At the Newark Hill Academy, we believe that using the Microsoft Education Center is integral to our professional development.  We are fully committed to using the website to support our teaching and learning.  Here are some case studies explaining how:

Mrs Szymanska - Year 5 Teacher Assistant

When I joined Newark Hill Academy, I had no idea what being a Showcase School was all about - I thought was it just about working on a computer?    

Microsoft in Education training was given to me which offered opened my eyes to many professional development opportunities. My very first Certified Microsoft Innovative Educator Badge, that I was awarded by earning 1000 points, introduced me to Microsoft Educator Center and I have been enjoying my Microsoft journey since then.  Without the school’s support and MEC online training, I would not be able to stay connected with staff, students and families during the Covid 19 pandemic. Classroom learning changed into the online learning environment and my practice has also changed dramatically. I developed my expertise of Microsoft Teams, Flipgrid, OneNote, Office 365 and many more, which enabled me to transform my teaching and learning, as well as changed my perceptions of technology used in education. 

A focused learning environment is very hard to establish away from the classroom and when UK went into lockdown, I asked myself questions: What now? How am I going to fulfil my role as a Teaching Assistant and work remotely? I thought that my knowledge of Microsoft technologies was not enough to carry out the tasks I was set by my school. I could not have been more wrong. With MEC support, I have gained and incredible amount of valuable Microsoft knowledge. Impossible became achievable! I soon became a Flipgrid Certified Educator and continued developing children’s reading skills, monitoring their reading progress and offering feedback on how to improve. Although I had used OneNote before to support the class teacher and children in the classroom, completing MEC OneNote trainings extended my proficiency, which I look forward to use in the classroom now. Microsoft Teams has been a life saver. It allowed me to stay connected with staff and students through chat, video meetings as well as use file storage effectively. It is really the ultimate hub for teamwork and intelligent communications. I have been attending staff meetings to be briefed and to catch up with my line manager and other team members. Completing online Microsoft courses have really boosted my confidence of using Microsoft tools in my practice and I definitely will carry on my professional development through MEC