Jan 22, 2018
The tech giant is ramping up its efforts to woo K-12 schools away from educational device and software juggernaut, Google, while unveiling a suite of new ‘personalized learning tools.’
For tutors who haven’t (yet) boarded the G-Suite train, Microsoft may be providing some welcome tech relief with its new Windows 10 devices, designed to compete with the Google Chromebook, which dominates the market with 59.8% of all U.S. K-12 mobile computing shipments (Microsoft sits at 22.3%), and new “personalized learning” software.
The new tools include updates to Microsoft Learning Tools and its Immersive Reader, which allow students to talk-to-type, change the appearance of text, and have text read aloud. Microsoft is also offering K-12 educators some administrative relief with its school information-sharing platform, PowerSchool, which allows educators to integrate student assignments and grades through its OneNote Class Notebook software.
Microsoft’s personalized learning push comes as no surprise, given Microsoft CEO Bill Gates’ long-held interest in the educational approach. The Gates Foundation has invested more than $240 million in personalized learning initiatives, most recently partnering with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to invest $12 million in the Personalized Learning Initiative to develop new approaches and technologies in education.
banner image from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-01-22-microsoft-s-many-edu-updates-and-a-window-of-opportunity-to-win-k-12-market-share
Microsoft’s many EDU updates – and a window of opportunity to win K-12 market share https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-01-22-microsoft-s-many-edu-updates-and-a-window-of-opportunity-to-win-k-12-market-share
