Innovative Educators arrive for the Microsoft U.S. Innovative Education Forum to Share Best Practices

This week I am at the Microsoft Partners in Learning serving as a US judge for the International Competition and am blown away from the amazing innovations.

What is most impressive is that although many incredible uses of Microsoft products are included that anything and everything is here. Oddly enough, I have seen Google, Apple, and just about anything as part of a classroom with many learning experiences.

The purpose as judges is to recognize the best 21st century learning in the classroom based upon the current research. I can personally attest that the rubrics have no product bias, although every teacher here uses Microsoft in some way. (but honestly, who doesn't use Microsoft something in their classroom)

I am finding that there are tons of one note uses and the new office 360 has some pretty amazing things built in! Ok, more from me later.

I asked Microsoft Teach Tec Blogger, Rob Bayuk to write a guest post about what is happening here. Here goes.

"Today 100 educators from 25 states arrived in Seattle for the Microsoft Partners in Learning 2011 U.S. Innovative Education Forum (IEF). The IEF is part of a worldwide program designed to shine a spotlight on some of the world's top educators and provide them the opportunity to collaborate, exhibit and share innovative tech-infused projects they've done with students. Over the past year educators applied and these 100 educators were chosen representing all K-12 subjects and grade levels. While attending the event educators will also participate in a number of unique professional learning activities.

Ten finalists from this U.S. event will be chosen to represent the United States at the Partners in Learning Global Forum in Washington, DC in November. The global event is expected to attract more than 700 teachers, school leaders, press and education thought leaders from more than 75 countries.

On the agenda for these teachers over the two day forum hosted on Microsoft's main campus in Redmond, WA will be project exhibitions evaluated by a panel of judges from education and education-related fields, learning excursions to some of Seattle’s best known historical and cultural landmarks such as the Space Needle and Pike Place Market where collaborative teams of educators will create project-based activities based on their experiences, and hands-on technology workshops using Microsoft’s latest programs for education.

The group will also hear two inspiring keynote speeches on Thursday and Friday by Dr. John Medina, author of the New York Times bestseller "Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School and Dr. Jane McGonigal, world-renowned game designer and author of Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World will deliver the closing keynote.

Both of these keynote presentations will be streamed live through the Partners in Learning Facebook page. "Like" the page to watch the streaming and get the details on when these will be streamed live as they will not be recorded. We will also stream them through our IEF web site and if you'd like to follow along on Twitter follow me @TeachTec and watch for #msftpil.

For a summary of the projects that will be exhibited this week checkout this post.

Thanks,

Rob Bayuk
Microsoft U.S. Partners in Learning Team
(aka @TeachTec)"

Cool program. I hope all you innovative teachers out there will consider applying next year!


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