Connecting the Education Community
The Education community thrives on the never-ending quest for information, and the ability to share that information with others. It strengthens us, enlightens us, and can be harnessed and used for positive change in each of our lives. In today’s world, we have so many options on HOW we educate ourselves, and HOW we share that information with others. And in this digital age, the access to information and knowledge is abundant, but oftentimes can be overwhelming.
The technologies that help us enable our education are also changing, and they have become increasingly important in keeping us connected with those we teach and those who teach us. In fact, the importance that technology has in creating new ways to make information more accessible, more inclusive, and more comprehensive is at the core of what drives this tech community. As technology evolves, it’s our collective goal to ensure it changes for the better.
The End of an Era
This past month saw the industry exit of one of true pioneers in the education industry, Edmodo. For almost 15 years, Edmodo has helped strengthen the education community by creating tools that have enabled teachers to share content, distribute assignments, and manage communication with students, colleagues, and parents worldwide. And while we’d like to say a tremendous “Thank You” to the Edmodo team, we also wanted to reach out to the community to help fill the void that the loss of some of these tools may have on your classrooms.
How Teams Can Help
While technologies in this industry change, the connected classroom is still an essential part of our educational environment, and the tools and support teachers and students can utilize are important to our overall success. The entire team at Microsoft Education is dedicated to the continued support of the education community and offers a host of solutions that can help get the most out of in-person and hybrid learning environments.
For example, Microsoft Teams for Education is part of a product suite designed to empower every learner and bring everyone and everything together in one powerful communication application. It’s built with tools and features to support the evolving needs of students and teachers in both small classrooms and larger educational institutions. Microsoft Teams for Education has both free and paid subscription plans that can fit the needs of any school and provides the necessary tools and support to help you get started right away.
By combining a classroom’s communication and productivity tools in one place, Microsoft Teams enables you to:
- Collaborate seamlessly by making it easy for educators to set up virtual classrooms, keep assignments and grades organized, and collaborate on any number of files in real time.
- Connect virtually to make remote and hybrid learning fun and engaging. Chat, video, file sharing, and other features help students and educators connect and communicate more naturally.
- Communicate securely with the ability to reach out to students, staff, parents, and guardians in a safe and secure environment, including supervised chats for students.
In addition to providing collaboration, connection and communication tools, Teams can also greatly enhance the learning experience by:
- Encouraging independent learning by providing access to personalized tools that allow students to practice and learn on their own, with the help from our AI-assisted digital learning coaches and built-in progress trackers.
- Developing social skills by supporting students’ emotional and social well-being and providing a safe space to navigate feelings with age-appropriate activities that promote Social-Emotional Learning (SEL).
- Enhancing hybrid education by bridging the gap between in-person and remote educational environments with easy-to-use tools that make blended learning more convenient and efficient for everyone.
We understand that the school year has already begun, and that the amazing tools Edmodo brought to your classroom are going to be missed. We hope Teams can help fill some of these gaps and provide you the solutions you need in the fastest and most efficient manner. From all of us at Microsoft, to the entire education community, best of luck with the new school year, and let’s make this the best one ever, together.
Mike Tholfsen
Group Product Manager
Microsoft Education