Posted on Leave a comment

Microsoft Showcase Schools announced from 58 countries around the world

Country

City

School

Argentina

Ciudad Autonoma

Instituto Central de Capacitación

Australia

Brisbane

All Hallows’ School

Australia

Carrara

Emmanuel College

Australia

Dallas

Dallas Brooks Community Primary School

Australia

Novar Gardens

Immanuel College

Australia

The Ponds

John Palmer PS

Austria

Klagenfurt

HAK1 International Klagenfurt

Austria

Stockerau

Informatik-Mittelschule Stockerau

Austria

Wien

BAfEP De La Salle

Austria

Zwettl

Private NMS Zwettl

Belgium

Gent

Sint-Lievenscollege

Belgium

Halle

GO! technisch atheneum Halle

Belgium

Waregem

VTI-Waregem

Brazil

Belo Horizonte

Sic – Colégios Santo Agostinh

Brazil

Criciúma

Colégio Marista Criciúma

Brazil

Curitiba, Parana, Brasil

Colégio Sesi Internacional

Brazil

Juazeiro Do Norte

Colégio Paraíso

Brazil

Londrina

Colégio SESI Internacional de Londrina

Brazil

Ribeirão Preto

Colégio Marista Champagnat

Brazil

São José Dos Campos

Colégio Poliedro São José dos Campos

Brazil

São Paulo

Colégio Bandeirantes

Brazil

São Paulo

Escola Bosque

Brazil

São Paulo

Escola Lourenço Castanho

Brunei

Bandar Seri Begawan

Chung Hwa Middle School

Canada

Oakville

Gaetan Gervais

Canada

Perth

St. John Catholic High School

Canada

Waterdown

St. Thomas the Apostle CES

Canada

Winnipeg

École Henri-Bergeron

China

Beijing

Beijing Huijia Private School

China

Shanghai

Shanghai Fu Shang Zheng Da Foreign Language Primary School

Colombia

Cali

Colegio Aleman Cali

Costa Rica

Cartago

Anglo American School

Croatia

Popovača

Primary school Popovaca

Cyprus

Nicosia

The Grammar School Nicosia

Cyprus

Nicosia

The Junior and Senior School

Czechia

České Budějovice

Gymnázium, České Budějovice, Česká 64

Czechia

Kladno

Základní škola a Mateřská škola Chýně, Praha – západ

Czechia

Klatovy

Střední škola zemědělská a potravinářská Klatovy

Czechia

Olomouc

Základní škola a Mateřská škola Olomouc, Nedvědova 17, příspěvková organizace

Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo

Notre Dame School

Ecuador

Guayaquil

Academia Naval Almirante Illingworth

Ecuador

Pichincha

Unidad Educativa Tomas Moro

Ecuador

Quito

T.W. Anderson

Egypt

Alexandria

Alexandria International School

El Salvador

San Salvador

Colegio Highlands San Salvador

Finland

Espoo

Viherlaakso

Finland

Kokkola

Torkinmäki School

Finland

Yli-Ii

Yli-Ii Comprehensive School

France

Cesson Sevigne

Lycee Ozanam

France

Dijon

DIIAGE

France

Les Herbiers

Jean XXIII

France

Paris

Lycée Maurice Ravel

France

Strasbourg

Collège épiscopal Saint Etienne

Germany

55435 Gau-Algesheim

Christian Erbach Realschule plus Gau-Algesheim

Germany

Berlin

Berlin Cosmopolitan School

Germany

Berlin

Martin-Buber-Oberschule

Germany

Brakel

Berufskolleg Kreis Höxter

Germany

Bremen

Europaschule Schulzentrum SII Utbremen

Germany

Cologne

Erich-Gutenberg-Berufskolleg

Germany

Erlangen

Staatliche Berufsschule Erlangen

Germany

Hamburg

Berufliche Schule ITECH Elbinsel Wilhelmsburg

Germany

Minden

Freiherr-vom-Stein Berufskolleg

Germany

Neubeuern

Schloss Neubeuern – Internatsschule für Mädchen und Jungen

Greece

Athens

Avgoulea- Linardatou Private School

Greece

Maroussi

Doukas School

Greece

Thessaloniki

Mandoulides Schools

Guatemala

Guatemala

Academia y Centro de Aprendizaje de Tecnología Juan Aparicio

Guatemala

Guatemala

Colegio Católico San Pablo

Guatemala

Retalhuleu

Colegio Centroamericano

Hong Kong SAR

Hong Kong

HKSKH Bishop Hall Secondary School

Hong Kong SAR

Hong Kong

Pak Kau College

Hong Kong SAR

Hong Kong

The Education University of Hong Kong Jockey Club Primary School

Hong Kong SAR

Tko

HKCCCU Logos Academy

Hungary

Miskolc

Lévay József Református Gimnázium és Diákotthon

India

Ahmedabad

Udgam School For Children

India

Aligarh

The Blossoms School

India

Bhopal

The Sanskaar Valley School

India

Bhubaneswar

SAI International School

India

Chengalpet

Mahindra World School

India

Dehradun

Welham Boys School

India

Delhi

ASN Senior Secondary School, Mayur Vihar

India

Delhi

Mount Abu Public School

India

Delhi

Venkateshwar Global School

India

Delhi

Vikas Bharati Public School

India

Ferozepur City

Dass And Brown World School

India

Ghaziabad

Delhi Public School Ghaziabad

India

Ghaziabad

Seth Anandram Jaipuria School

India

Ghaziabad

Uttam School For Girls

India

Gurgaon

Ajanta Public School

India

Gurgaon

DPS International

India

Gurgaon

Pathways World School

India

Gurgaon

Ridge Valley School

India

Gurgaon

Suncity School

India

Haryana

Scholars Global School

India

Hosur

Litera Valley Zee School, Hosur

India

Hosur

The Ashok Leyland School

India

Hosur

The Titan School

India

Kolkata

Indus Valley World School

India

Kolkata

The Heritage School

India

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)

Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Lucknow

India

Ludhiana

DCM Presidency School, Ludhiana

India

Ludhiana

Sat Paul Mittal School

India

Mayur Vihar, Phase-1

Ahlcon International School

India

NCR Delhi

Pathways School Gurgaon

India

New Delhi

Bal Bharati Public School, Ganga Ram

India

New Delhi

Bluebells School International

India

New Delhi

Gyan Mandir Public School

India

New Delhi

Indraprastha International School, Sec-10

India

New Delhi

M L Khanna Dav Public School

India

New Delhi

Ramjas School

India

New Delhi

St. Mary’s School

India

New Delhi

Venkateshwar International School

India

Noida

Genesis global school

India

Noida

Pathways School Noida

India

North West 09-Delhi

Bal Bharati Public School

India

Panipat

Delhi Public School Panipat City

India

Parwanoo

Eicher School Parwanoo

India

Phagwara

Kamla Nehru Public School

India

Pune

Anisha Global School, Undri Pune

India

Pune

Anisha Global School,Marunji,Pune

India

SBS Nagar

Rayat International School

India

Varanasi

Sunbeam School lahartara Varanasi Uttar pradesh

India

Varanasi

Sunbeam School,Varuna

Indonesia

Kota Tangerang Selatan

SMP-SMA Insan Cendekia Madani

Ireland

Bandon

St. Brogan’s College

Ireland

Claregalway

Coláiste Bhaile Chláir (Claregalway College)

Ireland

County Galway

St. Augustine’s National School Clontuskert

Ireland

Derry

St Mary’s College

Ireland

Kinsale

Kinsale Community School

Ireland

Omagh

Christian Brothers Grammar School Omagh

Ireland

Saintfield

Millennium Integrated Primary School

Italy

Brescia

I.I.S. Benedetto Castelli

Japan

Kyoto

Ritsumeikan Primary School

Kazakhstan

Astana

Miras International School, Astana

Kenya

Mombasa

Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa

Kenya

Nairobi

Crawford International School-Nairobi

Kuwait

Hawalli

American Creativity Academy

Lebanon

Beirut

Makassed Ali Bin Abi Taleb College

Lebanon

Beirut

Omar Bin Khattab

Lebanon

Dhour Shweir

Dhour Shweir Public Secondary School

Lithuania

Kaunas

Kaunas Jonas and Petras Vileisiai school

Lithuania

Kursenai

Kuršėnai L. Ivinskis Gymnasium

Malaysia

Butterworth, Pulau Pinang

SK Taman Senangan

Malaysia

Iskandar Puteri

Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Bukit Indah

Malaysia

Kelantan

SMK Kubang Kerian

Malaysia

Kuala Perlis

SMK Kuala Perlis

Malaysia

Melaka

SK Bandar Hilir

Netherlands

Breda

De Nassau

Netherlands

Deventer

Kindcentrum Rivierenwijk

Netherlands

Etten-Leur

Katholieke Scholengemeenschap Etten-Leur

Netherlands

Putten

OBS De Korenbloem

Netherlands

Wezep

ODS De Wereldweide

Netherlands

Zwijndrecht

OBS De Dolfijn

New Zealand

Auckland

Baradene College

New Zealand

Auckland

Botany Downs Secondary College

New Zealand

Auckland

Freemans Bay School

New Zealand

Auckland

Opaheke School

New Zealand

Masterton

Rathkeale College

New Zealand

Methven

Methven Primary School

New Zealand

Napier

Napier Boys’ High School

New Zealand

Nelson

Nayland College

New Zealand

Nelson

Nelson College

New Zealand

Nelson

Richmond Primary School

Nigeria

Lagos

Corona School Lekki

Norway

Stavanger

Godalen videregående skole

Pakistan

Isalamabad

The Millennium Education

Pakistan

Islamabad

Roots International Schools

Peru

Arequipa

Institución Educativa Privada San José de Arequipa

Philippines

Batangas City

Lyceum of the Philippines University – Batangas

Philippines

Cagayan De Oro

Xavier University, Ateneo de Cagayan

Philippines

General Trias City, Cavite

De La Salle University – Dasmarinas

Philippines

Makati

Asia Pacific College

Philippines

Manila

Lyceum of the Philippines University- Manila

Philippines

Manila

National University

Philippines

Muntinlupa City

De La Salle Santiago Zobel School

Poland

Gdynia

ZSO 8 Gdynia

Poland

Gniezno

Szkoła Podstawowa nr 12 im. prof. Adama Wodziczki w Gnieźnie

Poland

Józefów

Strumienie Szkoła Podstawowa Stowarzyszenia Sternik

Poland

Nowy Tomyśl

Szkoła Podstawowa nr 3 im. Feliksa Szołdrskiego w Nowym Tomyślu

Poland

Olsztyn

Stowarzyszenie Edukacyjne “Młodzież Przyszłością Regionu” Olsztyn, Poland

Poland

Radom

Zespół Szkół Technicznych im. Tadeusza Kościuszki w Radomiu

Poland

Słupsk

II Liceum Ogólnokształcące z Oddziałami Dwujęzycznymi im. Adama Mickiewicza w Słupsku

Poland

Ząbki

Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 3 im. Małego Powstańca w Ząbkach

Portugal

Argoncilhe, Santa Maria Da Feira

escolaglobal

Portugal

Freixo

Agrupamento de Escolas de Freixo

Portugal

Paredes De Coura

EPRAMI

Puerto Rico

Arroyo

Escuela José Horacio Cora

Puerto Rico

San Juan

Escuela Del Deporte De San Juan

Puerto Rico

San Juan

Escuela Especializada en Matemáticas, Ciencias y Tecnología de San Juan

Qatar

Ain Khaled

Al Maha Academy for Boys

Qatar

Al Doha

Maymouna primary school for girls

Qatar

Doha

Al Maha Academy for girls

Qatar

Doha

Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions

Qatar

Doha

SEK International School Qatar

Russia

Chelyabinsk

School 116 of Chelyabinsk

Russia

Ekaterinburg

School 184 “New School”

Russia

Kazan

IT-Lyceum of Kazan Federal University

Russia

Kirov

MAOU “Licey #28”

Russia

Moscow

High School 1517

Russia

Moscow

High School Tsaritsyno 548

Russia

Moscow

School 1552

Russia

Moscow

School Ped-Ps, Moscow

Russia

Pervouralsk

MAOU “Licey #21”

Slovakia

Bratislava

Hotelova akademia/Hotel Academy

Slovakia

Kechnec

Súkromná základná škola, Kechnec 13

Slovakia

Malacky

Gymnazium Malacky

South Africa

Cape Town

Christel House South Africa

South Africa

Johannesburg

Brescia House School

South Africa

Johannesburg

Steyn City School

South Africa

Pretoria

Jacaranda College & Pre-Primary

Spain

Aguilar De Campoo, Palencia

Colegio San Gregorio Ntra Sra de la Compasión

Spain

Barcelona

Monlau Centre d’Estudis

Spain

Madrid

Colegio El Valle

Spain

Madrid

Colegio Internacional SEK Santa Isabel

Spain

Málaga

Colegio Marista de Málaga

Spain

Poio

SEK International School Atlántico

Spain

Tomelloso

FEC Santo Tomás de Aquino La Milagrosa

Spain

Urb. Almerimar, El Ejido

SEK International School Alboran

Spain

Valencia

Grupo Sorolla Educación

Spain

Valladolid

Colegio Sagrada Familia

Spain

Valladolid

Colegio San Agustin

Sri Lanka

Colombo

Gateway College

Switzerland

Hünenberg

Schulen Hünenberg

Thailand

Pattani

Ban Tanyongdalor School

Turkey

Istanbul

Başakşehir Vizyon Koleji

Turkey

İzmir

Izmir Istek Okulları

Turkey

İzmir

Özel Çakabey Okulları

Ukraine

Kherson

Kherson Gymnasium # 1

Ukraine

Zalishchyky

Zalishchyky State Gimnasia

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi

Diyafah International School LLC

United Arab Emirates

Dubai

Cambridge International School

United Arab Emirates

Dubai

Dubai International Academy

United Arab Emirates

Dubai

GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis

United Arab Emirates

Dubai

Raffles International School

United Arab Emirates

Dubai

The Kindergarten Starters

United Arab Emirates

Dubai

The Westminster School

United Arab Emirates

Sharjah

Al Shefaa Bint Abdullah Secondary School

United Arab Emirates

Sharjah

Emirates National Schools-Sharjah Campus

United Kingdom

Berkeley

SGS Berkeley Green UTC

United Kingdom

Berkshire

Wellington College

United Kingdom

Bootle

Hugh Baird College

United Kingdom

Bridgwater

Chilton Trinity School

United Kingdom

Brynnau Rhondda Cynon Taff

Brynnau Primary

United Kingdom

Cardiff

Cardiff and Vale College

United Kingdom

Chippenham

Hardenhuish School

United Kingdom

Clitheroe

Ribblesdale High School

United Kingdom

Cold Ash

Downe House School

United Kingdom

Denbigh

Myddelton College

United Kingdom

Derby

Derby College

United Kingdom

Derby

Repton School

United Kingdom

Exeter

Cornerstone Academy Trust

United Kingdom

Exeter

Exeter College

United Kingdom

Falkirk

St Mungo’s RC High School

United Kingdom

Ferndale

Darran Park Primary School

United Kingdom

Fife

Queen Anne High School,

United Kingdom

Filton

SGS College

United Kingdom

Glasgow

Glasgow Kelvin College

United Kingdom

Grimsby

The Grimsby Institute

United Kingdom

Huddersfield

Kirklees College

United Kingdom

Lincolnshire

Skegness Infant Academy

United Kingdom

London

City of Westminster College

United Kingdom

London

Dulwich College

United Kingdom

London

Eltham College

United Kingdom

London

La Sainte Union Catholic School

United Kingdom

London

Wimbledon High School

United Kingdom

Manchester

Trafford College Group

United Kingdom

Marlow

Danesfield School

United Kingdom

Milton Keynes

Denbigh School

United Kingdom

Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes College

United Kingdom

Northampton

Simon de Senlis Primary School

United Kingdom

Paisley

West College Scotland

United Kingdom

Peterborough

Bishop Creighton Academy

United Kingdom

Peterborough

Newark Hill Academy

United Kingdom

Port Tablot

Ysgol Bae Baglan

United Kingdom

Reading

Queen Anne’s School

United Kingdom

Reading

UTC Reading

United Kingdom

Redditch

Heart of Worcestershire College

United Kingdom

Risca

Risca Community Comprehensive School

United Kingdom

Settle

Giggleswick School

United Kingdom

Skegness

Skegness Junior Academy

United Kingdom

Smethwick

Shireland Collegiate Academy

United Kingdom

Treorchy

Treorchy Comprehensive School

United Kingdom

Twickenham

Richmond Upon Thames College

United Kingdom

Upper Largo

Kirkton of Largo Primary School

United Kingdom

Weston-Super-Mare

Weston College

United Kingdom

Woodbridge

Framlingham College

United States

Abington

Abington Middle School

United States

Bellevue

International School, Bellevue School District

United States

Bellevue

Wilburton Elementary School/Bellevue School District

United States

Brooklyn

Abraham Lincoln High School

United States

Casper

St. Anthony Tri-Parish School

United States

Catonsville

Mount de Sales Academy

United States

Cicero

J. Sterling Morton High School District 201

United States

Dallas

Ursuline Academy of Dallas

United States

Easthampton

Williston Northampton School

United States

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Board of Education

United States

Fairburn

Bear Creek Middle School

United States

Farmington

Canyon Creek Elementary

United States

Fontana

Southridge Tech Middle School

United States

Greeneville

Greeneville Middle School/Greeneville City Schools

United States

Jacksonville

Andrew Jackson High School

United States

Kaysville

Kay’s Creek Elementary

United States

Lake Forest

Lake Forest Country Day School

United States

Medina

St. Thomas School

United States

Miami

Westminster Christian School

United States

Mobile

St. Paul’s Episcopal School

United States

Ontario

Woodcrest Junior High School

United States

Pembroke Pines

Pembroke Lakes Elementary

United States

Phoenix

Ombudsman Charter East

United States

Pontiac

Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy

United States

Pueblo

GOAL Academy

United States

Rancho Santa Margarita

Santa Margarita Catholic High School

United States

Redmond

Nikola Tesla STEM High School

United States

Renton

Renton Prep

United States

Sarasota

Booker Middle School

United States

Seattle

O’Dea High School

United States

Shelbyville

Cornerstone Christian Academy

United States

Springfield

Liberty Elementary School

United States

Tacoma

Gray Middle School / Tacoma Public Schools

United States

Tampa

Cannella Elementary

United States

Tampa

Turner/Bartels K-8

United States

Titusville

Park Avenue Christian Academy

United States

Wheaton

St. Francis High School

United States

Woodbridge

Kyle R. Wilson Elementary

United States

Woodland Hills

El Camino Real Charter High School

Posted on Leave a comment

New discounts on meeting and calling experiences in Microsoft Teams

Over the past 6 months, organizations around the world have adjusted to remote and hybrid work, pioneering new methods of collaboration, and transforming communication systems to stay connected and productive. By working closely with our customers, we’ve identified key requirements that define how you are using meeting and calling solutions and rethinking your costs to achieve long-term resiliency.

As we’ve shared, your organization’s communication needs likely span a spectrum—from the most basic 1:1 meetings and calls to group meetings to large virtual events and conferences. During the pandemic, organizations transformed rapidly moving meetings online and created hybrid workplaces. This environment confirmed the need for multiple ways to join online meetings. For example, participants who do not have reliable internet access to join Microsoft Teams meetings can use Audio Conferencing to join via a dial-in number. Our customers increasingly need to host large scale virtual events ranging from internal town halls to customer events, and Teams can help with these, too. The new Advanced Communications add-on enables large scale events, but also provides structure and admin control to achieve more professional, seamless, and compliant meeting experiences.

To help our customers enable these scenarios and experience the best of what Microsoft Teams can offer in meetings and voice, we’re announcing new promotional offers that deliver these experiences with significant cost savings.

New Microsoft Teams promotional offers:

  • Get Audio Conferencing for free, available now for Enterprise Agreement customers1 and starting October 1st, 2020 available for customers purchasing via partners and web2.
  • Get 35% off Advanced Communications3, available now for Enterprise Agreement customers, and will be available before the end of the calendar year for customers purchasing via partners and web. 
  • For Skype for Business customers, we offer FastTrack support along with great pricing offers to help you move to Teams in a cost-effective manner.  Contact your account representative for more details. 

We are committed to helping organizations everywhere stay connected and productive as you navigate new ways of work. By sharing these promotional offers, we aim to support even more of your meeting needs in a cost-efficient manner.

FAQ:

Q: Can an eligible customer use all three offers at once?
A: Yes, if the customer is eligible to all three offers, they can sign up for all three.

Q. Is there a user limit?
A: The offers described above do not have a max number of users. 

Q: Are the offers available for education (EDU), GCC, DoD, or GCC High customers?
A: Audio Conferencing Offer1,2: available for GCC and EDU (A3 only) but is not available for DoD and GCC High customers.
Advanced Communication offer3: The offer is not available for EDU customers. Advanced Communications add-on is not yet available to US GOV clouds (DoD, GCC, GCC High).

Q: If I purchase Audio Conferencing via partners or web, how do I enable the offer2?
A: IT Admins can enable it for their organization via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. First, activate the free Audio Conferencing offer2 to acquire a license and then assign it to a specific user in your tenant.

1 Get Audio Conferencing for free until the end of your enrollment. Eligible for Microsoft Enterprise Agreements customers with paid Microsoft 365 or Office 365 licenses with Microsoft Teams without Audio Conferencing add-on or Microsoft 365 E5. Available now through January 31st, 2021. Available worldwide with the exception in China and India. Talk to your Microsoft sales representative to learn more. The offer is subject to additional terms and conditions.
2 Get Audio Conferencing for free for 12 months. Eligible for CSP and Web Direct customers with paid Microsoft 365 or Office 365 licenses with Microsoft Teams without Audio Conferencing add-on or Microsoft 365 E5. Available Starting October 1st, 2020 through March 31st, 2021. Available worldwide with the exception in China and India. The offer is subject to additional terms and conditions.
3 Get 35% off Advanced Communications until the end of your current subscription terms. Eligible for customers with Microsoft Enterprise Agreements, and paid Microsoft 365 or Office 365 license with Microsoft Teams. Available now through January 31st, 2021. Available worldwide. Broader availability for customers working with our Microsoft partners and transacting on the web is coming soon. The offer is subject to additional terms and conditions.

Posted on Leave a comment

Rare releases Directors’ Commentary version of trailer for upcoming Everwild

To provide additional insight into the world of Everwild, its characters and its inspirations, Rare has today released a special Directors’ Commentary version of the most recent trailer for its next big project, Everwild. The ‘Eternals’ trailer, first shown at the Xbox Games Showcase in July, showcased some of the fantastical scenes that players can expect to find in Everwild – and at the time fans everywhere couldn’t help but speculate on what they saw. 

In this Directors’ Commentary video, Everwild Executive Producer Louise O’Connor and Art Director Ryan Stevenson confirm some of the theories spun up by eagle-eyed viewers in reaction to the original trailer, talking through each scene in detail and shining a light on some of the characters, creatures and how they’re connected. For the scoop on what awaits players in this natural and magical world, check out the full Directors’ Commentary video:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oymUCDoTVJs?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent&w=640&h=360]

As you’ll discover, the video also makes an early reference to the various biomes of Everwild, with Art Director Ryan Stevenson confirming that there will be a number of different environments to experience and explore throughout a player’s Everwild journey.

The team go on to discuss some of the more supernatural aspects to the trailer, uncovering meaning behind the Eternals’ rituals and alluding to some of the power held by the mysterious spirits of the world over its inhabitants.

To explore the Everwild community for yourself and be a part of the speculation and buzz, join the Verified Discord server for all your theorising and animal-naming needs!

Posted on Leave a comment

New life for old computers helps students in need learn from home

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many school students around the world to embrace remote learning. But not all have computers at home.

Now a group of companies and non-profits in Hong Kong are taking part in a global program by Microsoft that breathes new life into old office PCs and distributes them to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“I live in a village in Sha Tin, and my family’s income is limited,” says Wu Jiahui, a Secondary 5 (Year 11) student at Toi Shan Association College. “We don’t have the ability to purchase computers.”

Instead, Jiahui has had to rely on her smartphone to study. “But the speed is slower, and the software is not sufficient,” she says. “Because of the small screen, it’s hard to read, and the long-term use of my mobile phone caused shoulder pain and dry eye syndrome.”

Without a proper device, students can’t learn efficiently. The quality of their work and their health can be seriously affected. 

– Albert Wong, Association of IT Leaders in Education

Before the COVID-19 lockdowns, Jiahui would finish her homework in her school’s computer room at the end of each day’s lessons. “But I couldn’t make any revisions to my homework at home.”

Barriers to learning

Albert Wong, chairman of the Association of IT Leaders in Education (AiTLE), says students without a computer at home usually end up using their smartphones. “But mobile devices are made for communication, not for learning,” he says.

“Some learning websites have layouts that are not optimal for mobile devices, making it difficult for students to watch video lessons or view slides. Formatting text and visuals for school projects on a smartphone can also be arduous. Not having their own computers hinders students’ creativity and makes learning time-consuming.”

A woman wearing a face mask moves a box from the back of a van.
Crossroads Foundation volunteer Joanne de la Zilwa helps unload donated devices.

Wong says computers have become essential for learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. “With school suspensions lasting for months due to the pandemic, online learning activities, such as webinars and virtual projects, are necessary,” he says. “Without proper devices, students can’t learn efficiently. The quality of their work and their health can be seriously affected.”

A recent survey of almost 600 students in the territory found that over 70% either don’t have computers or have outdated machines, while 51% don’t have a desk for studying. Moreover, 83% of students said these hurdles made them worry about falling behind their peers.

Empowering students in need

Recognizing this challenge, Microsoft has partnered with corporate groups, computer refurbishers, and education associations to provide computers – once used in offices – to students in need.

“Not every family is in a financial position to provide their children with a computer. Remote learning makes this situation especially hard,” says Ada Ng, Microsoft Hong Kong’s director of corporate affairs and philanthropies. “Donating refurbished hardware is a great way to make a positive impact on a student’s day-to-day life.”

Volunteers at the non-profit Crossroads Foundation overhaul donated PCs under Microsoft’s Refurbisher Program — through which authorized refurbishers across the globe collect secondhand devices, fix them up, and preinstall genuine Microsoft software.

In one recent two-month effort, more than 1,000 used desktops and laptops machines were serviced and refitted, and then sent out to needy students.

Posted on Leave a comment

Tips for using tech to ace homework assignments

Spending more time on a computer because of remote, distance, virtual, or hybrid learning means it’s a great time to use some key features that can provide extra help with school assignments. Learn how to capture thoughts more quickly, get coaching to improve presentation skills, get assistance with math homework, do two things at once, and more. Whether you’re a parent helping a younger student or a student learning the basics of your computer, these tips are designed to help make schoolwork a little easier.

Capture thoughts more quickly

Most people can talk faster than they can type. If that describes you or your student, use speech-to-text to author content in Microsoft Word in Office 365 Education version for some extra help.

First-time users of the Dictate feature will be asked to give permission for Word to use the microphone, after which talking and transcribing can begin. Thoughts can be recorded with focus kept intact and productivity preserved. Word will do its best to transcribe everything with capitalization and punctuation. This is especially helpful for kids who have dyslexia, dysgraphia, or who have trouble reading or writing.

Get coached on presentation skills

Practicing presentations while looking into a mirror is a long-standing tradition, but at best it can help you with eye contact and facial expressions. Now you can get extra help on your presentation skills with Presenter Coach in PowerPoint. If you give permission to use your computer’s microphone, it can analyze a speech or presentation.

Here’s some of the things Presenter Coach looks out for:

  • Pacing (words per minute)
  • Pitch
  • Usage of fillers, like ums, ers, uhs, you knows, etc.
  • Informal speech
  • Euphemisms and culturally sensitive terms

For example, if you said the phrase, “best man for the job,” Presenter Coach would suggest “best choice for the job” to use more inclusive language.

Improve reading comprehension

Ever read a large block of single-spaced, tiny-sized text and not comprehend a word of it? Immersive Reader can help with that or can provide extra help to a student who is struggling to learn to read.

It takes text and increases the sizes of the letters and spacing between lines, while simultaneously enabling it to be read aloud in voice. As it progresses through the passage, it highlights words for focus. At any time, you can change the reading speed, font, background color, and even highlight which words are nouns, adjectives, or verbs.

This powerful tool can also read to you and can translate words or entire documents into 67 languages. It is included in Word, Outlook for the web, OneNote, Teams, Flipgrid, Forms, Microsoft Edge, Minecraft, Whiteboard, and Office Lens.

Get help with math assignments

Write or type math problems and Math Assistant in OneNote can solve it for you—helping you reach the solution quickly or displaying step-by-step instructions that help you learn how to reach the solution on your own.  Math Assistant is a digital tutor that provides help for students and parents on math assignments and homework.

Say you were faced with a problem in your textbook with an ask like “solve for x”. Where would you start?

With Math Assistant in OneNote, it would be with the draw tool. After solving, you can even go as far as have Immersive Reader read steps aloud and generate quizzes for additional practice to help you learn the concepts, not just get the assignment done.

See what you need on screen, side-by-side

Your class is streaming in your browser and you’re taking notes in OneNote or “passing notes” in Teams or Skype. Your math notes are in OneNote and you’re doing a math worksheet online. Your reference material is on a web page and you’re answering questions in another app. If you’re still flipping back and forth between the different apps and windows, prepare to be delighted by Snap.

So, the extra time spent on a computer during remote, distance or hybrid learning, combined with the extra help with school assignments can help increase productivity and maximize academic success.

Posted on Leave a comment

More than 1M players to date in 2 weeks since launch of Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator has a rich history as Microsoft’s longest running franchise, and we are proud to announce we are celebrating the simulator’s biggest launch in 38 years.

Just over two weeks ago, Microsoft Flight Simulator launched. Thanks to the incredible support of our community of fans, pilots, flight enthusiasts and virtual travelers, we have had more than one million unique players take to the skies. Additionally, Microsoft Flight Simulator was the biggest game launch in Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta) history. On behalf of the entire team, we’d like to express our gratitude to all the fans who have begun to explore the world and the magic of flight with us.

It’s been wonderful to see the reactions to Microsoft Flight Simulator from the community, who have flown more than 26 million flights and logged more than 1 billion miles flown to date – the equivalent of flying around the world over 40 thousand times. Talk about racking up those frequent flyer miles!

In each of those billion miles, we’ve been delighted to see the flight simulation community enjoy the simulator and help improve the experience through their ongoing feedback, while also welcoming and training new simulation pilots.

Launch marks the beginning of a journey for us and this is just the start. There is plenty more to come on our flight itinerary including world updates, sim updates, and future themed DLC. Microsoft Flight Simulator is the ticket for anyone who has ever dreamt of flying or exploring the world. The sky is calling.

Posted on Leave a comment

New to Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Lists now generally available

Today, we are proud to announce the general availability of the Lists app in Teams for all our commercial and GCC customers. As you might already know, Microsoft Lists, which we announced at Build 2020 is a Microsoft 365 app that helps you track information and organize your work. Lists are simple, smart, and flexible, so you can stay on top of what matters most to your team. Track patients, loans, issues, assets, routines, contacts, inventory and more using customizable views and smart rules and alerts to keep everyone in sync. With ready-made templates, you can quickly create lists from directly within Teams and access them on the Teams mobile app by accessing the Lists tab you added as a channel.

Introducing the Lists app in Teams

The vision of the Lists app in Teams is to bring all the collaboration and communication modalities to lists and list items, so it is easy to get work done.

The new Lists app experience in Microsoft Teams, for mobile on the left and for Web and desktop on the right.The new Lists app experience in Microsoft Teams, for mobile on the left and for Web and desktop on the right.

Lists in Teams is supported as a team based tab app built on top of the Microsoft Teams platform and supports the following features:

  1. New list creation from scratch, from templates (8 standard templates and 3 industry specific ones: Patients, Loans, and Incidents), from Excel table data and from an existing list.
  2. Importing existing team lists as new tabs.
  3. All standard list features that you can access in SharePoint web: column types, view formatting, Quick Edit, exporting to Excel, sorting, filtering, etc.
  4. The ability to have a channel conversation about a list item (see below for more details).
  5. All user actions on the list are audited and available in the Security and compliance center audit logging.

How do I get started?
To get started, simply go to any channel where you would like to start tracking a list and hit the “+” button to explore the tab gallery and select the Lists app. Once the tab is added you can either create a new list or bring in an existing list (from another team or an older SharePoint site, but not a personal list from Lists home) into the channel as a new tab.

Create a new list inside Teams with conversations side-by-side. The above shows using the Asset manager template.Create a new list inside Teams with conversations side-by-side. The above shows using the Asset manager template.

The Lists app in Teams includes 3 new industry-specific templates – Patients, Loans and Incidents. Team members start managing and tracking these key entities. Here are some examples of how these templates can be leveraged.

Create a new list from within Microsoft Teams and choose from numerous ready-made templates, including the new industry-specific ones.Create a new list from within Microsoft Teams and choose from numerous ready-made templates, including the new industry-specific ones.

  1. Healthcare organizations can use the Lists app in Teams to support patient rounding, multi-discplinary huddles and discharge planning. The Patients template is an easy way for all health teams to track patient progress and keep in touch with their peers. If you have questions about storage of PHI in Teams, Lists, or Office 365, please see more documentation here.
  2. Government agencies can use the Lists app in Teams to track incidents and coordinated incident response. The Incidents template helps people quickly setup a list and get started.
  3. Loan officers at a morgtage broker or bank can use the Lists app to track a set of loans and informally collaborate on advancing a them to approval. The Loans template helps them get started with plenty of scope for further customization.

How do I start a conversation alongside a list item?

Once you have configured the tab and have a list with list items, you can start a conversation about an individual list item. Go to the details view (or form) for the list item by clicking into the title field and then click on conversation to start a conversation about the list item on the channel. With this feature, you can collaborate with your team about the list item (your key business entities) and get work done, faster.

Since the conversation is a channel message in Teams, all the messaging features like @mentions, rich text, giphies, stickers, emojis, mentions, tagging, and attachments are available for use! The conversation shows up in the right rail for the list item and also on the channel for those who might not have viewed the list as yet.

You can chat side-by-side individual list items within Teams.You can chat side-by-side individual list items within Teams.

See more about getting started with the Lists app in Teams “Create a list in Microsoft Teams” click-thru demo. And do not forget to try the Lists app experience in the Teams mobile app to track your lists within Teams on the go. Just go to your Teams android or iOS mobile apps and go to the channel where you have added the Lists app and click on more and tap on the tab name to open up the list.

lists in teams5.png

Learn more about the Lists app in Teams

If you are unable to see the Lists app in your channel, please contact your Teams Admin because applications in the Teams app store can be disabled or enabled by app permission policies. For more information, see the Manage the Lists app in Teams article. If you are looking for more resources and guidance, please review the help article here. For general help content and resources on Microsoft Lists, check out the Microsoft Lists resource center.

Note: Users of the existing SharePoint tab app in Teams that have pinned a list will see their experience inside the tab get upgraded to the latest Lists in Teams experience. This change will be rolling out today as well. 

Millions of people use SharePoint lists and libraries every month in Microsoft 365 to track issues, manage inventory, report status, onboard new hires, build out event agendas, manage FAQs, and more. With flexible columns, forms, and views, you can build your own solution to meet your specific needs without knowing how to code. All these great capabilities now come to you inside the Lists app in Teams.

As always, thanks for taking the time to read about Lists in Teams! We’d love to hear any feedback or ideas you might have. Do submit suggestions on user voice. We are listening!

Posted on Leave a comment

Microsoft Expressive Pixels: new platform for creativity, inclusion and innovation

“Emojis are already ubiquitous in digital communication platforms, including text-based messaging, email and social media. They require fewer ‘clicks’ to express intent, add context, or set tone. A single emoji can dramatically alter or enhance the interpretation of a message. We think they can be leveraged as a supplemental expressive proxy for people who may not have access to speech or the muscles that drive facial expression,” Paradiso says. “Our PALS collaborators have been some of the funniest, most thoughtful and creative people I’ve known, but their expressive range can be limited by the constraints of disability as well as today’s speech devices and their underlying technologies. We know that people want to express a lot more with their AAC devices than basic transactional communication. We wanted to create something that would help people stay more actively engaged in conversations, be visible in low light and from a distance, and provide another avenue for unique expression, playfulness and connection.”

The team looked at different types of secondary displays, but they kept coming back to LED displays, for several reasons: they’re low-cost, they work reasonably well and “they have kind of a cool factor.” The team’s collaborators in PALS also made it clear they didn’t want to use anything that could have unintended negative social consequences for the users.

“Watching somebody living with ALS and being able to empower them to do something that they previously had given up all hope of being able to do is enough to inspire you to want to do more,” says Dwayne Lamb, a developer who specializes in User Experience and User Interface creation who joined the Enable Group in early 2017. “Most of the time when you’re trying to communicate with somebody who can only use their eyes to communicate, they’re using their eyes to type into a keyboard on a device right in front of them, and although it’s not socially good etiquette, you commonly find yourself kind of looking over their shoulder to try and see what they’re typing.”

Expressive Pixels evolved in part from wanting to solve that problem.

Face emoji
Emoji in the Expressive Pixels app

And with Expressive Pixels, it’s possible to create animations on displays of many sizes, up to 64 x 64 pixels, says Christopher O’Dowd, who helped fill the hardware gaps on the project. He points out that LED displays are ubiquitous at Maker Faires, on houses during the holidays, etc. LED displays are so versatile, you often even find them on fabric (face masks, caps and backpacks, for instance) or banners.

One early way the team incorporated LED displays was through hands-free music, an award-winning SXSW project.

There, they used a custom midi-enabled, music synced LED array as a supplemental visualization to an eye controlled, physical drum rig designed for one of their collaborators, a Seattle area musician living with ALS. The project, which won the 2018 SXSW Interactive Innovation Award: Music and Audio Innovation, features a suite of novel eye-controlled applications for music performance, collaboration and composition.

“How does someone without access to speech or movement compose or perform music, command a stage, or connect with a live audience? What about collaborating with other musicians in rehearsed or improvisational scenarios? How can we lower the barriers to making school music programs more inclusive without ‘othering’ or minimizing the students with disabilities? These were some of our foundational questions,” Paradiso recalled. “We wanted to adapt our technology and designs to align with a person’s creative goals and real-life scenarios, rather than the way around.”

Lamb came up with the idea to add Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) capability, with the core idea to send out different signals to different instruments – an idea that would transfer to Expressive Pixels.

Posted on Leave a comment

This year’s annual Minecraft Live online event set for Oct. 3 at 12 ET

Did that trailer not explain what Minecraft Live is? Well, it shouldn’t have to. That’s what this post is for, allegedly. Minecraft Live is the new version of our annual live show, which has had many names such as MINECON Live and MINECON Earth. Why the name change? Would you ask rap superstar and underrated actor Sean Combs a.k.a P. Diddy a.a.k.a Puff Daddy that? No, you would not. What you will do instead is tune in to Minecraft Live on October 3rd at 12 ET to get answers to pertinent questions about what the rest of Mojang Studios have been working on all year. Will Seanothy and I be there? Maybe. I need to check our schedule. 

The Minecraft Live team begged me to focus on the actual event, so I guess I better mention what you can expect. The main thing you need to know is that this year the celebration takes place online. Due to the impact of Covid-19, Mojang Studios has delayed Minecraft Festival until 2022 and will no longer be involved with official community events. Until then, we’re going to bring the party directly to your device and we’ve got all of our usual goodies lined up for you! Join us on Minecraft.net/live for updates, mob votes, news, and delightful banter. Oh, and chickens. Lots and lots of chickens.

Posted on Leave a comment

Wonder Woman, Smithsonian Learning Labs and NASA help teach the next generation to code

The Fourth Industrial Revolution’s velocity, scope, and systems-level impact contribute to a shift in business models across all industries. The on-demand economy and changing nature of work, especially amid COVID-19, have led to a significant skills gap[1]. There are 1.7 million unfulfilled tech jobs across industries in the U.S. and Europe[2].

At Microsoft, our goal is to help people throughout the entire education and learning continuum—from education through one’s professional career—to fully participate in the digital economy. Part of this is about preparing the next generation for the jobs of tomorrow. Our unique responsibility and opportunity is to ensure everyone has access to the promise and potential of technology for the digital economy. This contributes to our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. We believe that those who create with technology are those who write history and shape our future; everyone should have access to learning these skills.

Our ambition is to empower all students to confidently create with technology. Our products like Minecraft: Education Edition, MakeCode, and Visual Studio Code bring this to life by providing a canvas for creating with technology. We offer a range of options for learners of all ages to learn coding.

To prepare the next generation for the jobs of tomorrow while inspiring their creativity, we have partnered with Wonder Woman 1984, Smithsonian Learning Labs, and NASA to create distinct portfolios of project-based lessons that teach programming. We wanted to cultivate learning by connecting content to something interesting, relevant, and most importantly, inspiring for learners of all ages—whether they are 8, 18, or 80.

Included in these collections are:

Five Wonder Woman 1984 and Smithsonian Learning Lab lessons

  • Museum Heist 
    Learn to code with Minecraft: Education Edition in this adventure based on the upcoming movie Wonder Woman 1984. Venture through an in-game museum and solve puzzles to find a stolen painting, learning basic coding and game design concepts along the way.
  • Chaos Maze
    Wonder Woman is in the Smithsonian Museum and she needs to collect artifacts before time runs out! In this free virtual experience, learners eight and older use block-based coding to design and code their own arcade game to play online. 
  • Legendary gauntlets
    The indestructible gauntlets that Wonder Woman wears to deflect attacks are symbols of empowerment and strength. Make and code your own Wonder Woman gauntlets that light up and have sound—activated with the iconic arm cross. This activity requires the physical purchase of items.
  • Decode a secret message
    There’s a secret message that needs a code-cracker to find the truth. Learn how to crack a code that reveals an Easter-egg location from Wonder Woman 1984. Get a glimpse into the popular Python programming language with this introductory lesson that assumes zero background knowledge! You’ll be led through instructions to write two programs and learn about variables and functions.
  • Super quiz
    Which Wonder Woman 1984 character are you? Use Python to build a quiz yourself and share it with your friends. This lesson will teach you the basics of Boolean commands and conditionals. No prior background in computer science is needed.

Three lessons inspired by NASA

These new modules and learning paths created by Sarah Guthals are inspired by NASA scientists. They help prepare learners for a career in space exploration.


1World Economic Forum. March 2019. The digital skills gap is widening fast. Here’s how to bridge it.

2Wall Street Journal. October 15, 2019. America’s Got Talent, Just Not Enough in IT, citing data from CompTIA.