College welcomes more tech for educators

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During an all-day workshop at Manhattan College on April 15, students and faculty members were able to experiment and learn about Microsoft’s latest resources and tools for classrooms.

“We’re offering a workshop for community and our faculty to kind of bridge the gap, the digital divide of knowing about innovative technology,” Shawna BuShell said. She is the director of one of the college’s first fully online masters programs, in instructional design and delivery. 

This workshop was part of a series aiming to develop the master’s program’s technology component and expose it to the community. Last Friday’s event brought 58 people from Manhattan College and the community to officials from Microsoft and NYSCATE, an educational non-profit promoting the use of technology.

The Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Teacher Academy is designed for kindergarten through 12th-grade classroom educators who want to more effectively use the latest version of Windows, including basic navigation and Windows Apps. Participants also discovered Microsoft’s Office Mix, Sway and OneNote and explored how digital notebooks can be created and used as a productivity tool for educators and students.

Sister Mary Anne Jacobs is a faculty member of Manhattan College and attended the workshop with a group of her students preparing to be teachers themselves. 

“We were very fortunate to be able to participate,” she said. Sister Jacobs was particularly interested in OneNote, a note-taking app She added that two of her students currently researching how to develop interactive notebooks greatly benefitted from the workshop. 

The training also covered cloud-based tools in Office 365 for education and how to use Skype in the classroom.

By completing the training, participants received a Microsoft Innovative Educator Badge and a completion certificate.

“They will do it again in the fall and as long as you get the email and let us know you want to come, then we will register you,” Ms. BuShell explained.

Next Friday, April 22, the workshop will focus on social media marketing for educators with Constant Contact.

Manhattan College, Microsoft, Sister Mary Anne Jacobs, Sister Mary Anne Jacobs, Alice Guilhamon

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