Emerging Technologies: Microsoft IT Academy

Brooke SkeltonItec-7445July 13, 2015

Barrow Countys Technology MissionThe Barrow County School Systems technology mission is to maximize the integration and use of instructional technologies to ensure an exceptional education for all students, foster local and global communication and collaboration to create engaging learning opportunities, and to promote responsible citizenship.

What is Microsoft IT Academy?The Microsoft IT Academy Program evolved under the guidance of educators with the core mission to enable academic institutions to offer technology curriculums enriched with real-world skills. Microsoft IT Academy provides teachers with the software and information needed to deliver a dynamic learning experience, all in the context of the most cutting-edge Microsoft technologies in demand today.

How Microsoft IT Academy supports Barrow Countys technology missionProvides students with the future ready technology skills they need to be successful in college and a career.

Provides students with skills that enable them to collaborate, communicate, and be critical thinkers, innovators, problem solvers and citizens of a global economy.

Provides an educational environment in which technology enhances individual student achievement.

How Microsoft IT Academy supports Barrow Countys technology missionAllows students to use project-based learning activities to demonstrate and practice skills on Microsoft technologies.Its focus is on learning activities that lead to students learning 21st century skills.Offers Microsoft Office Specialist Certification Testing.

How Microsoft IT Academy Can Be Used In The ClassroomDigital LiteracyE-LearningLesson Plan DevelopmentE-ReferencesAcademic CurriculumProfessional Learning

Teachers can use Microsoft IT Academy in a number of ways including:

How Microsoft IT Academy Can Be Used In The ClassroomDigital Literacy can be used as a remedial tool for some students and as a means of exploring new topics for others.E-Learning curriculum provides access to up to different 250 courses. It provides students with more hands-on practice through a multimedia learning experience.Teachers have ready-to-use, customizable lesson plans including links to relevant E-Learning and free demos and videos.

How Microsoft IT Academy Can Be Used In The ClassroomE-reference provides digital access for educators to over 600 technology books, searchable by topic, technology, and subject.Exam vouchers provided annually for educator professional development.

How Microsoft IT Academy Can Be Used In The ClassroomMicrosoft IT Academy offers student vouchers for the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification Tests which are world-recognized standards based certification credentials. MOS certification is available in the following programs:Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook and SharePoint

Professional Development Microsoft IT Academy offers Professional Development for teachers. It gives them the opportunity to collaborate with one another and become certified in several different programs including MS windows fundamentals, software development, database administration, networking, security, HTML and App development.

Target Population and DifferentiationMicrosoft IT Academy can be beneficial to all students, professionals and educators, young and old. The online curriculum is geared towards Middle and High School Students ages 12+. As a school system, Barrow County supports the integration of technology as a valuable tool in helping teachers differentiate instruction for students based on their individual needs. Microsoft IT Academy gives teachers over 250 E-Learning courses to choose from. All course materials (i.e. tutorials, quizzes, tests) can be modified for remediation and differentiation. Teachers create unique access codes for each student and are able to track their progress and results.

Equitable AccessTo ensure equitable access students can log onto Microsoft IT Academy on any connected computer that meets its system requirements. All they need is their school code and personal access code. Students can work from school, home or work at any time of the day or night.

DiversityPatricia Goodman, a teacher in Maple Ridge, Vancouver wrote about how Microsoft IT Academy is helping female students become more interested in computer science. She stated that IT Academy students develop a skill set that also enhances their performance in other subject areas. And although the enrollment in most of Goodmans computer classes is about 90 percent male, the gender ratio in IT Academy is split equally. A lot of our female students who previously avoided traditional computer classes have recognized the potential for learning valuable, practical skills, and this encourages them to push outside their comfort zone. Its a real confidence boosterI now see more female students signing up for advanced computing classes and showing interest in becoming programmers.The article can be found here.Microsoft IT Academy System RequirementsA Pentium II, 256 MB RAM with a processor speed greater than or equal to 400 MHZMicrosoft Windows Vista or higherMicrosoft Internet Explorer 8.0 or higherAdobe Flash 7.0 or higher Microsoft Silverlight 4.0 or higherMicrosoft Windows Media Player 7.0 or higherMicrosoft XML Core Services 3.0 or higherComputer speakers or headphones

Technical Support

Barrow County Schools provides excellent technical support for any hardware /software issues that arise or updates that need to be installed. Microsoft IT Academy offers Tech Support as well though live chat, phone or email. Tech Support Phone 800-508-8454Email - acadsupp@microsoft.com

Microsoft Academy - LimitationsWill only run on Microsoft Windows Machines. Will not run on Operating Systems that are older than Vista. Can be very expensive depending on the size and type of school/ institution.Training shall only be delivered to students who are officially enrolled in Microsoft IT Academy through an institution/or faculty, staff or technical employees of accredited educational institutions in the context of faculty development courses.

Cost For a specific price school districts should contact their local Microsoft office or visit their regional Microsoft licensing site. There are many different variables which determine the price of Microsoft IT Academy. The two main types of licenses are subscription and perpetual.

Subscription Licensing Subscription licensing gives institutions rights to use the products that they licenseplus covered upgrades and downgradesover the license period. Subscription licensing is great for institutions that want:

Access to the latest technology at the lowest upfront costThe convenience of counting people or computers once per yearEasy compliance by knowing all users or computers are licensed for the yearAutomatic Software Assurance coverage

Perpetual Licensing In the perpetual licensing program, institutions purchase the software licenses, so the institution has rights to the software after the licensing term ends. Perpetual licensing is great for institutions that want:

To own their software licensesTransactional-based purchases of licenses in specific quantitiesOptional Software Assurance coverage

Funding Microsoft IT Academy School District Technology FundsTitle 1 FundsCarl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education GrantRace to the Top GrantOther Grants which can be found here

Requirements for participating in the Microsoft IT Academy ProgramProof of academic accreditation by an approved accrediting body or government sponsorship Proof of non-profit status (if applicable to your institution) Tax I.D. NumberCompleted application and acceptance of the IT Academy Program Agreement Remit annual membership fee Institution cannot concurrently be a member in the Microsoft Partner Network Learning Competency program

How to successfully deploy Microsoft IT AcademyWork with your local Microsoft representative to plan a custom deployment program and timeline that meets the schools needs while also providing best practices from the Microsoft Learning perspective.

Provide ample resources for district directors, teachers, and IT staff whichinclude trainings, readiness materials, and support paths to ensure a positive experience. How to successfully deploy Microsoft IT AcademyMonitor and evaluate each phase of the deployment to drive a successful outcome. Train early adopters first, so they can help in training other teachers. Have teachers participate in the Microsoft virtual training sessions. Take advantage of Microsoft help resources that are posted on the website. Research and ResultsThis article states that in Olympia, Washington, one year after the program was launched in public schools, the 10,000th certification exam for the 2012-13 school year was passed more than double the number of a year earlier.

The Georgia Department of Education states that MOS certification has increased every year since it was launched. The 2014 State of Georgia goal was 8000 certifications. The goal was met & exceeded with a total of 8693 certifications issued.

ReflectionBeing a business and computer science teacher I can honestly say that Microsoft IT Academy is what our schools needs to help students acquire cutting-edge, job relevant IT skills. I have worked in other school districts that have implemented the program and have witnessed its results. I would highly recommend that all teachers, especially in the STEM fields, consider implementing IT Academy into their classrooms. It provides rich online learning resources for both students and teachers. IT Academy links academic learning to real-world job skills to help students graduate with the technology skills they need to help them be successful in todays job market. Its a win-win for everyone involved! ReferencesMicrosoft IT Academy in Georgia. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2015. Microsoft IT Academy. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2015. Microsoft IT Academy - Blog - Microsoft IT Academy - Born to Learn. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2015.Microsoft Academy Program - Building the workforce of tomorrow, today. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2015. Richard, K. (2013, April 4). CTE Certification: Is Microsoft IT Academy Enough for Employers? Retrieved July 14, 2015. Press Releases - OSPI. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2015, from http://www.k12.wa.us/Communications/PressReleases2011/IT-Academy.aspx