is a thing of beauty!

The Windows 8 stand will also feature an intimate theatre where we will be showcasing short presentations around the core focus of the stand - Windows 8, Devices, Apps, WMS and Windows Phone 8.

But what about the demos?

Across both the Microsoft Learn Live Theatre and Windows 8 Stand, we will be signposting to our partner community who are exhibiting at the show to help demonstrate how our technologies, in conjunction with the experience and expertise of our partners, can help make a difference within your institution.

We will be making a handy flyer available on our stands that list all of our partners, combined with their area of expertise and stand number, so you can easily find someone to answer your questions or offer a demo. Additionally, we will be signposting to relevant partners at the end of each Learn Live Theatre presentation. Our Microsoft @ Bett Microsite (available soon) will also feature a list of the partners at the show if you want to plan your visit ahead of time.

Microsoft staff will be available on both stands if you have a question or need guidance on which partner to speak with. Just shout and we will be happy to help!

Treasure Trail

More details on our theatre agenda and overall presence at Bett 2013 will be shared via the blog over the coming weeks, but just wanted to take this opportunity to share some information about our Treasure Trail. The Treasure Trail will be run in conjunction with participating partners and will offer visitors to the show the ability to win some amazing prizes that range from a Surface RT Device, Xbox 360 and a PC.

Entry cards can the collected from the Microsoft Stand. Visit each participating partner stand, answer the question, and you will receive a stamp. When completed, the card should then be dropped off at the Microsoft Stand. We will be carrying out 2 draws per day at 4pm on the Microsoft Learn Live Theatre (Wednesday – Friday).

Pop by the Microsoft stand for the entry card or if you have any questions about the competition.

Stand Number

Other than to say keep an eye out on the blog for more information about all the latest news regarding our presence at Bett 2013, I just wanted to share the stand numbers for our stands at the show.

  • Microsoft Learn Live Theatre - Stand # D270
  • Windows 8 Stand - Stand # E270

More news to follow and if you have any immediate questions, please do not hesitate to reach out via Twitter - @tbush

Look forward to seeing you at Bett 2013!

Tim

For more details on BETT, please visit the Microsoft School’s Blog.


Snow Day + School closed = Disruption to learning? We may have the solution….

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Graphic from UK Office 365 for Education Partner Novotronix

Guest blog post from James Marshall (UK Education Cloud blog)

snowIf you’re in the UK (other countries are available) you’ll probably look out of your window this morning and see something like this:

Teachers and pupils up and down the country tune into their local radio stations eagerly awaiting news of school closures, crossing fingers and toes that theirs is on the list. Traditionally when snow hits and schools close it’s seen as a free day because communication grinds to a halt.

I’ve heard stories of broadband connections to schools being swamped and failing as people scramble to get to the school website for updates, only to find an error as the server’s offline or the, hitherto totally reliable, mail server develops a problem meaning you can’t send any email. Maybe it’s time to look at different ways to keep the school functioning when the mercury falls below zero?

Office 365 for education

Office 365 for education can help get you out of this sticky situation in a number of ways:

  • Exchange Online gives every one of your pupils and teachers a 25GB mailbox hosted in a Microsoft datacentre that is accessible 24x7 from anywhere. You can even sync it to your smartphone, tablet device or pretty much anything that supports IMAP, or Exchange ActiveSync.
  • Lync Online provides everyone with the means to have instant message conversations, audio and video chats, share content, collaborate in a whiteboard, and gives everyone their own “presence” to let others know their availability. Clients are available for most major platforms and because Lync Online is hosted by Microsoft it is accessible anywhere, all the time!
  • SharePoint Online (with the Office Web Apps) is a great place to move your processes and documents. By making use of the libraries and workflows in SharePoint Online you can finally get rid of those paper forms and tiny file shares – it’s possible to store up to 25TB of data in the cloud. Teachers can set homework assignments, provide resources, share notes, and all sorts of other great things via SharePoint Online. Every user also gets their own personal storage space to keep their files, tag their favourite content, or even write a blog.

Just because you’re outside the classroom doesn’t mean teaching and learning has to stop! Here are a few examples:

  • The head teacher needs to call a meeting of all staff to brief them on the snow process. They send out a calendar invite using the Lync Online web scheduler and Exchange Online to all the teachers for them to join a meeting online using Lync. The head can then present some slides, and attach a hand-out to the meeting for the teachers to download. Also, the head can record the meeting and upload the recording to the staff area in SharePoint Online for people who couldn’t make the meeting to review at their leisure.
  • A sixth form teacher had planned to run a revision session for some A-Level students but due to the closure nobody can get in. Instead of cancelling the session the teacher can send out invites to the students using the web scheduler and host the meeting online using Lync. The teacher can share audio, video, whiteboard and presentation content – even the whole desktop if needed. Again, the session can be recorded and uploaded to SharePoint Online for later review.
  • A teacher who’d set a homework deadline of the day the school closed can still collect in homework assignments via SharePoint Online by getting pupils to upload their work from home, rather than print it out to bring in. The teacher can mark the work electronically using the Office Web Apps in SharePoint Online and send feedback to the pupils easily.

For more info on Office 365 for education, visit the UK Education Cloud Blog!  You can sign up for Office 365 for education for free today! Every signup gets a 30 day free trial of the enhanced A3 plan, which includes a downloadable copy of Office Professional Plus 2010.

Thanks,

James.

    Blog posts in this series:

    Look out for future posts that will explore other key tools and features of Office 365, however more Office 365 for education innovids and resources can be found on the Partners in Learning Network – Join for free today.

    So what do Partners in Learning have planned for BETT Week?

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    Find out which PiL events, programs, speakers are on and where during BETT week 2013 here…

    Events at a glance:

    PURPLEBETT Show   Wed, 30 Jan - Sat, 02 Feb

    BETT Show is the leading event for educational technology, and one of the world’s largest ICT in education exhibitions. Microsoft will be a major exhibitor at BETT and will be holding talks and demonstrations on Windows 8, Office 365, Partners in Learning, Shape the Future, IT Academy and much more at stands E270 and D270. Web.

    PiL School Tour   Tue, 29 Jan

    Educators, school leaders, policy makers and education experts embark on a tour to see how innovative use of space and technology turns teaching and learning into a fun and engaging experience, and drives stellar learning outcomes. Invitees to the PiL Leadership Workshop, the ELB, the School Technology Innovation Briefing, and Playful Learning can sign up for the Tour during the registration process. Web.

    ORGANGE BETT Education World Forum   Mon, 28 – Wed, 30 Jan

    UK Government invites Ministers of Education and their advisors for a 3-day global leadership summit debating future practice in education. The event is an internationally recognized ministerial forum and participation is by official invitation only. MSFT cannot invite people to the EWF but if profile fits - senior national officials, state or regional ministers or ‘others who are exerting a significant national influence– we can put a suggestion forward. New this year, we found a way for subs to participate. If you have MoE at EWF you can sign up for a ticket slot. Also we have meeting space for non-EWF delegates available. Web.

    Education Leaders Briefing   Wed, 30 Jan

    Senior education policy makers and key policy influencers join education thought leaders Sir Michael Barber, Tom Vander Ark, Kirsti Lonka, Wayne Houlden and Anthony Salcito as well as 3 young social entrepreneurs from Mexico, Chile and Singapore for an education talk show, which will be rounded up by a cocktail reception and networking dinner with edu experts as table hosts. Table topics TBA shortly. Web.

    yellow School Technology Innovation Workshop   Thu, 31 Jan

    Join technical and business decision makers from education organizations for a half-day interactive workshop about latest trends in education technology, followed by round-table discussions with experts to unravel the complexities of schooling systems and work out practical steps for scaling innovation in education. Web.

    bluePiL Training Affiliates Workshop   Tue, 29 – Thu, 31 Jan

    Organizations responsible for professional development (curriculum design, deployment, certification, assessment, etc.) participate in a 3-day workshop and use Microsoft resources to build educator capacity and prepare students to be workforce ready. Web.

    green PiL Innovative Schools Leadership Workshop   Mon, 29 Jan

    PiL Pathfinder, Mentor & World School Tour Leaders engage in a one-day professional development workshop with Katelyn Donnelly from Pearson Learning and co-author of Michael Fullan’s ‘Oceans of Innovation’, Tom Vander Ark and Bruce Dixon on leadership in education. Web.

    Playful Learning Workshop   Fri, 01 Feb

    Designed to help teachers (PiL / non-PiL) use ICTs more effectively and creatively the workshop will offer fun, engaging demos of how to use Windows 8, Microsoft Office, OneNote, Skype, Xbox and many other solutions in and outside the classroom to design engaging learning experiences. Web.

    W8 Appathon   Mon, 29 – Tue, 30 Jan

    Educators become developers. 20 PiL Innovative Teachers from Europe will be invited to turn their idea for a Windows 8 Education App into reality during a 2-day boot camp, with the top apps being promoted on the Partners in Learning Network. Nomination managed by Corp. Web.

    NEW Microsoft Learning Educator Roundtable at BETT

    Join Lutz Ziob, General Manager for Microsoft Learning for a 1h-round table discussion during BETT Show on Thursday, 31st of January from 10:00 – 11:00. The discussion will explore how new technologies influence students in the classroom and how the role of educators is changing. If interested, contact me at v-matwal@microsoft.com 

    You can find out more about the range of programmes Microsoft Partners in Learning offers by joining for free at www.pil-network.com

    Point2Player from Point2Educate FREE to download and use NOW!

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    Point to player

    The Point2Player from Point2Educate can now be downloaded and used in your school entirely freely.  It provides access to the Naace ICT Framework Toolkit, Microsoft's Learning Suite and a range of other content without having any impact on your budget.

    Naace and Point2Educate:

    Naace and Point2Educate are working together to provide primary and secondary schools with free access to a wide range of Open Source software tools and other resources to support the Naace ICT Curriculum Framework. The Framework can be used by schools to audit their current provision for ICT and to plan any changes that may be needed in order to deliver a full, broad and balanced ICT curriculum with clear progression from EYFS to Key Stage 3.

    Microsoft and Point2Educate:

    The Learning Suite by Microsoft is a set of innovative applications for education that create a robust, creative and collaborative learning environment for students and educators. These tools are now freely available to you from within the Point2Player, making them even easier to access. Microsoft group these tools into four categories aligned to how you work: Create, Colloborate, Research & Study and Teach. To make the best use of these tools and resources, sign up for the Partners in Learning Network here

    There’s more…

    Point2Player have eighteen educational Open Source software titles available for immediate use including Hot Potatoes, Libre Office and Scratch.  They also provide direct links to a range of free online tools for schools, including Office 365 and Microsoft SkyDrive. Once you've tried the Point2Player and had the chance to assess the value it offers, you may be interested in other software and resources that they offer.  If so, you'll find the eStore built into the Player, so that you can order and then start using your purchase immediately.

    What next? First take a look at the Getting Started Guide here.

    Want to download and install it now? Get started…. Download it now..

    You can find out more about the range of programmes Microsoft Partners in Learning offers by joining for free at www.pil-network.com

    NEW! Sign up to PiLN with your Office 365 school email

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    Help your students build the skills they need for the future—such as problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity—with Partners in Learning. You’ll meet other innovative teachers for collaboration opportunities, get access to free teacher resources, and learn about great ways to improve your personal teaching practice using technology.

    Now, as more and more school’s are moving towards Office 365, we thought it was only fair to add Office 365 to our list of authentication providers. This means that new members to Partners in Learning can choose to register using their Office 365 credentials.  

     

     

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    Why join PiL…Teachers helping teachers!

    You can find out more about the range of programmes Microsoft Partners in Learning offers by joining for free at www.pil-network.com

    BETT Partners in Learning Appathon 2013

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    imageIf there was sound on this post , you would be hearing ‘Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor (Rocky III) , as at BETT 2013 , Partners in Learning is hosting its first ever Windows 8 Appathon. Teacher from around Europe have been involved online training, learning how to use a browser based development environment called TouchDevelop (you will be hearing a lot more about TouchDevelop from us).

    To enter the event teachers, had to scope and create brief for a tablet app that they could then build with the help of experts at the event in London, with the winning app being published on the Microsoft App store.

    The UK had 14 teachers entered, three of which managed to get their App idea through to this this final bout of the competition. The three teachers that will battle it out are: -

    Jimmy Edwards from saltah.net community school

    David Renton from Reid Kerr College

    Ray Chambers from Uppingham College

    These guys will be ‘locked’ in a room at our London offices with 40 others for 24hrs, with supplies of Pizza and cola to sustain them as they battle it out in developing their app.

    We will be announcing how they got on and details of their apps in a post after BETT, in the meantime have a look at TouchDevelop for yourselves at www.touchdevelop.com , there are plenty of tutorials to help you get started.

    Get Online at Home - £49 PC with Windows 7 offer is back

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    GOAH - Banner

    Get Online at Home is a digital inclusion initiative from Microsoft and a selection of our authorised refurbisher partners. Our aim with Get Online at Home is to provide an entry-level price point for individuals, charities and housing associations for example to obtain a fully-functioning refurbished desktop or laptop PC together with advice on the best available internet offers from the Ofcom approved Simplifydigital.

    We have introduced our new website for Get Online at Home that makes it even simpler to select and purchase your preferred desktop or laptop PC. The term ‘refurbished PC’ simply means primarily an ex-corporate PC that has been professionally reconditioned by one of our authorised refurbisher partners – it is as ‘good as new’ and comes with a standard 90-day warranty that can be upgraded to 12-months for a small additional charge.

    Thousands of previously digitally-excluded people have already taken advantage of the Get Online at Home offer and you can read some of their stories here about the difference that being online at home makes to their lives. There are many more people who are still excluded from easy access to the Internet via their own PC in their home. Get Online at Home provides a fully-functioning, internet-ready, secure desktop or laptop PC with prices commencing from £49* for our special offer.

    *Terms and conditions apply. Refer to Get Online at Home Special Offer webpage for full details

    Kodu Kup UK 2013–Competition now open

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    imageToday we are thrilled to launch our inaugural Kodu Kup competition in the UK at BETT 2013 on the NAACE stand. This great competition we hope will support teachers and schools in developing a curriculum and interest in computer science.

    Kodu is a visual programming language made specifically for creating games. It is designed to be accessible for children and enjoyable for anyone. Developed by Microsoft Research, the programming environment runs on the PC and Xbox allowing rapid design creation. Elements such as a game controller can be added for input, giving a greater ‘real’ game experience. Kodu is available for free and is supported by a wide range of resources and communities. Kodu is so easy to learn and use it is even being used by children as young as 6 years old

    Competition Details

    The competition is open to all 7-14 year old students in UK schools.

    Teachers need to join and create a profile on the Partners in Learning Network and final submissions will be uploaded to here.

    Submissions need consist of two files; the Kodu game and a game case cover to advertise the details of the game  ( a template is provided in the teacher guide)

    Each game submitted should be created by a team of 3 students, who have worked together in producing the game.

    Any Kodu game created must reflect at least one of these three themes.image

    - Mars Exploration - Use the Mars Rover character in Kodu Game Lab to create a game centred around the exploration of Mars.

    image- Water Awareness - Create a game that tackles the environmental issue of water. This could be a local or school-based scenario or something more global.image

    - Retro Arcade games - Recreate an arcade game from the past with a Kodu twist!

    These themes are aimed at promoting the inclusion of computer science across the curriculum. So even if you are not an ICT teacher, you can still enter your students into the competition as geography, science or history teacher.

    The closing date for the competition is 31st May 2013

    Ten winning entries will be selected by a team of judges, that will include computer game studio genius Gary Carr, whose Lionheart studios are responsible for the epic game Fable- The journey. Those teams will be invited to Microsoft UK Headquarters in Reading, for a day of Kodu activities, where they will share and present their game. Three teams will be selected as the top three and the members of those, will receive an Xbox 360 and Kinect as a prize, with one team being awarded the accolade of being Kodu Kup champions.

    Full details, resources, support and the teachers guide can be downloaded from thiscommunity on the Partners in Learning Network .You can also the latest updates and support on our Kodu Kup UK Facebook page www.facebook.com/kodukup and follow us on Twitter @kodukup

    We are really excited about this competition and are looking forward to receiving some great games from your students. We be holding a number of events throughout the competition around country, with the great support of Computing at Schools and UKIE . Stay tuned to this blog, Facebook and Twitter for further details.


    Learn how to design, code and publish your very own app to the Windows Store!!

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    Guest blog post from Anthony Salcito:

    7220.Ants%20Blog%20first%20appathon%20pic.jpg-550x0The New Era of Digital Learning was fully on display in London early this week, when educators became developers for 24 hours in the first-ever Windows 8 App-a-thon at the British Education Technology & Training (BETT) Show.  On Monday, January 28th and Tuesday, January 29th, 21 Partners in Learning Innovative Teachers from Europe were invited to turn their idea for a Windows 8 Education App into reality, and the results were phenomenal.

    For background, last October Microsoft invited 53 teachers from across Europe to participate in Virtual Universities led by Peli de Halleux from Microsoft Research in October. The purpose was to build apps for educators on the Windows 8 platform using Touch Develop. Educators submitted a mock design in December, and 21 were then selected to attend BETT as participants in the 24-hour App-a-thon, where they would have the chance to develop their apps even further with the help of experts.

    The submissions varied from math apps to classroom management apps, and were selected based on innovation and their likelihood of being published and used. Once the 24-hour app-a-thon concluded, each educator presented their app to the judges. I’m thrilled to announce the three winners of the very first Windows 8 App-a-thon:

    Winner:Evgen Moturnak, Ukraine. Evgen built an app titled, “Electrical Scheme Constructor.” This app demonstrates how to conduct electricity, and students build their own virtual circuit.

    People’s Choice: Olesksii and Oleksandr Tebenko, Ukraine. Olesksii and Oleksandr built “Matches,” an app that helps students develop increased logic abilities.

    Best Concept: Tommy Maher, Ireland. Tommy developed “Digital Age Snapshot/Wider World.” Tommy’s App supports an enquiry-based approach to Irish history, which is consistent with the curricular approaches taken in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK. He involved multiple schools and teachers across Ireland to help commemorate Irish Independence.

    Congratulations to the winners!

    Are you interested in learning how to develop apps for Windows 8? Click here and you too can learn how to design, code and publish your very own app to the Windows Store.

    -Anthony

    You can find out more about the range of programmes Microsoft Partners in Learning offers by joining for free at www.pil-network.com

    Key Stage 1–AutoCollage Competition–South West Grid for Learning

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    The South West Grid for Learning is proud to announce a brand new competition in collaboration with Microsoft Partners in Learning for schools in the South West of England.
    With support from West Town Farm and Love Local Food this promises to be a colourful, creative and exciting competition. With the theme of ‘Seasonal and Local Food’, we are looking for students in KS1 to create a collage of pictures to represent their ideas of what is ‘seasonal and local’ to them.

      Need inspiration?

    • Local produce ... Will it feature bananas ... probably not!

    • Seasonal food ... Will it be spring peas, summer fruits, autumn squashes or winter parsnips?

    • Seasonal weather ... Rain, sun, snow? with the weather we have had, mostly rain!

    • Seasonal colours ... Leaf colours, flower colours, sky colours?


    We will be running this competition from 7th January 2013 - 28th March 2013, with judges from West Town Farm and Love Local Food helping us to decide the winner(s).
    The winning student(s) will be rewarded with their images being published in an on line collection of seasonal recipes being produced by Love Local Food, along with an invitation for them and their class to visit West Town Farm for free and cook some seasonal food over a fire. They will also win a Digital Camera for their school.


    So, what’s the next step? You can visit Microsoft Partners in Learning to download AutoCollage. It’s free! You can find help on AutoCollage on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/innovativeteach . Here is an example:-

    Using AutoCollage as a starter activity

    Top Tipimage

    AutoCollage uses facial recognition to focus on a particular part of the image. This is going to be difficult when using of flowers, fruits and clouds. But, this is easily solved with AutoCollage. Firstly, make sure the option to allow manual facial detection is enabled. Find this by clicking Options. Next Select an image , by clicking on it, it will enlarge. Next, press CTRL key and click and drag to draw a yellow box to select the area or object you want to focus on.

    Now start your students making amazing collages! It’s that simple. The most exciting, innovative, creative entries will then be judged and the winners announced!    
               

    Launch of the Kodu Kup–Guest post by Nicki Maddams

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    It has now been over a week since the Kodu Kup was launched in the UK! Just to recap, The Kodu Kup is open to any child enrolled at a UK school and who is aged between seven to fourteen years of age at the date of entry. Children are entered by their appropriate school teacher and may be entered for the competition as individuals or as part of a team of up to three people. We have three different themes children can chose from:

     

    clip_image002

       à Retro Arcade Game

    Recreate an arcade game from the past with a Kodu twist! If you need some inspiration you could try taking a look at www.classicgamesarcade.com for some examples.

    clip_image004

       à Water Awareness

    Create a game that tackles the environmental issue of water. This could be a local or school-based scenario or something more global.

    clip_image006

       à Mars Exploration

    Use the Mars Rover character in Kodu Game Lab to create a game centred around the exploration of Mars.

    The deadline is 31st May 2013. You can read the full details in the Teachers Pack here: http://sdrv.ms/VHhCSn

    Kodu Kup Launch 1The launch at BETT was a huge success. Lots of educators gathered around the NAACE stand to watch the live demonstration by myself following an introduction by Stuart Ball and Anthony Salcito. We even featured one of our celebrity judges at the launch, Gary Carr, who is responsible for the development of hit videogame, Fable – The Journey. Further demonstrations in the Microsoft theatre really highlighted the popularity of the competition and many teachers that I met couldn’t wait to get started.

    So the question is, have you made a start in launching the Kodu Kup in your school? If so we’d love to hear how you are getting on. Post a comment below or keep in touch using Facebook: www.facebook.com/KoduKup or Twitter: @KoduKup.

     

    You can find out more about the range of programmes Microsoft Partners in Learning offers by joining for free at www.pil-network.com

    Ray Chambers on www.dailyadventures.com

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    ‘‘You might be able to help get that student their pass, but can they apply it in real life? I believe the country needs to support more ‘real-life’ practice with students to make sure that they will float, rather than sink at the end of their school career.”

    – Ray Chambers, England

    Ray-Chambers-England

    Ray Chambers is a relatively young teacher – he’s been teaching ICT only since 2008. About two years ago, Chambers noticed his students were becoming bored in his ICT classes – they could only be inspired by learning to create a spreadsheet or learn Word for so long. So he decided it was time to try something new. “I was introduced to the Partners in Learning Netw ork by another inspiring person, Guy Shearer,” says Chambers. “He introduced me to the innovative things that were happening. I had an idea for using the Kinect in the classroom and I couldn’t find any information on it. He persuaded me to keep looking.”

    Not only did Chambers keep looking, he created his own program using the Kinect, and created tutorials and shared this on his blog, to help other teachers do the same. “I taught myself to develop Kinect Applications using the Kinect SDK,” says Chambers. “At this point, many teachers were using the Xbox but none had used the Kinect as a standalone device. I wanted to engage students and I wanted them to enjoy their lessons.” Chambers’ project has grown since and with the help of colleague Stuart Ball, they have created a group of teachers from the UK called the K-Team. “We’re all using the Kinect or Kodu to develop education,” notes Chambers. His project, “Kinect Olympics,” took him to the 2011 finals of UK Partners in Learning Forum, and then on to the European Partners in Learning Forum in Lisbon.

    “At the European Forum I was impressed to see that many teachers all over Europe were already using the tutorials from my blog to make their own applications,” says Chambers. “There were teachers from Bulgaria editing the code to build quizzes for their classrooms. Friends who have visited the Global Forum have told me about the impact it’s made. There were at least three more countries at the Global Forum using the technology and the applications I had developed.”

    Chambers’ accomplishments have led to him presenting at many events, including BETT in 2011, 2012 and 2013. This year, Chambers and fellow K-Team member David Renton talked about the use of Kinect Applications, Kinect Games and Kodu, and the impact that it has had in their students’ grades. “It was a great opportunity to establish connections,” says Chambers. “As a result of all of this, my teaching practice has changed. The recognition I have had from the students and the enjoyment from them has only made me more determined to be even more innovative. I’m currently looking at ways of using TouchDevelop within the curriculum at our school. I am now trying to make future projects have a whole school impact rather than just in my own classroom. I’m looking at getting students to develop apps for other teachers so that the whole school can make use of this innovation.”

     

     

    Read the rest of Ray’s interview on www.dailyadventures.com. You can leave you messages of support for Ray @Lanky_boi_ray using the following hastag:  #DailyEdventures

    You can find out more about the range of programmes Microsoft Partners in Learning offers by joining for free at www.pil-network.com

    We are on the move.

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    imageWe are moving our blog post home, for the past four years we have published posts here on our Teachers blog. We have decided that to provide you with  a broader and more holistic picture of the Microsoft UK Education offering to schools and teachers. That we merge this blog with our schools blogs.

    So please update your links and change your RSS feeds to point to http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ukschools/ . Where we will continue to  bring you all the news updates and ideas from Partners in Learning.

    We will be leaving this blog as an archive that can be used for reference. This blog still receives huge numbers of search enquires about favourites like AutoCollage and our other free software.

    See you all on the Schools Blog soon.

    Thank you

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