Microsoft Teams

We’re excited to introduce the Microsoft Teams for Education policy wizard, now available in the Microsoft Teams Admin Center. IT admins can now easily apply education tailored policies for a safe learning environment for students, educators and staff.

This year, we saw millions of classrooms come together in unexpected ways. While it might not have been easy from behind a mask or computer screen, everyone in the Microsoft Education community—from principals and teachers to students and parents—have shown flexibility and resilience this year.

Before COVID-19 disrupted the education journeys of more than 1.5 billion students around the world, higher education institutions were already exploring ways to grow enrollment, reach more students, and better engage the “digital natives” of Generation Z.

I think we can all agree that this has been an unusual and expectation-defying school year in each and every way. First and foremost, we want to pause for a moment to say THANK YOU.

One of the top questions we hear from educators is “How do I know if my students are staying engaged”?

Throughout the pandemic, educators continue to adapt and find ways to keep their students engaged and learning while remote, at school, or a combination of the two. But being more distant can make it harder to connect and help each individual student grow and succeed.

“Kindness comes in many different forms, including patience, forgiveness, and through simple acts that lead to positive connections.

With the school year well underway, educators have settled into remote and hybrid learning routines. As focus turns to concluding the fall semester, we’re sharing a few Microsoft Teams resources that can help create a more inclusive learning environment.

This post was written by Sagar Chandra Reddy Lankala in collaboration with Ji Eun Kwon. Sagar and Ji Eun currently serve as the Program Managers for Azure Lab Services at Microsoft.

For many educators, the shift to remote and hybrid learning has meant increasingly long hours and creative lesson planning to ensure an inclusive learning experience for all students.

Inclusive, student-centered learning environments increase success by empowering every learner to achieve more, regardless of their ability. This year, many students are missing the in-person support they would typically receive with the shift to remote and hybrid learning.

Equity has long been a topic in education, but it has risen to the forefront of conversations about learning during the pandemic. Disparities in funding, support, and access to technology have become more apparent as schools have shifted to remote and hybrid education.