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Technology planning resources

At Microsoft, we work with hundreds of thousands of schools and school systems to solve big problems. Here are resources to guide school leaders as they transform schools with a vision to empower students to achieve more.

Discover Evaluate Transform Deploy

Discover

At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every student on the planet to achieve more. Core to our mission is creating immersive and inclusive learning experiences that inspire lifelong learning. For students, these experiences stimulate the development of essential life skills like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. We empower educators to create environments in and out of the classroom that guide and nurture student passions, and enable students to achieve beyond their greatest imaginations – making, designing, inventing, building the future.

Create and share in entirely new ways

Teach and learning through doing and exploring

Accommodate individual learning needs

Focus on outcomes, not technology

Top five reasons Microsoft technology is the smart choice for schools

1. Microsoft Office skills are critical for top jobs

To help prepare students for the future, get Office 365 for Education for free for your entire school.

2. Affordable Windows devices designed for learning

Windows provides the right device for the right learning need. If you need a device to fit your budget, Windows provides a wide range of affordable devices. Windows devices work with a broad range of peripherals to support individual learning styles and existing computing environments. Find affordable Windows devices.

3. Digital pens benefit learning more than keyboards

When it comes to learning, the right tools are critical. Research presented in the paper Computer Interfaces and their Impact on Learning shows that digital pens more accurately accommodate how we think than keyboards. That means you can enhance learning and problem-solving by providing digital pens in your classrooms. These are just some of the tools Microsoft offers to encourage deeper learning. Learn more about the learning benefits of digital ink.

4. Technology skills, curriculum, and certification

Both students and educators need technology skills to succeed in the digital world. Academic institutions and their educators, students and staff, benefit from digital curriculum and certifications for fundamental technology skills — as well as courses critical for success in today’s technologically evolving world. Find out more about Imagine Academy.

5. Secure, simplified device management across all platforms

Whether it is one classroom or 100 classrooms, or a school with thousands of devices, Microsoft empowers schools to deploy and manage devices across all platforms. Deployment can be simplified and deployment costs reduced with strong app and device compatibility. Learn more about simplified device deployment in education

Skype

Create individualized lesson plans with like-minded classrooms around the world.
Find out more
Office 365

Save time with free access to the world’s most popular productivity suite.
Find out more
Windows 10

Use pen, touch, voice and keyboard for all learning modalities.
Find out more
Sway

Create and share interactive class materials, presentations, projects & more.
Find out more
OneNote

Create notebooks to stay organized, deliver curriculum, & collaborate with students and colleagues.
Find out more
Minecraft

Explore new worlds through collaborative problem solving.
Find out more

Evaluate

Here are useful steps and resources for schools who are evaluating readiness to transform and integrate technology into learning.

1. Evaluate your school

Use the free ISTE school diagnostic tool that reflects the Microsoft Transformation Framework.

2. Determine readiness for school transformation

School systems are faced with both a challenge and an extraordinary opportunity. Start by identifying your school’s readiness to transform by reading the step-by-step guide for schools and poster:

Download step-by-step guide for schools

Download poster

3. Read education competencies

Education competencies for educators and school leaders represent many of the attributes, behaviors, areas of knowledge, skills, and abilities required for successful job performance in education. Schools and districts can use these competencies to evaluate gaps and guide professional development for school staff.

4. Gain insights from Microsoft Showcase Schools

Microsoft Showcase Schools are a global community of schools engaged in digital transformation to improve teaching and learning. Gain insights from Showcase Schools.

5. Find an online course for school leaders

New online courses, offered in partnership with edX are designed to help guide K-12 school leaders through the challenges and opportunities of education transformation. Or, develop a plan using this workshop and resources to create a detailed plan to deploy technology at your school or district.

6. Request a Microsoft in the Classroom seminar

Microsoft in the Classroom seminars are sources of inspiration for school leaders and educators who want to understand how to optimize technology in the classroom. Request a seminar.

Transform

Education Transformation Framework

There are ten components of transformation that school leaders may want to consider. The school transformation process helps schools or school systems systematically reflect on, plan, and implement reform. It does this by providing six lenses to examine important issues and steps through a cyclical process with insights enabling continuous improvement. New online courses, offered in partnership with edX are designed to help guide K-12 school leaders through the challenges and opportunities of education transformation. Or, develop a plan using this workshop and resources to create a detailed plan to deploy technology at your school or district.

Explore and download in-depth resources in these two categories:

1. Establishing a vision

Before school systems can embark on change they need a clear vision.

What does an effective learning environment look like in your situation?

How will you communicate and lead your vision?

2. Partnerships and capacity building for change

A public-private education partnership has the potential to be a significant catalyst for systemic change.

How will you engage partners in transformation?

How will you involve the community?

3. Organizational capacity, strategic planning and quality assurance

A successful change strategy requires professional development, feedback and support for teachers along with a well-researched monitoring and evaluation system.

How will you embed meaningful professional learning?

How will you develop and celebrate a culture of innovation?

4. Inclusion, accessibility and sustainability

A commitment to personalized learning includes providing technology solutions that empower all students.

How do you ensure all students have access to learning when and where they need?

Is it sustainable, scalable, and replicable?

Whitepaper: Accessibility and inclusion

Click here for 21st century pedagogy

5. Personalized learning

Personalized learning has the potential to overcome socio-economic, time and space limitations and maximize educational opportunities Clear guidelines from UNESCO present a roadmap towards individualized education.

What does an effective learning environment look like?

How will you communicate and lead your vision?

6. Teacher and leader capacity

Building teacher and leader capacity is vital to successful transformation.

How will you engage partners in transformation?

How will you involve the community?

7. Curriculum and assessment

Responsive and creative use of technology is a powerful way to improve curriculum and assessment outcomes for students.

How will you use it to develop and celebrate a culture of innovation?

How will you embed meaningful professional learning?

8. Developing a learning community

A community of practice can provide a structure for fostering growth and enhancing learning goals.

How do you ensure all students have access to learning when and where they need?

Is it sustainable, scalable, and replicable?

9. Physical learning environments

From whole-of-school transformation to mobile and smart learning solutions, technology-enabled environments can cultivate innovative learning.

How are you redefining physical and virtual learning spaces?

How do learning spaces support personalized and collaborative learning?

10. Designing technology for effective and efficient schools

Combining cloud solutions that manage infrastructure with services and learning allows schools to operate more effectively.

How are you maximizing student safety, data security, and learning?

How are you planning for increasing technology needs?

Deploy

Connect with a Microsoft representative (via ) or find a Microsoft partner to help your school plan and integrate technology or continue on your self-guided path using the resources provided below.

Find affordable devices

Find affordable Windows devices.

Discover special offers for schools, educators, and students.

Windows device deployment

Reduced cost and complexity for 1 classroom or 100. Windows 10 provides educational institutions with simplified ways to deploy and manage your devices using Intune for Education.

Get Office 365 for Education free

Students and educators may be eligible to download Office 365 for Education for free. Office 365 for Education provides familiar tools to help students and educators better communicate, collaborate, and achieve more.

Office school deployment

Find deployment resources and webcasts to assist with deployment of Office 365 for Education for your entire school or district.

Consider adding a secure education partner solution to Office 365.

Manage schools efficiently

Explore how to manage your school or campus efficiently and effectively on the Microsoft cloud platform.

Modern IT solutions

Find training

Find online and in-person training to enhance how to use technology for teaching and learning.

Office school deployment

Join the Educator community to share ideas, class projects, and to collaborate.

Read how to become an Innovative Educator and Showcase School.

Technology planning resources

Discover

Top five reasons Microsoft technology is the smart choice for schools

1. Microsoft Office skills are critical for top jobs

2. Affordable Windows devices designed for learning

3. Digital pens benefit learning more than keyboards

4. Technology skills, curriculum, and certification

5. Secure, simplified device management across all platforms

Skype

Office 365

Windows 10

Sway

OneNote

Minecraft