Course 1 Teach forward: best strategies for hybrid, remote, and blended learning

Learning Objectives

 Identify multiple models of blended learning and how they support student
learning.
 Determine which technology tools best match the learning goals for
different parts of the blended learning model.
 Develop a plan for reflection, assessment, and refining your blended
learning model.

Define blended learning

Blended learning is a pedagogical model that encompasses several styles of student-centered

teaching and learning with integrated technology. The primary commitment of blended learning
is for students to spend part of their learning time using digital tools, and part of their learning
time in traditional face-to-face mode. Blended learning is designed to allow the teacher to craft
the learning time with their students that promotes their students' control over the time, place,
and pace of their learning.

There are multiple models of blended learning, including:

 Four rotation models: station rotation, lab rotation, flipped classroom, and
individual rotation
 Flex model
 A la carte model
 Enriched virtual model

Modalities of blended learning and the learning arc

Blended learning models

Rotation model

Students rotate on a fixed or teacher-led schedule to encounter learning experiences

with at least one being online.

There are four different ways to implement rotations:

 Station rotation – All students cycle through each rotation.

 Lab rotation – Students rotate to a computer lab for online learning.
 Flipped classroom – Primary content delivery is online followed by teacher-
guided work and practice in-person.
 Individual rotation – Students have an individualized playlist they rotate or
work through with at least one component online.

Flex model

Primary instruction is online delivery with in-person enrichment through small group
instruction, group projects, and individual tutoring as needed.

A la carte model

Courses and instruction entirely online (completed on-campus or off-site) that also
accompany other experiences offered within a learning center or school.

Enriched virtual model

Students are required to have in-person learning sessions with their teacher and then
complete their remaining coursework remotely with the same teacher assessing work.

Use group discussion to support blended learning goals

Here are three ways teachers can implement a technology-supported group discussion
within a blended learning structure:

 Flipped Socratic seminar

 Tracked Socratic seminar
 Teams posts and channels

Flipped Socratic seminar

Socratic seminar is one of the most popular structures of group discussion. Flipped
Socratic seminar has specific guidelines and requires student knowledge creation.
Despite its strengths, flipped Socratic seminar can be overwhelming to students who
need more processing time and can be unwieldy in large groups. Teachers can create a
flipped seminar experience by using Flipgrid to create the starting topic, set norms, and
explain assessment protocols. Flipgrid seminars enable greater confidence and well-
constructed responses because students can respond at their own pace and place.
Discussion is a form of both formative and summative assessment and as such requires
feedback to fully integrate into learning objectives and measurement. Teachers can give
direct feedback to students from Flipgrid using either video comments or an attached
rubric.

Tracked Socratic seminar

If teachers wish to increase engagement and understanding in an in-class live

discussion, they may choose to develop a process to track discussion. For example,
choose some students to be seminar trackers instead of speakers. These trackers would
use a diagram of the discussion in OneNote to add notes at each speaker's name. These
notes provide reference for later studying. This process increases accountability for
students who aren't actively participating in the discussion. This model also ensures
everyone has a role in the class experience.

Teams posts and channels

Asynchronous groups discussions can be hosted directly in Teams. The discussion can
be on a post thread or within a Channel, depending on the level of discretion a teacher
wishes to have between discussion topics. Traditional online discussion boards have
been popular modes of asynchronous discussion for many years, but the benefit of
integrating these discussions into a class team is high. Because the discussion is housed
within the team, cognitive load of transitioning between apps is reduced. Teachers can
also create an assignment with an attached rubric that links to the discussion post or the
channel discussion. Linking ensures that assessment and feedback are built into the
discussion experience. Linking also ensures all objectives are clear for students as they
create their responses.

Blended learning and independent work

Here are some ways teachers support independent work:

 Establish clear expectations through routines and protocols, helping

students feel safe, promote accountability, and provide clarity over optional
and mandatory work.
 Create a structure to support students by using 1:1 check-ins, small group
collaboration, peer reviews, and open office hours.
 Formalize goal setting and self-reflection (even micro-goals or targets) as
part of the independent work cycle to help students progress.

Depending on the blended learning model, teachers have many ways to create and
facilitate independent work, including:

 Creating playlists (using tools such as Buncee) to guide students through

their independent work.
 Utilizing PowerPoint and Pear Deck for student-paced lessons with
interactive assessments throughout that show what students know. Deliver
Powerful Learning Moments with Pear Deck
 Assigning work with resources and the ability to see work in progress using
assignments in Microsoft Teams (with Word, OneNote Class Notebook,
Excel, and PowerPoint).
 Providing choice boards and options for students to demonstrate learning
using both online and offline materials.

Blend small group collaboration

y creating small group teams or channels within a team for students to use for small group
collaboration, teachers set the stage for successful communication and collaboration.
  Teachers can scaffold students through the process of identifying primary responsibilities
or roles during their projects.
 Using posts in Teams to define roles keeps a record and ensures everyone is on the same
page.
 By using Teams for small group collaboration projects, student-teacher communication
is also managed in one place and loss of information/misunderstandings are minimized.

How to blend 1:1 check-ins

Many teachers set up a Teacher Office channel in their class team where they can host
1:1 virtual check-ins with students. Other teachers maintain student chats in Teams
where they can check in consistently with students on work. Similarly, using OneNote
Class Notebook enables teachers to see student progress and leave both written and
audio feedback right in the notebook. Sometimes this feedback prompts a discussion of
how to personalize the learning task to best meet student needs.

Alternatively, teachers may conduct asynchronous, digitally supported 1:1 check-ins.

Forms can be used to gather student perspective on their learning progress, and to
identify gaps in learning that may need to be retaught. Some teachers find Flipgrid to
be a particularly valuable tool for 1:1 check-ins. For example, a music teacher may not
always have class time to meet with each musician and review their parts, but using
Flipgrid provides the teacher with uninterrupted access to the student's progress. Using
Flipgrid for such check-ins also ensures the student can produce the best example of
their progress for teacher review.

Learning assessments

Here are some learning tools and ideas of how teachers use them to collect data and
assess student work:

 Forms – Create polls, quizzes, check-ins, and self-assessments.

 Flipgrid – Student responses, peer feedback, video explanations,
whiteboard, and screen sharing understanding or trouble spots.
 Minecraft – 3D modeling, scavenger hunts, virtual manipulatives, Esports,
and sandbox for creative work.
 OneNote – Writing, concept maps, charts, schedules, inking and
annotations, and digital worksheets.
 Word – Reading and writing, editing, revising, newsletters, letters, resumes,
flyers, and brochures.
  PowerPoint – Presentations, presenter coach to practice and refine
presentations, screen sharing and recording.
 Excel – Analyze data, sort and filter information, creating visual information
through graphs and charts.
 Make Code – Designing, creating, and sharing code with blocks, JavaScript,
or Python.
 Stream – Videos with interactive questions from Forms.

Student and teacher reflection

A continuous part of blended learning is pausing to reflect on the process and the
progress of learning for the individual, a group of learners, and the entire class. Teacher
and students monitor what is working and what areas need to change.

Teachers close the blended learning arc with a group discussion (small group of
students or entire class). Before the group discussion, teachers analyze the student work
data, including evidence from assignments, independent work, collaborative work, and
1:1 check-ins, looking for trends and information that synthesizes the progress students
made. The focus of the teacher and student reflection is to review and be mindful of the
learning process students went through, their struggles, and their milestones. Asking
questions to students such as:

 What was a challenge for you during this learning arc?

 In what ways did you feel in flow with your work?
 What would you do differently?
 What do you want to learn next?

Teachers and students can also use tools such as Flipgrid or Microsoft Forms to record
their reflections to have an artifact to help the teacher and student look back at their
metacognition and their learning.

Teachers have an additional role after they have closed the blended learning arc. They
prepare and launch a new blended learning arc that takes into account what the
students have done, their progress, and reflections. Teachers rethink and possibly even
redesign the next blended learning arc to guide students through learning that will build
on the skills the students just acquired and support areas where the student can
improve.

Summary
Blended learning combines the best of whole-group instruction, independent learning, small
group work, and assessment aided by authentic technology integration. This module walked you
through the arc of blended learning models and gave specific technology tool examples to
inspire your own plans. You've learned to Identify multiple models of blended learning and how
they support student learning, determine which technology tools best match the learning goals
for different parts of the blended learning model, and develop a plan for reflection, assessment,
and refining your blended learning model. Blended learning isn't a new concept, but it's an
instructional innovation that we're now uniquely positioned to adopt in our classrooms across
the board in ways we may have previously found impractical.

Course 2: Accessibility: Build the foundation for inclusive learning

Learning objectives
 Identify foundational principles of an accessible learning environment.
 Explain how Microsoft tools support each principle of accessibility.
 Apply knowledge of accessibility principles and Microsoft tools to create a
more inclusive learning environment.

Inclusive learning experiences

This module creates a lens to consider accessibility as a foundational approach to

crafting the learning experience. In this module, participants explore the following
principles:

 Create a connected learning experience that bridges learning with the home
and community.
 Cultivate lifelong skills that foster greater independence.
 Build systems and structures that reduce barriers to learning and aid
learners with organization.
 Build a foundation for a personalized learning experience with appropriate
hardware.
 Access timely data to select meaningful interventions.

Create a connected learning experience

A connected learning experience embeds multiple opportunities and modalities for
learners to access content, and to demonstrate their learning, alongside their peers. A
connected experience also bridges learning in the school with learning at home and in
the community. For learners with diverse needs, a connected experience creates more
continuity in learning and provides more opportunities to access content and access
support from their peers, educators, and families. When designing a connected learning
experience, leverage tools that foster communication, collaboration, and access to
multi-modal content across devices.

Fostering a connected learning experience supports the learner’s relationship with:

 Home and school

 School and community
 Peers
 Educators
 Learning content
 Self

These tools can be used to create a connected learning experience:

Flip: Provide learners with opportunities to express their learning orally and visually. Flip
also allows learners to asynchronously connect with their peers. Learners who struggle
with reading or writing have the opportunity to shine by expressing learning and ideas
in verbal and visual format using Flip. With easy access from any device, learners record
responses in the classroom, at home, or while conducting field experiences. Expand the
walls of the classroom and provide opportunities for learners to practice informal or
formal oral presentation skills. With built-in accessibility features like Immersive Reader
and captions, Flip supports connected learning and access.

Wakelet: This content curation tool directs learners to a single digital space to view and
interact with multi-modal content. Learners who struggle with organization can access
and store content from a single curated place. Wakelet’s flexible design meets a range
of curation needs from research projects to school newsletters. Use Wakelet for learners
to collaborate on curation of resources for a project or to connect families with school
resources and opportunities. Immersive Reader can be used with Wakelet to broaden
access to content.

Forms: Bridge content and assessment for learners with Microsoft Forms. Within
minutes, educators and school leaders can create custom surveys and assessments and
embed video and images to expand access and increase personalization. Use Forms for
school surveys for families and informal student assessment. Forms has a malleable
design with features such as branching for differentiation. Forms provides multiple ways
to promote access to content and access for learners to demonstrate their learning.
Real-time access to clear data aids with the timely selection and implementation of
interventions.

Teams chat: Through Teams chat, learners stay connected to peers inside and outside
the classroom. Teams chat provides a safe, and secure digital environment for learners
to collaborate on projects and to seek assistance from peers and educators. Learners
can use chat to advocate for themselves in a quicker, more efficient way to get help and
express ideas.

Using these Microsoft applications is a meaningful way to create a connected learning

experience for all learners.

Create an independent learning experience

Independent learning is more than working on something alone. It's the ability to
engage in learning tasks without assistance from another person. Independent learning
skills often go beyond academic subjects. Read more about building independence
with “I can do it myself!” Using work systems to build independence in students with
autism spectrum disorders. Leveraging tools and strategies that are accessible in real-
time, non-stigmatizing, and as close to the experience as a learner’s peers creates an
environment where each learner understands what they need to be successful and can
self-advocate. These experiences aren't limited to the learning environment and will
serve the learner in their community and future careers.

When developing learning experiences, consider utilizing the Universal Design for
Learning Guidelines. Instead of revising a lesson to make it accessible, design the lesson
from the start with all students in mind. This fosters independence for learners by
starting with an environment in which all learners can engage.

These tools and strategies assist learners in their development of independent learning
skills:

Microsoft Lens: Students receive materials in a wide variety of formats, from paper
copies to workbooks to digital content. It's critical that learners have access to the
content at the same time as their peers. They shouldn’t have to wait for someone to
adapt the materials to their needs. Using the power of Lens, learners digitize and access
any print document with a single scan when they need it. With features like Immersive
Reader, physical documents are read aloud and translated into the desired language in
real-time.

Windows 11: With accessibility at the forefront, Window 11 is the most accessible
version yet. Built in tools create an experience learners can personalize to their exacting
need to independently access their learning.

Accessibility: In previous versions of Windows, the Ease of Access Center was the go-to
place for personalizing the computing experience. In Windows 11, it's now called
Accessibility. Accessibility is designed to create an independent computing experience
that is tailored to the exact needs of the learner.

Desktops: Windows 11 has the ability to keep multiple desktops running at the same
time. Often students have too many apps and websites open and they struggle to find
what they need to be working amidst too many open windows. Students can
strategically open apps and webpages on different desktops and toggle between
them. Multiple desktops in Windows 11 (microsoft.com)

Empower learners to cultivate independence. Create a safe learning environment, where

learners explore tools and build lifelong skills.

Promote and cultivate learner organization

Organization may be a challenge for learners across age groups. Though today’s
learners are perceived as digital natives, they still require intentionally designed digital
learning spaces to support organization and consistency. Intentionally structured digital
learning environments aid learner organization, and promote accessibility for diverse
learners. Clearly organized digital learning environments bridge school to home to
ensure learners and their caregivers have easy access to materials and assessments.
Once learners are introduced to digital organizational tools, they are empowered to
utilize them to further cultivate their independence.

Organization is part of the skill set within executive functioning. To learn more,
read Executive functioning: What is executive function?

Leverage the following Microsoft tools to promote organization for learners:

Microsoft Teams: Establish a customized digital hub for learners with Teams. Using
features such as channels, assignments, and announcements, educators create digital
systems that promote consistency for all learners. Digital routines are foundational to
aid diverse learners with developing time management skills to meet expectations.
OneNote: With the digital notebook OneNote, learners’ access notes and academic
content from any device at any time. OneNote simplifies organization for learners across
content and ages with customizable sections and pages. OneNote reduces the burden
of requiring learners to remember papers and individual notebooks.

Planner: Educators and learners create personalized lists with concrete action steps with
Planner. For many learners with diverse needs, identifying actionable next steps are
critical to promoting independence and academic success.

To Do: Promote learners’ independence and foster their role in managing their
organization with To Do. With this application, learners access all academic tasks
assigned to them through planner. Learners also create their own academic and
personal lists.

Remember to introduce the digital learning environment like any classroom structure or
procedure. Recording video tutorials on how materials are organized and stored
digitally promotes additional access and understanding for learners and the caregivers
that support their learning outside the classroom. There're many ways to support
organization.

Lessen cognitive load

Cognitive load is the mental effort exerted to complete a task. Cognitive Load Theory is
comprised of three components: intrinsic load, extraneous load, and germane load. With
only finite space in the working memory, managing the cognitive load of a task helps a
learner transfer information from their working memory into their long-term memory.

Learners undergo a process to acquire and utilize new knowledge. First, learners input
information. They briefly move it to the sensory memory (hearing, seeing) and then into
working memory. Working memory has limited capacity and is considered the
gatekeeper to long-term memory. Working memory is affected by multiple factors,
including emotion, attention, motivation, and interest. If information remains in the
working memory long enough, it's transferred to the long-term memory. Knowledge is
then available for retrieval from the long-term memory.
Intrinsic load is the core content or elements of a learning task-the things the learner
needs to know. If these elements are changed, then the learning outcomes of the task
are changed. The complexity of the task also determines how high the intrinsic load of
the task is. Extraneous load are elements in the learning task that are not related to the
learning task and can be a distraction. Mental effort is moved away from the intrinsic
load to the extraneous load and impacts learning.

Consider how to utilize Microsoft tools to reduce cognitive load:

OneNote: Learners have a clearly organized and defined set of materials in OneNote.
Everything needed is in one place, decreasing the extraneous load and split attention of
having to find and coordinate materials in multiple locations. Students have multiple
means of engaging in tasks using additional tools including digital inking, dictation,
audio and video recording, and drag and drop to name a few.

Focus Mode: Reduce distractions from extraneous notifications with Focus Mode. For
learners who struggle with maintaining focus, Focus Mode promotes dedicated
attention to the required task.

Speech to Text: Writings tasks are complex and involve the intersection of critical
thinking skills. Utilize Speech to Text to reduce the cognitive load or simply to aid
students who are more comfortable applying their oral language skills with the
generation of ideas.

For learners with differing needs consider how to reduce barriers to learning, like
cognitive load. Utilize Microsoft applications to streamline access to content and
demonstration of learning. Bring learners’ attention back to the content and learning

Build the foundation with hardware

Assistive technology encompasses a broad range of devices; from off the shelf laptops
and computers to specialized devices such as Braille note takers and eye gaze tools. Any
digital device that expands accessibility for users falls within the classification of assistive
technologies.

Special educator Robin Lowell, shares that “students would rather go without than
standout.”
Robin encourages prioritization of the selection of non-stigmatizing devices and tools
that are the same as or similar to what other learners are utilizing. The device matters.
The act of selecting the right device is the first step to meet the needs of the learner.
When possible, have one device that serves many purposes. Fewer devices with more
robust abilities are key to helping students increase proficiency and productivity, while
simultaneously decreasing the number of devices needed for use.

When choosing a device, consider the following benefits of different Surface options:

 Surface Laptop SE helps students achieve the skills they need for their future with a
laptop designed for Windows 11 SE and Microsoft 365 for Education. Surface
Laptop SE Slim laptop for students
 Surface Laptop has a long battery life. It's slim and sleek for students to easily take
with them to every class. New Surface Laptop 4: Ultra-Thin Touchscreen
laptop (newest lightest touch screen laptop)
 Surface Pro has the power of a tablet to easily facilitate digital inking as well as the
ability to function as a laptop. Surface Pro 8 – The most powerful Pro
 The Surface Adaptive Kit is a flexible set of tactile tools that learners can use to
make their hardware even more accessible. Surface Adaptive Kit guide

Keyboard considerations:

 Control the computer with the keyboard. All commands in Windows have a
keyboard shortcut. Keyboard shortcuts in Windows
 Some learners struggle with remembering keyboard shortcuts that require multiple
key strokes. Keyboard shortcuts are customizable to fit learners’ needs and meet
them at their present levels. Customize keyboard shortcuts. Customize keyboard
shortcuts (microsoft.com)
 A wireless keyboard provides mobility and adds a level of personalization for the
user to be closer or further, or higher or lower than the screen. Microsoft Designer
Compact Keyboard

Mouse and trackpad considerations:

 These items are customizable for any device. The buttons, the touch options, and
touch sensitivity are adjustable in multiple ways. How to reassign mouse buttons
  A wired mouse is beneficial for students who struggle with keeping track of
multiple device parts. While wireless mice offer flexibility, they are easier to lose.

Inking pen considerations:

 The Surface Pen delivers a natural writing and drawing experience with ink that
flows out lag-free in real time. Write and draw with pinpoint precision, shade
sketches using tilt support, and get creative with a range of supported apps.

Headphone considerations:

 Noise canceling features are particularly helpful for reducing external noise and
distractions. Pair this with the Windows 11 mono audio to allow learners to pay
attention to their device and what’s going on around them. Meet Surface
Headphones 2 – The smarter way to listen

Other inclusivity considerations:

 All learners want to participate in the same activities as their friends and peers.
 The Xbox Adaptive Controller is a hub for devices that makes gaming more
accessible. Through the use of the large buttons on the adaptive controller and
external devices, a gamer participates in a more accessible gaming experience.
Learn more about the Xbox Adaptive Controller.
 Code Jumper is a kit that is inclusive of all learners across the vision spectrum to
learn about computer science.

Appropriate hardware is the foundation for an accessible, inclusive, and independent

learning experience. Explore hardware options to create a personalized foundation for
each learner.

Monitor learner progress with comprehensive data

A truly inclusive learning environment is responsive to all learners' academic and

emotional needs. Effective data collection and evaluation are integral elements to
designing and refining a responsive learning environment. A holistic approach to data
considers the totality of each learner’s experience, at school and at home, and prioritizes
their social-emotional needs. Through comprehensive data practices, educators and
learning communities ensure that instructional practices and the overall design of the
instructional program meet the needs of every learner. For learners with differing
learning needs, quick access to the most up-to-date data supports the selection and
implementation of the most meaningful interventions for each student. With the
support of Microsoft tools, spend less time collecting data and more time using it.
Read Data-driven decision making in education: 11 tips to learn more.

Leverage these Microsoft tools for data-informed decision-making:

Insights: Provides educators and school leaders with clear and meaningful intelligence
regarding students' academic progress across multiple dimensions. Real-time aggregate
data empowers educators to proactively monitor students' academic progress and
identify trends across specific student populations.

Demo Tours is the website for the Microsoft Education Interactive Demos referenced in
the video.

Reflect app: Embedded within Microsoft Teams, the Reflect app provides a daily
opportunity to monitor students' social-emotional wellness and engagement.

Forms: Provide a platform for educators to easily design course assessments and check-
ins with Forms and immediately access aggregated data.

Reading Progress: This is powerful tool independently tracks students' reading

progress. Through Teams' assignments, students are empowered to independently
record themselves reading an appropriate-level text. Then, educators receive detailed
analysis for each student across multiple areas of reading fluency. This detailed data
informs the selection of reading interventions and supports for students.

Clear data helps educators get to know their students better. With the tools above,
there is a comprehensive snapshot of each student's complete educational experience.
Use Microsoft data tools to identify specific areas of growth, implement interventions,
and track progress of all learners.

Summary

In this module we explored accessibility and discussed:

 The foundational principles of an accessible learning environment

 How Microsoft tools support those principles
 Methods for creating a more inclusive learning environment

We also examined cognitive load theory to better understand the reasons why some
tools can be beneficial for some learners. We explored building a foundation of
inclusivity by determining hardware and software tools that impact the inclusive learning
environment. Finally, we discovered ways that meaningful data can be collected to
impact programming and connection.

Course 3 : Empower every student with an inclusive classroom

Learning objectives
 Create an accessible and personalized experience in Windows 10 and
Microsoft 365
 Demonstrate how to implement the tools and apps available to create
accessible content
 Explain the importance of personalizing the learning device to improve
student outcomes

Independent learning

Empowering ALL students to be independent learners by simplifying and personalizing the

learning experience is more than just adapting work for students. It is about students creating
that experience for themselves. Whether they are in kindergarten or high school, students can
create an experience that promotes independence and engagement in learning.
Professional journal
How do your students learn best? Do you employ the same methods when you're
learning something new? You're here because something has inspired you to learn more
about inclusive classrooms. If you're going to keep this knowledge and begin to embed
changes in your current educational practice, you'll need some space to take notes,
reflect, copy links, and track any inspirational ideas.

Before you begin working through this module, go to Word Online or create a notebook
in OneNote for your own learning. If you already have a OneNote notebook, just add a
section or a page for this module. At the end of this module, you'll be developing a
lesson within this journal to post on the Microsoft Educator Community.

 Word Online
 OneNote
 Learn more about OneNote

Read, listen, and watch independently

Students must be able to decipher meaning from written text across all subjects, in various
formats, on different devices, and throughout all parts of their day. Regardless of when or how
students come across information, it should be in a format that allows for the best cognitive
experience.

Microsoft Word: part 1

In Microsoft Word, for example, students have options to help create a reading
experience with a document that works best for them. In the view tab, under Learning
Tools, Immersive Reader offers a variety of experiences. Learning Tools can:

 Increase fluency for English language learners or readers of other languages

 Help build confidence for emerging readers learning to read at higher levels
 Offer text decoding solutions for students with learning differences such as
dyslexia

Students can choose to limit the line length with the column width command. With the
text spacing command, students can allow more space between lines. These options
help to reduce visual crowding, which for readers already overwhelmed by the task at
hand, can reduce initial reluctance to read. Breaking down tasks into smaller pieces is
helpful for many students, and these commands naturally assist students with reducing
a lengthy amount of text into shorter, more digestible portions.

Page color can be quickly determined with a few easy options, allowing students to
determine which color choices work for them. Just as each person has specific
environmental factors that promote a healthy learning environment, page color can
make a significant difference on eye strain and even comprehension. Many students find
one background more soothing than another, and if they choose it for reading and
editing, they'll find an increase in productivity.

Microsoft Word: part 2

Wait, can students edit documents with all of these adjusted column and line spacing
and color changing? Why, yes, they can! Word has full functionality with these features
in place, which means once students set their preferences, they can write, create, read,
and edit with the visual environment they need.

As students work to decode or determine the correct spelling of words, the syllable
command shows a dot between syllables of the words in the text. As students learn the
rules of language, the syllable identification can be a clue for how it's spelled or how it's
pronounced. As students encounter new vocabulary or grow as readers, it can be a
beneficial clue to see where the word sounds are broken down. There's one more
Learning Tool that can help students with reading materials in Word. The Read Aloud
command allows students to hear the words that are on the screen. This is so powerful
for students to hear back what they're in the process of comprehending.

Early readers as well as proficient high school students would often rather guess at
reading a word than ask another person how it sounds. With Read Aloud, students can
independently determine specific words, sentence, or entire documents. Highlighting
words as they're read aloud can reinforce decoding, fluency, and ultimately the
comprehension of the document. The research published by Floyd and Judge in 2012
provides additional insight. There are two other tools that provide a similar read aloud
opportunity: Microsoft Edge and the Windows 10 OneNote app.

Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge has a Reading View for many online sources that immerses students into
the content without the distraction of advertisements and images. This allows students
to read a webpage in a clean, uncluttered view with the main content as the focus, along
with easy-to-read font and background color. Microsoft Edge also has a Read Aloud
feature in which webpages can be read aloud with the click of a button. No add-in or
special extensions are needed. Words are highlighted and read with the ability to
change the speed and voice. This feature is also available for ePub content.

Windows 10 OneNote
The Windows 10 OneNote app has an Immersive Reader that also allows similar text
size, color, and line spacing to Word. Learning tools and add-ins are available here
Learning Tools.

The Parts of Speech tool supports instruction and improves writing quality, the
Comprehension Mode improves comprehension by an average of 10%. Picture
Dictionary allows students to select a word and see a picture of what that image might
represent. This useful aid for comprehension helps bring simple text to life. Picture clues
are an important element in the process of reading. So often, illustrations and images
get left out of our digital documents, but with this tool turned on, students see pictures
if they need that extra clue for comprehension support.

Accessibility settings
Imagine the car of your dreams. Imagine that you're about to take a spin in this car.
What is the first thing you might need to do as you prepare to drive it? Would you
adjust the seat so that you could reach the pedals comfortably? Would the side or
rearview mirrors need to be modified to ensure a good line of sight? Sound and
temperature settings are available to ensure that the driver is comfortable and can focus
on driving safely.

Setting up a device for students can be thought of in a similar way. Personalizing a

device sets up students for success as they utilize it. Giving them ownership of this is not
only important, but imperative, as they navigate the challenges of using it for greater
learning purposes. Students need to know how to access these options and be able to
go back and change them if something isn't working the way they prefer it to work. The
accessibility settings provide many tools for students to use their device to its optimal
level.

The accessibility settings are the hub to help students make a device easier to use.
Settings can make the screen easier to see, like high contrast and color filters. The cursor
and pointer size can be increased. The Magnifier can be used to zoom in parts of the
display and magnify the whole screen, or just used as a lens that follows the mouse
pointer. Color filters change the color palette on the screen, helping to distinguish
between things that differ only by color, and there are several choices based on the
need of the user.

High contrast mode increases color contrast and colors become more distinct on the
screen making it easier to see. The accessibility settings are also the place to
change your audio settings, like volume or mono audio mode, which allows listening in
one ear but keeps the ability to hear what is going on in the classroom. The accessibility
settings are also where background images can be removed and unnecessary
animations turned on and off. Keyboard specifications can be set to allow for sticky keys,
toggle keys, and filter keys. Windows Narrator helps to read elements on a screen while
being controlled by keyboard, touch, and mouse. This allows students to open and close
programs or toggle between windows without the need to read the words on the
screen.

Create confidently

Learning Tools in Word can help students create content more effectively. There are
options to read text out loud, break words into syllables, and adjust spacing between
lines, letters, and words. In fact, "comprehension can improve by 30% just by adding line
breaks between clauses" according to Graf & Torrey (1966).
Dictation
Writing can be one of the most challenging and complex tasks that our human brains
do. It takes a tremendous amount of focus, linguistic ability, abstract thinking, and
organization to be able to write a simple sentence. One of the ways students can
overcome some of the sticking points as they construct writing is to utilize the dictate
feature. This allows students to focus on speaking, rather than the physical requirements
of writing. Dictation is available in Word, Word Online, PowerPoint, Outlook Desktop,
OneNote Windows 10, and OneNote Online. It's even available in more than nine
languages!

Don't type. Talk.

Dictating documents in Word

Inking
Research shows that taking notes by hand is better than taking notes on a laptop for
remembering conceptual information over the long term. With inking students can take
notes in a digital format, but still have the experience of handwriting and the option to
convert the handwriting into text. Students can solve math problems directly in a
OneNote notebook allowing for easy spatial arrangement of problems, and the focus is
on solving and not formatting the problem. Handwritten notes are still stored in a
convenient, easy to find place that is easily retrieved and not in the bottom of the
backpack.

Editor
Editor goes beyond just spell check, it empowers students to edit documents easily in
multiple modalities. It's frustrating for students to see many misspelled words and
grammar errors on a page when they know that most of them won't be close enough to
have a correction. However, Editor has changed that. Suggestions are based on the
context of the writing, using machine learning and natural language processing. How
does a student know what the correct choice is? Instead of having a definition for the
word, Editor gives synonyms for the word and as the option to have the word read
aloud. Editor will also give students suggestions for writing style, if there's a run-on
sentences, if it could be more concise, or if the spelling is incorrect.
Record audio
Sometimes a written description or explanation isn't enough. Sometimes a student
needs to access information in a different format. Writing isn't always the preferred
method of communication for all students, but by adding an audio recording to a
document, it may empower a student to show more depth of knowledge and skill in a
particular area.

Tell me
The Tell Me feature is like a tour guide for Microsoft 365. This is a text field in the ribbon
where users can enter words and phrases to find tools and quickly get to features or
actions they want to perform. Tell Me can also be used to get help.

Accessibility in math
Students with disabilities often struggle with math for many different reasons. Working
through problems at one’s own pace is one way that Microsoft 365 and Windows 10 can
help students achieve more. In OneNote for Windows 10, math equations can be read
by the Immersive Reader using the correct language for math. Math Assistant is another
tool that supports students by graphing and giving step-by-step solutions which can be
read aloud using Windows Narrator. This allows students to solve problems by not only
seeing each step but hearing them as well. When the student then works through
another problem, they can start to see where the changes are and start to make
connections about how the problems work.

Another struggle students face isn't copying problems correctly from a textbook to the
paper to solve. In OneNote, students can use inking to answer problems right in the
OneNote notebook, minimizing the probability of miscopying the problem and reducing
distractions by having focus stay in one place.

Focus assist
Focus assist is located in settings and allows the student to choose which notifications
to see and hear. This lets students choose what to keep in their focus. The rest of the
notifications will go straight to the action center where they can be viewed anytime.
Limiting notifications, along with time limits, allows students to make choices to
reduce information overload and increase focus during specific tasks.

Read Aloud
Editing one’s own work can be very challenging. It may look correct, but does it sound
right? Listening to one’s own work can give a different perspective and help find errors
that otherwise might have been missed. Students don't always feel confident enough to
have someone else read their work but using Read Aloud will help build that confidence
to share their work and get feedback.

Predictive text
Text suggestions is another feature that makes the writing process easier and less
frustrating. When turned on, users receive predictive text options while typing across
Microsoft products (online and desktop). Students (and educators) can use this tool to
alleviate frustration with frequently misspelled words or with words that they struggle to
spell. We've all had that student who sits paralyzed by the fear and frustration of
spelling mistakes. With text suggestions, students are empowered in their writing
process by reducing the emotional overhead of finding the right word.
To turn on text suggestions, go to your computer settings and select the devices
section. Under devices, select Typing. There you'll find the feature toggles to turn on
and off the different aspects of the tool. Try it out!

Organize efficiently

Office Lens
Office Lens trims, enhances, and makes pictures of whiteboards and docs readable.
Office Lens can be used to convert images to PDF, Word, and PowerPoint files and even
save images to OneNote or OneDrive. Office Lens is like having a scanner
in one’s pocket. Like magic, it will digitize notes from whiteboards or blackboards.

Writing and processing information during a class can be frustrating for many students.
Students can’t always keep up with educators when they write on the whiteboard. Using
Office Lens, a student can take a picture of the whiteboard to capture the information
then save it to Word, OneNote, OneDrive, Outlook, PDF, Photo Library, or share it
through Outlook, Mail, or Immersive Reader.

Handouts and paper documents can be challenging for many students. Creating an
electronic version of the material and immediately sending it to the correct place can
reduce the probability of it going directly to the bottom of the backpack or being left
behind because they don't know what to do with it or just plain forget about it.

A student with a visual impairment can independently and accurately scan the
document using the voice guidance feature. They can then turn it into a PDF or text and
format in whatever way best suits their needs, shortening the time they need to wait to
get the same document adapted into a usable format.

Immersive Reader is also available in Office Lens. Any student can take a picture and
send it to Immersive Reader where it goes through optical character recognition and is
read aloud. This allows students to independently consume the content and then send it
to the correct location.

Organize efficiently with OneNote

Documents from Office Lens, webpages from Edge, and Word can all be sent to
OneNote where students can store all the information in a digital notebook. Educators
can send materials directly to students, where it lands in the correct section that the
student can find from any device at any time.

Handwriting notes and assignments has proven to be effective in student

information retention. This is great, but often once those notes have been taken,
they don't make it into a place that the student can find again. Digital inking in OneNote
allows students to handwrite and have it already saved in a place that they can find
again. Students then can choose to turn the handwritten notes into text. In addition to
handwriting notes, students can add audio recordings directly onto the page, increasing
note taking accuracy and getting vital information in multiple modalities.

Collaborate inclusively

Collaborating with peers and staff helps with effective communication and enhances
learning. With the ability to co-author in Word, students learn to work with other people
in a digital environment, regardless of physical location. Microsoft Translator allows
students and parents to hear live translation during conversations and presentations.
This allows students to collaborate with everyone, regardless of their fluency in a
language. In order for students to navigate the world around them, they must also
comprehend the need for accessible content, for themselves and for their peers. The
Accessibility Checker provides everyone with an opportunity to ensure that their content
is visible by others.

Coauthor with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

With Microsoft 365 and OneDrive or SharePoint, multiple people can edit the same
Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or PowerPoint presentation. Students can work on
the same document each with an individualized view, whether that is using magnifier,
Immersive Reader, high contrast, or color filter, without changing the original
formatting. Co-authoring encourages all students to engage in work, and everyone can
have input and contribute equally. Students and educators can sit side-by-side and work
on the same document. Students don't always like having an educator leaning over their
shoulder, instead preferring to collaborate and work to edit a document together in real
time.

Coauthor with Microsoft Sway

Sway allows an online form of collaboration between users. Students can co-author
presentations, science labs, newsletters, or portfolios at the same time with Sway. Each
student can edit the Sway in their preferred view.

 Accessibility features in Sway

 Ability guidebooks
 Sway in education

Translator
Parent and student communication - breaking the language barrier

Translator helps bridge these communication gaps and supports cross-language

understanding and learning, and even multilingual casual conversations to help parents
engage in their student’s learning. Students and parents can translate content into over
60 languages. Speakers of different first languages can independently translate words,
paragraphs, whole documents or even PowerPoint presentations into their preferred
language.

Presentation translator
Real time translation of a PowerPoint presentation will add subtitles to any presentation.
The presenter chooses the language to be displayed on the presentation, but with a QR
code or web address, the student can translate the presentation, in real time, to the
preferred language. A written transcript of the presentation is also available, allowing all
students to go back and review the content.

Accessibility Checker
Accessibility checker scans documents to ensure that all users have access to the
content. If there are issues with the document the accessibility checker gives tips on how
to fix it, such as adding alt text for a screen reader to accurately describe a picture to a
user who is blind or visually impaired.

Conclusion

It's imperative that educators empower students with the tools to create a learning
environment that is inclusive, engaging, and easy to use. Built-in accessibility solutions
from Microsoft help reduce the stigma of learning challenges and provide students with
the tools they need to fully engage with their curricula, classmates, and educators in
powerful new ways.

Course 4: Structure Teams through channels, tabs, files, and apps

Learning objectives
 Determine the ideal structure for each Team
 Understand how to create and share new Teams
 Explain how to customize Teams with tabs like apps

What's in a team?

Microsoft Teams is the digital hub that educators and school leaders need. It brings
conversations, content, and apps together in one place Teams also streamlines workflow
for administrators and allows educators to create vibrant, personalized learning
environments. With Teams, educators create collaborative classrooms, personalize
learning with assignments, connect with colleagues in Professional Learning
Communities (PLCs), and streamline staff communication. Teams supports educator-to-
educator collaboration and class collaboration and communication. In short, Teams
is the one tool that helps with educators' administrative and classroom tasks. It saves
educators time and teaches learners future-ready skills.

Microsoft Class Teams provides educators with the most efficient class workflow yet.
Within Teams, educators can quickly converse with learners, share files and websites,
create a OneNote Class Notebook, and distribute and grade assignments. Learners are
free to use the Microsoft tools they're most familiar with—Word, PowerPoint, OneNote,
and Excel—as well as access websites and other frequently used third-party apps. Built-
in OneNote Class Notebooks and end-to-end assignment management allow educators
to organize interactive lessons, deliver personalized learning, and provide effective and
timely feedback. With one location for everything, Class Teams saves time and simplifies
everyday logistics, creating the freedom to focus on the most important task—
improving learner outcomes.

Microsoft Staff and PLC Teams provide the perfect location to work with colleagues on
projects, curriculum adoptions, and even whole school initiatives. School administrators
communicate and collaborate with their entire staff in one location. Policies and
procedures, forms, instructions for various tasks and responsibilities, school websites,
and more are shared in Teams for quick access. With the built-in OneNote Staff
Notebook, administrators can provide private feedback regarding classroom
observations and establish personalized professional development plans for every
faculty member. Teams supports online meetings with screen share and whiteboard
annotation. Meetings can be recorded, automatically saved, and transcribed in Stream,
SharePoint, or Office 365. Whether colleagues are down the hall or in another building
across town, Staff and PLC Teams support collaboration among educators.

Most importantly, Teams isn’t just a platform for schools. It’s the way millions of
corporate employees around the globe connect and collaborate every day. Using Teams
in schools and classrooms prepares learners to use the tools and resources they'll most
likely use when they enter the workforce. These skills give learners an advantage in their
preparation and confidence to achieve.

Get started: Create or join a team

Microsoft designed and customized Teams for Education by developing four different
types of Teams for educators:

 Class Teams allows educators and learners to collaborate on group

projects, assignments, and more
 Staff Teams allows staff leaders and staff members to collaborate on
school administration and development
 PLC Teams allows educators to collaborate within a Professional Learning
Community
 Anyone Teams allows school clubs, sports teams, or any group of learners
and school staff with a common interest or project to collaborate

To create a team, select the Join or create a team button at the top of the Teams app.
Then, select Create team and choose the type of team to create. Next, name the team,
and if desired, add a description. Depending on the type of team created, there may be
a prompt to enter the learners, educators, and/or staff to add to the team. When
entering learners and coeducators in a Class Team, they'll be given specific permissions
based on their status as a learner or educator. Members are added to the team by
typing a name to choose a group, distribution list, or person at the school.

If it’s preferable for learners and staff members to join the team, rather than entering
their names, generate a team code. Select the ellipsis by the name of the team and
choose Manage Team and then select Settings. Once in the settings, select Team
code and then select Generate. Copy and email the team code to learners and
educators or display it on a projector for everyone to access. Learners and educators
joining the team then go to Join or create a team and enter the code to join the team.

Establish the guidelines: Manage team members and their permissions

After a team has been created, educators may modify a member's role within the team
or delete a member. To change a member's role, select the ellipsis by the name of the
team and choose Manage Team. To make a member an owner of the team, find the
name of the person, select the down arrow by "Member," and select Owner. If needed, a
member may be deleted by selecting the X by their name.

Conversations in Teams is a great way to start discussions with learners and educators.
Conversations in Teams take place under the Posts tab. Using conversations in Class
Teams offers a hands-on opportunity to create classroom conversation, set ground
rules, and foster digital citizenship. Sometimes, however, action is needed to ensure that
learner conversations are respectful, productive, and focused on classroom goals. With
the Manage Team feature, educators may mute one individual, several, or all learners,
which will revoke their posting privileges.

Inside the Manage Team feature, educators may set the Team theme, modify member
permissions, and further control conversations. To modify these options within Teams,
select Settings. Within the member permissions section of settings, decide whether
members will be allowed to create and delete channels, tabs, apps, connectors, and/or
messages. The @mentions section determines who may
use @team and @channel mentions. Additionally, in the fun stuff section, educators
may decide whether learners are permitted to use GIFs, stickers, and memes.

Navigate the Teams space

Microsoft has created a user-friendly dashboard within Teams that's easy to navigate.

When launching the Teams app, users will arrive at the Teams dashboard. The center of
the screen will contain white tiles with various icons. Each icon represents a team to
which the learner or educator belongs. These may be teams created or joined, or teams
the user has been added to by another person.

Once a team is selected, that team's workspace opens. This workspace is divided into
two primary areas: a Me Space and a We Space. In the Me Space are notifications
about recent activity, private chats, teams, assignments, meetings, files and apps. We call
this navigation bar the Me Space because it contains controls and notifications
specifically for that user.
The We Space is meant for collaboration. The main part of the dashboard is where
conversations take place with learners or colleagues. It’s also the place to share files,
assignments, shared documents, and notes. There are many ways to customize the
team, and that starts with adding channels.

Channels are just another way to divide different aspects of each team into categories,
such as units of study, professional topics, themes, agenda items, etc. The ability to
personalize the workspace is one of the most useful features of Teams.

Share and collaborate with files

Teams makes it easy to share files with learners and colleagues. Every team (and every
channel within a team) has its own file folder to share files with members of that team. If
the shared files are Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files, colleagues or learners can view,
edit, and collaborate on them directly in the Teams app. They are also able to see each
other's changes in real time.

Either upload existing files or create new files directly in the file folder:

 To upload existing files into the library, go to the Files tab in the team, and
select the Upload button. A File Explorer dialog box will open, allowing the
selection of the file (or files) to upload. Select the file (or files) to share and
then select Open. (These steps upload a copy of that file to the team.) Any
files uploaded will be accessible by any member of the team.
 To create a new Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Forms for Excel, or OneNote file in
the files folder, select the New button and then select the kind of file to
create. Name the file and select Create. The new file will open in Teams
where it may be edited. If working in the desktop version of the app is
preferable, select the Open in Desktop app button on the ribbon to open
the file in the preferred desktop app. As soon as it’s created, the new file will
be available for members of the team to edit as well.

Within the Files tab of a Class Team is a class materials folder. Anything added to the
class materials folder will be read-only for learners. A document added to files—but not to
the class materials folder—may be edited by any member of the team.

Enhance learning with third party apps

Every educator incorporates outside resources to enhance their curriculum and engage
learners at a deeper level. Microsoft works with education partners to support educators
in improving learner outcomes and supporting growth. For example, education tools
like Flip, Wakelet, Thinglink, and Nearpod may be shared directly from the partner site
and added to a team. If an educator is already using a Moodle course with learners, it
may be integrated with Microsoft Class Teams. MakeCode may be accessed directly
within Teams. Educators who use Turnitin and assignments with Teams will have their
learners' assignments automatically analyzed for multiple forms of plagiarism. This
analysis may help teach the value of academic integrity, proper attribution, and
authentic writing.

With Flip, Wakelet, and other current Teams EDU partners, use the Share to
Teams button to quickly start a conversation or create an assignment. Create a Flip for
learners to reflect on the material they've learned so far in a unit. Curate a Wakelet with
a list of resources available to learners for an action-research project. Use the Share to
Teams button on either site to post the resource to the Class Team.

Better together: Add EDU partners to team sites

Learners need diverse learning opportunities to construct their own knowledge.

Educators often provide learners with a variety of learning sources to create these
opportunities. Sometimes the difficulty of keeping learners on task or ensuring they all
reach the same source may be overwhelming. Adding an external website as a tab in
Class Teams makes providing external sources much simpler. The tabbed website fully
embeds in the team, allowing learners to interact with it directly in their Class Team or
open it in a web browser. Either way, the educator may be sure that learners are
accessing the specific website and content that they've selected.

Educators who use an online textbook may add the textbook as a website tab in their
Team. When learners are working on a research project, an educator may provide
guidance on the sites they use by creating a Wakelet and adding it as a website. If an
interactive physics simulation or a Khan Academy tutorial would be beneficial, add it as
a website tab so learners may find it easily and frequently.

Many Microsoft education partner apps have another way to add their content to Class
Teams. Within Flip, Wakelet, Thinglink, Nearpod, and other current Teams EDU partners,
the Share to Teams button allows educators to quickly start a conversation or create an
assignment. Select the Share button in the app or program and then select Share to
Teams. Choose whether to start a conversation or create an assignment. Enter the team
or channel to post it to and add a message. When it’s ready to share, select
the Share button. The new post or assignment will then appear in the selected team or
channel.
Course 4: Flipped instruction with PowerPoint Recorder

Learning objectives
 Describe the principles of flipped learning and how to implement them into the
classroom
 Explain how to create flipped lessons using PowerPoint Recorder
 Build a flipped lesson to use with students

Professional journal
How do your students learn best? Do you employ the same methods when you're
learning something new? You're here because something has inspired you to learn more
about flipping classrooms. If you're going to retain this knowledge and begin to embed
changes in your current educational practice, you'll need some space to take notes,
reflect, copy links, and keep track of any inspirational ideas.

Before you begin this module, go to Word Online or create a notebook in OneNote for
your own learning. If you've one, add a section or a page for this module. At the end of
the module, you'll be developing a lesson in your journal to post on the Microsoft
Educator Community.

Introduction to flipped lessons

The Flipped Learning Network defines flipped learning as "a pedagogical approach in
which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning
space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning
environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage
creatively in the subject matter."

The University of Texas at Austin explains: "A flipped class is one that inverts the typical
cycle of content acquisition and application so that:

 Students gain necessary knowledge before class, and

 Instructors guide students to actively and interactively clarify and apply that
knowledge during class."

Let's look at a math educator teaching the Pythagorean theorem as an example. This
teacher designs learning modules that explain the concept and demonstrate how to use
the calculation. Students review these modules at home for homework. In class, students
solve problems in groups and individually while getting feedback on their progress. In
following homework and class assignments, students are able to apply their learning to
more complex tasks.

Math educators aren't the only ones who can benefit from a flipped classroom.
Literature educators provide background information on an author and their play.
A physics educator introduces Newton's laws of motion. A world language educator
explains the proper conjugation for the past tense of specific verbs. A history educator
discusses the causes of World War I. An art educator introduces cubism and Picasso to
their students. A computer science educator demonstrates how loops work in coding.
In all of these examples, and many more, the educator prepares online learning materials
for something traditionally taught face-to-face. Freeing up class time to analyze,
discuss, and practice concepts that would typically be left to a homework assignment.

The traditional method of flipped learning requires students to have access to

technology at home. When technology isn't available at home, educators modify the
flipped classroom model and offer in-class "flipped" learning experiences.
Educators who use the in-class flip model have access to devices that students can use in
the classroom or in a lab setting. They organize lessons based on small groups, or they
allow students to progress through the lessons at their own pace, creating a
personalized learning experience for every student. Educators also use in-class "flipped"
learning experiences when they're absent so that valuable instructional time isn't lost.

There are many benefits with the flipped learning

model
 Flipping lessons offers equal access to all students. A student is
absent from illness or extra-curricular activities, or a student is struggling in
class, can review the materials as many times as needed to understand the
concepts.
 Flipping lessons allows educators to gauge student understanding at a
deeper level. Because students are practicing new concepts in class (instead
of for homework), educators hear and see students thinking and clear up
misconceptions quickly. Students are more successful because their
educator is correcting misunderstandings in real time in class, rather than a
day or two later when traditional homework is returned.
 When Microsoft Forms is used with flipped lessons, educators receive
immediate feedback on what concepts are understood and what concepts
 are still challenging. Educators can then begin the next class with a targeted
review that helps clarify the misunderstood concepts.
 Flipping lessons opens the door of the classroom, allowing parents,
administrators, and colleagues to see the type of learning happening
in the classroom. Additionally, parents can watch the videos with their
children and learn new concepts as well.
 Flipping lessons preserves instructional time when educators or students are
absent, or when special assemblies interrupt classes.

Get started
1. First, begin with the end in mind. What do you want students to be able to
do at the end of the unit? Answering this question will guide your unit
design and keep you focused on the learning goals in each lesson.
2. Next, think about the unit and where in the unit flipping makes most sense.
 Which lessons in the unit would work well in a flipped model?
 Which concepts do students frequently struggle with in your
class?
 What active learning experiences could you create as in class
assignments to help deepen understanding?
 What homework assignments have you given in the past for
this unit that students could complete in class?
 What concepts have traditionally taken more time than you
planned?
3. Next, think about what content students would need to have before these
in-class assignments to be successful.
 Are there reading materials, handouts, YouTube videos that you
traditionally share?
 Are there also moments of traditional instruction that you need
to capture for students?
 How could you deliver this material to students outside of class
(or in-class flipped settings)?

Microsoft PowerPoint Recorder is a powerful tool for creating flipped lessons. Before
you learn how to create a flipped lesson using PowerPoint Recorder, you need to
organize your flipped lesson. Depending on the age of your students, best practices
recommend you limit your content to 3-15 minutes. If your content is longer than 5
minutes, divide it into smaller sections. Creating an outline of your lesson will help you
decide the key sections of the lesson and when you want to create breaks in your
content delivery.
Once you have an outline of your lesson, create your PowerPoint. Build your PowerPoint
just like you would if you were presenting the material face-to-face. Be sure to use best
practice principles when creating a PowerPoint:

 Remember, a PowerPoint is an outline of your lesson. In other words, limit the

words on each slide. One recommendation is the 6x6 rule - no more than six words
per line and no more than six lines per slide.
 Add visuals that enhance your content. Diagrams, images, charts - all bring life to
your lesson.
 Simplify transitions to avoid distractions.
 Use font sizes and colors that are easy to read.

Advice from pros

 Use QuickStarter in PowerPoint to begin your presentation.

Select QuickStarter when you start your new PowerPoint. Then, enter your
topic, choose the outline that works best for your topic, and select the
starter slides you want. Read more in Research a topic with PowerPoint
QuickStarter.

 Designer in PowerPoint helps to create dynamic presentations quickly and

easily. To learn more, see Create professional slide layout with PowerPoint
Designer.

 Add notes which can act as a script for you to read as you record your
lesson with PowerPoint Recorder.

Professional journal
Choose a lesson you want to flip. Prepare your PowerPoint or revise it as if you were
presenting this material face-to-face. If an old presentation feels stale, try using
Designer. If you're starting a new presentation, try out QuickStarter. Would students also
benefit from these tools when they create presentations?

How to use PowerPoint Recorder

The first step to using PowerPoint Recorder is to add the Recorder ribbon. To do this,
open PowerPoint and:

1. Select File > Options

2. Select Customize Ribbon
 3. From the Choose commands from drop-down menu, select Main Tabs
4. From the Main Tabs list, select Recording
5. Then Select Add in the middle of the two columns
6. Select OK and the Recording Tab should appear as a new ribbon in
PowerPoint

Once you have the Recorder ribbon installed, you can begin recording your lesson.
Open the PowerPoint you created for the lesson and select the Recording ribbon. The
Record Slide Show feature on the Recording ribbon has many options for your
presentation.

You can:

 Record, stop, and replay your recording

 View your notes as you record if you included notes for each slide
 Clear the recording for one slide or all slides
 Adjust the settings of your microphone or camera
 Advance the slide
 Turn your microphone or camera on or off
 Select an inking feature for your recording
  View the slide you're on and see the timing for each slide as well as the
entire presentation

To start, select Record Slide Show. Once you're in recording mode, you can:

1. Select Notes, if you included notes that you want to read as you record.
2. Turn on the camera if you want your students to see you as you talk
through the lesson.
3. When you're ready, select the red record button. Wait for the 3, 2, 1
countdown and then begin talking. Advance to the next slide when you're
ready and continue your recording. (If you prefer, you can stop your
recording on each slide.)
4. When you're finished, select Stop.
5. Close the recording mode when you're finished recording all of the slides.

In addition to the Record Slide Show icon, you can use the Screen Recording feature in
PowerPoint Recorder to capture a screencast of something you want to show your
students. For example, if you have a website you want to share with the students and
discuss some of the content on the site, you could use Screen Recording to capture your
thoughts or instructions to the students.

The value of inking in flipped lessons

Digital inking is thinking. Students seeing you write on the slide during recorded
lessons adds interest, keeps them engaged, and allows for you to model solving
equations, labeling a diagram, or analyzing a piece of writing. Students watching you
talk through the mental process of a task retain more. Using the inking capabilities in
PowerPoint Recorder allows you to demonstrate a skill step by step or annotate
important concepts on the page.

To use the inking functions in PowerPoint Recorder, select an ink color at the bottom of
the screen and begin writing. Select the highlighter pen to highlight and the eraser to
delete inking.

One item that you can easily annotate is a screenshot of a page or a website that you
want to explain to students. Simply take a screenshot and then record your instructions
with annotations.
Professional journal
Continue working on your flipped lesson using PowerPoint Recorder. Try to use inking
in your lesson where appropriate. Where do you see inking as useful in a PowerPoint
recording with your own teaching materials? When might inking be beneficial while
students use PowerPoint Recorder?

Add support content and interactives

You can create your own content with the Record Slide Show feature. An additional
option is to add content or interactives with PowerPoint Add-ins. Before you look for an
interactive, add a new slide to your presentation. To search for interactive elements:

1. In the "Tell me what to do" box on the toolbar, enter Store

2. Select Browse for Add-ins
3. A dialog box will pop up. In the search box, enter one of these options:
- GeoGebra
- PhET simulations
- FluidMath
- Online Python Tutor
- Web Viewer
4. When you find the interactive you want to add to your presentation,
select Add, to insert it on the slide.

Assessment in your flipped lessons

As with any assignment, gauging understanding is crucial. You want to ensure that
students are understanding the concepts and are prepared for class. With PowerPoint
Recorder, add check-in questions throughout the presentation to require students to
pause and reflect on what they're learning.

Create an assessment that you can review and collect for a grade.

Use Microsoft Forms as a formative or summative assessment tool. Add a slide to your
PowerPoint, and then select the Forms icon on the insert ribbon. Create a new Forms
quiz or insert one you've already created. Students can complete the quiz when they're
finished with the lesson.

Professional journal
Add a few quiz questions in your flipped lesson to encourage students to pause and
reflect or practice what they're learning.

Then, create a Forms quiz for students to take after they view the flipped lesson. You'll
have data on the students' level of understanding of the content.

Share your flipped lesson

When you're finished creating your flipped lesson with PowerPoint Recorder, you can
share it a few different ways.
If the flipped lesson doesn't have any quizzes or interactives, you can export the lesson
as a video by selecting the Export as Video button.

If the lesson has interactives and quizzes, you can save the lesson as a show by selecting
the Save as Show button. Selecting Save as Show creates a separate slide show file of
your recording. When students open this file, it immediately starts as a slide show rather
than in opening in edit mode.

The saved file can be shared with students in several ways. If students' parents or people
outside of your organization will view the lesson, share the video in a public location like
a class website. If only students will view the lesson, publish the lesson to
Microsoft Stream.
Stream has wonderful accessibility features. Stream will automatically generate captions
using automatic speech recognition technology if the language field is set to a
supported language. Once the automatic captions are generated for the video, you're
able to edit the transcript, if necessary.

Learn more about the accessibility features and how to edit automatic captions

Professional journal
Share your lesson with your students. Bonus: Upload your flipped lesson to the
Microsoft Educator Community to share with other educators. Add the link to your
flipped lesson in the comments so others can see it.

Course 5: Get started with OneNote

Learning objectives
In this module, you will:
 Create personal a notebook
 Create, add, and share pages and content
 Identify how to organize OneNote effectively and quickly find materials within
notebooks
 Manage a range of notebook settings

ISTE Standards for Educators:

 Educator - Facilitator
 Educator - Learner
 Educator -Collaborator

UNESCO Standards for Educators:

 Application of Digital skills

 Organization and Administration
 Teacher Professional Learning

Introduction

What do we need from digital tools? Simplicity? Creativity? The power to bring
everything in to one place? Collaboration? OneNote offers us all of those and more.
Whether it be our resources, our workflow, collaboration, or tasks, we can use OneNote
to meet a wide range of digital needs.

Not only does OneNote give us a powerful toolset to use for our personal organization,
it can also be used with resounding impact in both the classroom and the staff room.

In this module, we will explore:

 How to get started with OneNote

 How to add content
 How to manage OneNote notebooks

This module is a great way to learn about the app before using it with classes and for
staff collaboration. Once you've completed this introductory module, join us for the
OneNote Class Notebook and OneNote Staff Notebook modules to learn more about
how we can harness the power of OneNote in education.

Learning objectives
 Create a personal notebook
 Create, add, and share pages and content
 Identify how to organize OneNote effectively and quickly find materials
within notebooks
 Manage a range of notebook settings

Get started with OneNote (Windows 10)

This video will guide you through what you can do with OneNote for Windows 10 and
how you can get started, including:

 What OneNote is
 The different functions of OneNote
 The content you can use with OneNote
 How OneNote is organized
 How you create your own personal OneNote notebook
 How to create sections and pages

https://youtu.be/ySW5UNzagZQ

Activity
Try creating your own personal notebook to practice what you learn in this module.
Once you have created your notebook, add at least one new section and one new page.

Reflection
A great way to learn how to use OneNote is to use it personally first.

Consider:

 What personal uses of OneNote would be helpful for you?

 What are some ways you could organize your sections and pages?

 What features will you find most useful?

Add content to pages

This video explains how to:

 Add multimedia content like videos and audio

 Use digital inking to write and annotate
 Embed and digitally print documents
 Use a Microsoft Form with OneNote
  Embed meeting details from Outlook

https://youtu.be/diywOkBH3jg

Activity
Using the OneNote notebook you've created, add a new page and try adding in the
following content:

 A text box
 An image
 A video from Flipgrid, Stream, or YouTube
 An audio clip
 A Microsoft Form

Reflection
 What are the benefits of being able to embed different multimedia,
together with other content?
 How might this be useful when used in a classroom/learning context?
Customize and manage your notebooks

This video describes how to manage a range of settings, including:

 Changing fonts
 Creating nicknames for notebooks
 Create template pages
 Change page backgrounds
https://youtu.be/xmvq-aEkAR4

Activity
Using the OneNote notebook you created, try the following tasks:

 Make a page into a template page for a section

 Add a new page and change the background to either one of the ruled lines
options or to a different color
 Change the default font for all notebooks