Educational Technology

The Spring 2025 update to Microsoft Teams introduces ten new features aimed at improving user experience, customization, and productivity. My favorite is the name pronunciation feature. What's yours?

1. Users can now schedule posts in channels, allowing messages to be planned and published at a later time.
2. The default “General” channel can finally be renamed, offering more flexibility in organizing teams.
3. The Teams calendar has been significantly enhanced, integrating many Outlook-style features such as multiple calendar views, delegate access, shared calendars, and additional customization options like weather and time zones.
4. Visual adjustments are also improved, with the ability to resize both the left navigation rail and right-hand side panels for a more personalized layout.
5. Hyperlinking is now faster and more intuitive, simplifying the process of embedding links in messages.
6. Notification positioning is customizable, enabling users to select where alerts appear on the screen.
7. In chats, the “Files” tab has been renamed to “Shared,” making it easier to find documents and links exchanged during conversations.
8. Teams also introduces a name pronunciation feature, allowing users to record how their name is spoken, which promotes better communication and inclusivity.
9. Emoji reactions can now be personalized with different skin tones to better reflect user preferences.
10. Finally, meeting join times in the web version have been dramatically reduced, providing a quicker, more seamless transition into calls.

Together, these updates enhance both the visual and functional aspects of Teams, supporting a more efficient and inclusive digital collaboration experience. Wondering how to use these new features? We thought you might, so we found this great tutorial from Microsoft's own Mike Tholfsen.

Microsoft’s AI-powered Reading Coach is revolutionizing personalized reading practice by offering students an engaging, interactive, and supportive way to improve their reading fluency. Now available as a standalone app on the web, Reading Coach allows learners to generate AI-powered stories, practice passages, and receive real-time feedback—all while earning achievements and tracking progress.

Easy Access and Customization

Students and educators can access Reading Coach through multiple platforms, including Microsoft 365, Office.com, Outlook.com for consumer accounts, and the dedicated website (coach.microsoft.com). The program supports language customization, offering reading practice in over 80 browser languages and supporting out-loud reading in 14 languages with plans for expansion.

Personalized and Interactive Learning

A key feature of Reading Coach is its AI-generated storytelling, which allows students to create and direct their own narratives. They can choose characters, settings, and reading levels from eight difficulty options, ensuring content aligns with their skills. The “Choose Your Own Adventure” style provides an engaging way for students to progress through stories while actively participating in their learning.

For further customization, immersion tools allow students to modify fonts, backgrounds, and line focus. The app even offers unlockable characters and settings to keep reading fun and rewarding.

Real-Time Feedback and Progress Tracking

Reading Coach listens to students as they read, analyzing pronunciation accuracy and identifying words they struggle with. These words are then incorporated into future chapters for additional practice. The app provides detailed progress tracking, displaying total reading time, accuracy percentage, and correct words per minute. Additionally, students can build reading streaks, earn badges, and review previous readings to track their growth.

Built-In Library and Custom Passages

In addition to AI-generated stories, Reading Coach offers a library of curated passages from ReadWorks, a nonprofit organization dedicated to literacy. While currently available only in English, Spanish-language content is expected in the future. Users can also upload their own text to practice reading anything they choose.

New Desktop Version

Reading Coach is also available as a Windows app, which functions similarly to the web version, but can be launched right from the desktop. Whether you are a young reader or you are learning a new language, Microsoft Reading Coach is an invaluable resource for students, educators, and parents looking to enhance reading fluency in a fun and adaptive way. Want to get more detail on how to use Reading Coach? We thought you might ask, so we found this spot-on tutorial from Microsoft's Mike Tholfsen. Watch it now below.

National AI Literacy Day is an exciting nationwide initiative taking place on March 28, 2025. This day is dedicated to exploring the fundamental question, "What is AI?" and aims to engage students, parents, educators, and community members in understanding how AI is shaping our world.

As educators, this is a fantastic opportunity to "Level-Up" your AI skills and leverage AI to enhance student tasks and your teaching strategies. Additionally, you can engage your students in AI-based activities, such as using the image generator in Padlet.

Things to Try:

• Watch our latest webinar on using AI tools as a thinking partner and resource generator
• Use an artistic Padlet wall to have students generate images related to content standards
• Bring in Generative AI learning modules from code.org
• Engage in Microsoft's AI resources to "Level-Up" your AI skills
• Visit our AI Tools support page to learn more about leveraging AI within instruction

Date: Wednesday, April 23rd
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

• How they integrated the tools into instruction.
• Student work samples.
• The impact on teaching practice and/or student engagement and learning.

Imagine turning on your device and not having to type in your password to get to the desktop! Sounds impossible, right? Well, with Windows Hello, this is now a possibility. That's right, Windows 11 has three Windows Hello options that can make the device login process much faster. These include Facial Recognition, Fingerprint recognition, and PIN code.

Picture this: you sit down at your computer, and it instantly recognizes your face, logging you in without you lifting a finger. It's like having your own personal doorman! But maybe you're not a fan of using your webcam for logins. No worries! You can simply use your fingerprint or a 6-digit PIN code instead. It's all about making your life easier and more secure.

These Windows Hello login options are super easy to set up and work seamlessly. Whether you're a tech newbie or a seasoned pro, you'll find the setup process a breeze. And let's be honest, who doesn't love a bit of tech that makes life simpler?

Want a quick tutorial on how to set them up? We thought you might ask, so we enlisted the help of the EdTech Evangelist and a little Text to Speech AI to make a video tutorial. Watch it below now and get ready to say "Hello" to faster logins!

Date: Thursday, March 13th
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Discover the exciting world of Minecraft EDU in our upcoming webinar! This session will cover:

• Minecraft Esports Program: Learn about our innovative Esports program and how it engages students in a competitive and collaborative environment. Learn more about FUEL
• Instructional Strategies: Explore effective ways to utilize Minecraft EDU to support dynamic instruction. Read our latest blog post on Minecraft Education's AI-Powered Lesson Crafter
• New Opportunities: Find out about the latest features in Minecraft EDU that promote Cyber Safety, Digital Citizenship, and Artificial Intelligence. Visit the Minecraft Education website

Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your teaching toolkit with Minecraft EDU. We look forward to seeing you there!

Click here to Register for our next Webinar

Click here to learn more about our EdTech Webinar Series

Have you been interested in using Minecraft Education within your lessons, but are not sure how to get started?

Well, guess what, the Minecraft team has created a way to bring the power of AI to Minecraft educators through a tool called Lesson Crafter!

Lesson Crafter is designed exclusively for educators, making it easy to create lessons for Minecraft Education and make learning more engaging, personalized, and impactful. Key features include:

• AI-Powered Lesson Plans: Generate differentiated lessons for any topic and age group with ease.
• Standards-Aligned: Ensure your lessons meet curriculum standards or begin with a standard and build a lesson to support it.
• Effortless Implementation: Lessons start with a blank canvas and let your students' creativity shine. No complex setup or world-building required for you, the educator.

Lesson Crafter is now available in private preview for educators! This preview will allow our team to gather and implement user feedback and make improvements before we roll out the feature to all users in 2025.

Click here to try Lesson Crafter now!

What You Need to Know:

• Upgrade Process:
  • The upgrade will automatically begin downloading on February 3rd or next time the computer is turned on.
  • The upgrade will not happen immediately—The time it takes for the upgrade to be ready depends on your computer’s usage. This will happen automatically in the background.
  • Once Windows 11 upgrade is ready, you’ll get a prompt to restart your computer to complete the upgrade.
• Restart Required:
  • Before restarting, save your work and close all programs.
  • Once you restart, the computer will begin the process to complete the Windows 11 upgrade.
  • For laptop users, it is important to keep your device powered on and connected to a charger throughout the restart process.
  • Once the upgrade is complete, you may need to use your email address as the username to login for the first time.
  • To avoid disruptions, schedule the restart for the end of your day or during a prep period.

For more information about Windows 11 and the upgrade process, visit our support page here.

Classwork is a comprehensive tool designed to streamline the creation and organization of class resources, such as Assignments, OneNote Class Notebook pages, web links, files, and Teams channels. It eliminates the need to navigate multiple apps and platforms, allowing educators to curate a unified view of content and resources for their students.

Educators can create modules of study to organize their courses by topics or weeks, adding descriptions to these modules. These modules remain hidden from students until published. Within these modules, educators can create new resources or incorporate existing ones, such as Teams Assignments.

Classwork aims to reduce the time spent on organization, enabling educators to focus more on teaching. It provides essential tools for creating, organizing, and managing class resources effectively, making it a valuable asset for both in-person and online teaching.

Want to learn how to setup a Classwork module in your Class Team? We thought you might, so we enlisted the help of the EdTech Evangelist to create a succinct video tutorial. Check it out below.

Time is almost up! Act now! The deadline to register for the upcoming FUSD Educational Technology Conference is closing in! Our Mardi Gras-themed event promises to be both educational and fun, offering you the chance to enhance your teaching skills with the latest digital tools and innovative strategies.

🗓️ Registration Deadline: January 19, 2025
🏫 Event Location and Date: McLane High School, February 22, 2025

Bonuses:

All attendees will receive a commemorative T-shirt (shown below), breakfast and lunch, swag, and a chance to win raffle prizes! 🤩

Click here to visit the conference site an get registered: EdTech Conference - Fresno Unified School District

We look forward to seeing you there!

Get ready to immerse yourself in a vibrant Mardi Gras-themed event that promises to be both educational and fun! 🥳 The FUSD Educational Technology Conference is your chance to enhance your teaching skills with the latest digital tools and innovative strategies.

🗓️ Registration Deadline: January 19, 2025
👥 Attendance Limit: 250 participants

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to join fellow educators in exploring new ways to enrich instruction and learning. Spaces will fill up fast, so be sure to register soon to secure your spot!

This conference is optional and not compensated. All FUSD teachers are invited to attend.

Click here to Register Now!

We can't wait to see you there! 🎉📚✨

We are excited to announce the addition of the Clipchamp video editor to our Microsoft 365 for Education subscription! You may have used the Windows 10 video editor before and noticed that it has been retired by Microsoft. If you have been looking for an alternative to the Windows Video Editor, look no further. You will find Clipchamp at our Microsoft 365 portal on the web and you can even download a desktop version. 

Not only is Clipchamp user-friendly, but it also integrates with OneDrive and Stream. Use Clipchamp to create stunning videos with images, screen recordings, video clips, text callouts, transitions, background music, visual effects, captions, and more!

Why use video in your work? Video is a powerful communication tool. It creates immediate, real, and authentic connections. Now more than ever, we find ourselves immersed in a world full of video: to communicate, share, watch, and inspire.  

Why have students use video? Build your students' multimedia skills, as outlined in our Technology Scope and Sequence, and give them a creative opportunity to demonstrate understanding of content standards in an engaging format.

Want to learn how to use Clipchamp through an easy-to-follow, succinct video tutorial? No worries - The EdTech Evangelist himself just created a support page and a lovely video tutorial embedded below. 

Screen Recording is a term used to describe the act of rec​ording your computer screen and voice narration to create a video. This is great for creating instructional videos with presentations and websites. You can also make computer how-to tutorials, something I enjoy doing on a regular basis. Your screen recordings can be used to provide on-demand learning for your audience and help eliminate having to answer the same questions over and over again. 

I am thrilled to share that you can now screen record using the Windows Snipping Tool, which we have been using for years to grab screenshots on our computers. That's right, the new version now has a record button that allows you to capture video of your entire screen or a portion of your screen. Wondering how to use it? No worries - We found a great tutorial to show you the way.

Also, this update can only be obtained on Windows 11. So, if you are still using Windows 10, feel free to update your computer to Windows 11. Click here for instructions.

To learn more about screen recording, visit our support page here.

One of our favorite apps in Microsoft 365 just went through a complete makeover! The new look of Microsoft Forms includes changes to both the forms "Design" and "Responses" views. Some notable updates include the following:

• Quick Start Question Selector
• Integrated Templates
• Updated Styles
• Responses Review New Layout

Want to see the new look and feel of Microsoft Forms and learn how they work? No worries - We got you covered. Check out the video below created by Microsoft's own Mike Tholfsen. 🤓

Microsoft Teams is rolling out a significant calendar update, bringing new functionalities and a refreshed user experience. Here’s a quick overview of what to expect:

Enhanced Scheduling and Meeting Creation

The update makes scheduling and managing meetings more intuitive with enhanced tools and quick access filters, allowing for a more personalized experience.

Integration with Outlook Components

The calendar UI will now align more closely with Outlook, providing a seamless experience across Microsoft’s productivity tools.

Improved Multitasking

Users can handle multiple tasks within the calendar more efficiently, reducing the need to switch between different applications.

Personalized Settings

Access a range of settings to customize your calendar view and functionalities according to your preferences.

Rollout

The new calendar experience will begin rolling out to Teams for all staff and students beginning in October, 2024.

Tutorial

Want more detail on how the new calendar update works? Check out the video below from The EdTech Evangelist himself...