Article content Similar to schools across the world public schools in Coquitlam, B.C., could not have predicted the outbreak.
The B.C. municipal schools were probably better prepared than most to deal with the challenges COVID-19 posed to education.
In no small measure this is due to its partnership with Microsoft, which includes enhanced use of Microsoft's suite of educational, interactive cloud-based applications that enhance learning experiences in the classroom and beyond.
"There has been, for a time, this general movement to adopt technology in schools across Canada to help support innovative and innovative methods of education," explains Stephen Whiffin director of instruction and chief information officer for the Coquitlam School District.
Making use of information technology to enhance learning for the school district's 30,000 diverse students has been a key goal for a few years now.
"We'd been focused for some time on implementing Microsoft 365 Education because it offers a suite of tools that the majority of people are already familiar with."
The ease of use of Microsoft is not overemphasized in its importance in aiding in the ease of adoption by learners and educators, he notes. In the event that the pandemic struck, the school district was able to swiftly transition to an online, at-home learning format.
Whiffin says that all of our teachers owned laptops and had Microsoft software on them. The IT infrastructure was also available to help support this rapid change.
The school board purchased new hardware and equipment that run the most recent cloud-based Windows 10 operating systems. This allows for seamless synching with Microsoft 365 Education tools. Another benefit is that Microsoft provides IT management tools, which allow administrators to manage connected devices and networks.
Article content It also offers its own Surface brand of touchscreen tablet/laptop/desktop hybrids for exceptional performance in educational settings, with affordable to premium price points.
Microsoft's educational tools are built on Office 365, the most popular software for business worldwide. Microsoft offers a free version of its education software to teachers and students across Canada through an agreement with school boards. This gives users access to powerful tools such as Teams, PowerPoint, Excel and Word on their devices at home to help them learn, as well as access to Minecraft Education Edition. Students and parents also gain access to add-ons specially developed for the classroom.
Whiffin states that Microsoft Teams, a core communication tool that is part of the M365 suite, comes with special plug-ins for education. This allows remote learning and working in the classroom.
In addition, Microsoft's education program includes apps like OneNote Class Notebooks, which lets teachers easily create virtual spaces for private, group, one-on-one and classroom work.
But, it's not just software. Whiffin claims that Microsoft offers the complete suite that is essential in an age where learning is expanding beyond classroom walls.
"All resources must be aligned, not just for learning, but also for the infrastructure that supports learning in the classroom as well as at home.
Article content All Microsoft 365 Education Tools are backed with unparalleled security and privacy features, Whiffin says.
He says, "That was absolutely crucial for parents and teachers, so they knew students would be able to use them safely." It would have been much more difficult to implement these tools in our classroom without that trust.
While Microsoft's 365 Education suite proved its potential for remote learning during the pandemic, the most telling illustration of its transformative power is that students and teachers have continued to utilize them after returning to classroom learning.
"That's an affirmation of the quality of the learning experience and the efficacy of tools that help improve education," he adds.
The key to the Coquitlam school district's success is Microsoft's unifying platform that meets the needs of students, educators and other support staff.
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Whiffin states that Microsoft 365 Education offers one set of tools that can aid students in their learning regardless of whether they're using Excel to design presentations, PowerPoint to crunch numbers, or Teams to communicate in real-time.
To learn more about Microsoft 365 Education, or download the suite, click here.
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