Microsoft Learn is an excellent platform for both educators and learners. It can be a challenge to keep up with the latest teaching methodologies and technologies, but Microsoft Learn allows educators to stay up-to-date and enhance their teaching skills. The best part is that Microsoft Learn is completely free, offering a vast array of educational resources and training courses. In addition, achievement badges are available for educators who complete courses and earn new skills, serving as motivation and a way to demonstrate their expertise.

One of the most valuable courses on Microsoft Learn is the 21CLD (21st Century Learning and Design) course, which focuses on integrating technology and modern teaching methods into classrooms. This course helps educators transform their classrooms into modern learning environments that encourage collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. It is an excellent starting point for educators looking to incorporate new teaching methodologies and technology into their classrooms. With Microsoft Learn, educators can take this course and many others for free while earning achievement badges.
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Whether you're an experienced educator or just starting out, Microsoft Learn is an exceptional resource for learning about new teaching methodologies and technology. The platform's user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate and explore the various courses available. Why not give it a try today and see how it can help you become a better educator? see how below ... 

Go to the Microsoft Learn website  learn.microsoft.com

1. Create an account by clicking on the "Sign In" button in the top right corner and following the prompts to sign up.
2. Once you're signed in, you can start exploring the different courses and learning paths.
3. To find a specific course, use the search bar at the top of the page or browse through the categories listed on the homepage.
4. Click on a course to read the course description and see the different modules and lessons included.
5. To start a course, click on the "Start Learning" button.
6. Work your way through the different modules and lessons, completing quizzes and exercises as you go.
7. Once you've completed a course, you can earn an achievement badge to showcase your new skills.
8. Keep track of your progress and achievements in your dashboard.

That's it! Microsoft Learn is a user-friendly platform designed to help educators and learners easily access educational resources and training courses.

In the modern age, many digital tools are available to make the classroom experience more interactive and engaging for students. One such tool that stands out is AHASlides, a presentation platform that allows educators to create engaging presentations and incorporate interactive quizzes to keep students engaged.
 
With the use of AHASlides, teachers can now take their classroom presentations to the next level. Quiz features, such as match, correct order, and pick answer or image can be used to check vocabulary, understanding of grammar, and comprehension of a passage respectively. Here's my workflow on how to use AHASlides to make your presentations betters in the classroom.
 
Step 1: Sign up for an AHASlides account
The first step is to sign up for an account on AHASlides. You can do this by going to the website and creating an account. It's free and easy to set up.
 
Step 2: Create a new presentation
Once you're logged in, you can start creating your new presentation. AHASlides has a variety of customizable templates to choose from, so you can pick one that suits your needs. You can also import your PowerPoint slides.
 
Step 3: Add interactive quizzes
AHASlides has many types of interactive quizzes but match, correct order, and select answer/picture are the ones I religiously use. You can choose the quiz type that's appropriate for the content you want to cover. For example, I use match quiz to check my students' understanding of vocabulary by having them match the definition. I use correct order whenever I teach new grammar or when I simply want to review some. You can also use correct order to teach students how to write compositions in English.  Finally I use the select answer/picture quiz to check their comprehension of long passages.
 
Step 4: Add a discussion element into your presentation
AHASlides also allows you to customize your quizzes to make them more engaging. I use brainstorm, word clouds and open ended questions a lot in my classes after I have students talk with another.
 
Step 5: Present your slides and quizzes
Once your presentation is ready, you can present it to your students. AHASlides allows you to present your slides and quizzes in real-time, make sure you turn off the feedback button before you do though, as they are quite distracting for students.
 
AHASlides is an excellent tool that can be used in the classroom to create engaging presentations and interactive quizzes. I hope by reading this, you are able to take your classroom presentations to the next level.

As teachers, we are constantly searching for ways to help our students learn and succeed. With the rise of digital learning tools, we now have more options than ever before. One tool that has gained popularity in recent years is Microsoft's Immersive Reader, and for good reason.
 
Immersive Reader is a powerful tool that can benefit all students, regardless of their learning abilities. It allows students to customize the reading experience to their needs, including changing font size and color, line spacing, and more. This helps to reduce visual distractions and makes reading more accessible to all.
 
But that's not all. Immersive Reader also includes text-to-speech capabilities, which can help students who struggle with reading or have a visual impairment. It can also help to improve fluency and comprehension skills by highlighting the text as it is read aloud.
 
Additionally, Immersive Reader has translation capabilities, which can benefit students who are learning English as a second language. It supports a wide range of languages, making it a valuable tool for diverse classrooms.
 
Teachers who have used Immersive Reader in their classrooms have reported positive results. Students are more engaged in their learning, and their comprehension and reading skills have improved. The customizable features have also allowed teachers to better cater to the unique needs of each student.
 
Microsoft's Immersive Reader is a fantastic tool for teachers to use in their classrooms. It is versatile, accessible, and can benefit students of all learning abilities. By incorporating this tool into our teaching, we can create a more inclusive learning environment and help our students succeed.
 
 
here's a brief step-by-step guide on how to use Microsoft's Immersive Reader:

1. Open the document you want to read with Immersive Reader.
2. Highlight the text you want to be read aloud, and then right-click on the selected text.
3. Click on "Immersive Reader" from the menu that appears.
4. Immersive Reader will open in a new tab, with the selected text displayed in a clean, distraction-free interface.
5. Use the toolbar to adjust the text size, font, and color scheme.
6. To have the text read aloud, click on the "Play" / "read aloud" button on the toolbar.
7. Use the "Grammar Options" button to turn on features like syllables, parts of speech, and highlighting nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
8. Use the "Translate" button to translate the text to another language.
9. Use the "Picture Dictionary" button to see images that correspond to certain words in the text.
10. To exit Immersive Reader, simply close the tab.

 
 
That's it! Immersive Reader is a powerful tool that can help readers of all ages and abilities to better engage with and comprehend text.

Incorporating EdTech into your English language lessons can be a great way to engage students and enhance their learning. EdTech tools can provide students with interactive and creative learning experiences that can help them better understand and master the language. In this blog, we’ll discuss how to incorporate EdTech into your English language lessons.
 
Tip 1: Utilize Online Learning Platforms
Online learning platforms such as language-learning websites and apps can be extremely helpful for students. These platforms provide students with interactive activities and resources that can help them learn the language in a fun and engaging way.
 
Tip 2: Incorporate Language Apps
Language Apps are a great way to help students practice and improve their language skills. Apps such as Duolingo and Lingvist allow students to practice their language skills in an interactive and entertaining way.
 
Tip 3: Utilize Games
Games can be a great way to engage students and help them learn the language. Incorporate normal educational games such as Hangman, Pictionary, Scrabble, Battleships, Guess Who or use specialised apps such as blooket, gimkits, knowt, ahaslides  into your lesson plans to keep students interested and motivated to learn.
 
Tip 4: Incorporate Videos
Using videos in your English language lessons can be a great way to engage students and keep them motivated. Videos can be used to introduce new topics, explain difficult concepts, or even to provide students with entertaining language-learning content. The BBC channel has a mountain of educational videos for all subjects
 
Tip 5: Utilize Technology Outside of the Classroom
Encourage students to use technology outside of the classroom to further their English language learning. Apps, websites, and online resources are all great ways to help students practice and improve their language skills. 

​By incorporating EdTech into your English language lessons, you can ensure that your students stay engaged and motivated to learn. With the help of technology, English language learning can become an enjoyable and rewarding experience for both teachers and students.

One of the biggest advantages of using rubrics to grade student work is that they help to ensure consistency and fairness in the grading process. By having a set of established criteria and standards, teachers can ensure that all students are being graded on the same scale and that their work is being evaluated in a consistent manner. This helps to eliminate subjectivity and bias in the grading process.

Another advantage of using rubrics is that they help to provide students with specific and actionable feedback on their work. Rubrics typically include a range of levels of achievement, such as "excellent," "good," "fair," and "needs improvement," which allows teachers to give students a clear understanding of where they stand in terms of the assignment's requirements and their level of understanding. Additionally, rubrics can include specific feedback on what the student did well and what they need to improve on, allowing students to see where they need to focus their efforts to improve.

Rubrics also help to save time for the teacher, since they can be created in advance and used for multiple assignments, and also be shared with students, which allows them to self-evaluate and monitor their own progress. This can also help to empower students to take ownership of their learning and become more self-directed learners.
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In conclusion, rubrics are a valuable tool for teachers when it comes to grading student work. They help to ensure consistency and fairness in the grading process, provide students with specific and actionable feedback, and save time for the teacher. By using rubrics, teachers can create a more efficient and effective learning environment, and help students to achieve their full potential.

21st Century Learning and Development (21CLD) is a revolutionary approach to education that focuses on preparing students for the modern world. The 21CLD model emphasizes the development of critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration skills, as well as the integration of technology and digital literacy.

One of the key benefits of 21CLD is that it equips students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st century. The emphasis on critical thinking and creativity, for example, helps students to become independent thinkers and problem-solvers, while the focus on communication and collaboration helps them to work effectively with others.
In addition, 21CLD promotes the use of technology and digital literacy, which is essential for success in today's digital world. This includes not only the ability to use technology, but also the ability to think critically and ethically about technology, and to use it to create, communicate and collaborate in new ways.

Another benefit of 21CLD is that it is flexible and adaptable, allowing for a wide range of learning activities, such as project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and problem-based learning. This flexibility allows educators to tailor their instruction to the specific needs of their students, resulting in more effective and engaging learning experiences.
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Overall, 21CLD is a powerful tool that can help educators prepare students for the future by equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they need to succeed in the 21st century. This can lead to a more productive, innovative and prosperous society for all.

Learn more about 21CLD here