New Zealand is in the midst of lots of changes. Some of it is politically driven but most of it is driven by a real desire to improve education in the country and really grow how education can make a difference among both students who have had access to technology and the students who have been removed...

I was excited to be able to attend the Microsoft Partners in Learning 2012 U.S. Forum last week in Redmond where 100 educators from 25 states showcased their innovative classroom projects to vie for a spot to compete at the Partners in Learning Global Forum later this year. The event is not just a competition...

I wish I could be in two places at once, but it was physically impossible for me to be in Australia for the Worldwide Imagine Cup finals. More than 350 students from 75 countries met in Sydney last week to present their technology projects that tackle humanitarian issues including health, accessibility...

This week, I’m in Toronto for the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC). As always, it’s amazing to see this broad ecosystem of partners who support our education customers both with implementation with technology innovation, but also with industry expertise and integration. Our education...

Last week, I attended ISTE in San Diego to help celebrate the launch of Office 365 for education . There have been lots of discussions with customers, but many were initiated by school leaders and teachers directly. They are not only incredibly excited about what the product is going to offer schools...

The cloud and online learning are key trends and opportunities to transform education today. And with today’s launch and availability of Office 365 for education , schools now have a holistic collaboration platform that will change the game. As schools face ever-tightening budgets and the pressure...

Early in my career at Microsoft, I was inspired to see how accessible technology empowered and enriched the lives of individuals with disabilities and enabled new opportunities to learn and communicate. These experiences fueled my passion to ensure that all students have the right technology in place...

Sharing my blog post from The Official Microsoft Blog ... Today, the Catholic International Education Office (OIEC) took an exciting step toward delivering a brighter future for Catholic students around the world, demonstrating there is no greater resource to invest in than that of youth. Recognizing...

It’s a fact of life that students increasingly are looking to the Web to consume information about their world, connect with friends, to gather information and research for school work and more. As students' digital appetite continues to grow, parents and schools need to be much more mindful of...

We hear so much about what is wrong with the education in the U.S., but I know this week we can get beyond the debate and the dialogue to focus on celebrating teachers and how we can better support teachers so they can help students be successful. It is after all National Teacher Appreciation Week ....

We are excited about the opportunity digital reading has to provide new avenues for personalized learning to help students and teachers realize their full potential. Today, Microsoft announced a strategic partnership with Barnes & Noble to develop future innovations to accelerate e-reading across...

This week, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) branch of India’s Ministry of Human Resources and Development made a big bet on delivering a brighter future for not only India’s up-and-comers, but for the future of India itself. Recognizing that an educated population is...

Last week, I had the chance to attend the 2nd annual SXSWedu event. It was a great time for networking and learning, and I think they’ve taken the spirit and energy of the main SXSW film and music festival and applied to a more thoughtful and open dialogue for education reform. I had an opportunity...

We believe that everyone should have access to technology. One way Microsoft is helping to transform education for teachers and students with disabilities is through our global partnerships. UNESCO is one of many partners we work with because we share a commitment to digital inclusion in education―inclusive...

At the recent Education World Forum in London, UNESCO’s Director General Irena Bokova created a buzz when she announced a new version of the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers . This framework identifies key competencies that enable teachers to help prepare a 21st century workforce by...

As I travel around the world meeting people that dedicate their life to teaching and bringing 21st skills to lifelong learners...I find it incredibly rewarding when I am in a country where they are preserving their native language with the help of technology. Microsoft is committed to helping people...

Will the year 2012 prove to be a turning point for education? There’s certainly an ever-increasing spotlight on the quality of education and an interest to help improve it from all corners of society. As I travel around the world, I see many technology companies increasing their focus and investment...

I’m back in the office after a quick trip to Las Vegas for CES . I love to walk the show floor each year to see all the new gadgets, not just because it’s fun to tinker with new technology, but because I like to get a first look at the new innovations that could be most useful when applied...

I’m delighted to officially announce the launch of our revamped Partners in Learning Network here at the BETT Show in London. Originally launched in 2009, the new community site is now open to teachers and school leaders in over 115 countries, and has been enhanced with many new features and resources...

(Cross-post from the Microsoft EMEA Press Centre blog.) This week, Microsoft is taking part in the annual Education World Forum in London. For us, it’s a great opportunity to meet with education ministers from around the globe and hear about the different issues facing their countries. It’s...

One of the things I love about the Bing toolbar is the translation service that uses Microsoft Translator technology to provide online automatic translation of text and web pages. In my worldwide role, I am increasingly traveling to countries I’ve never visited before and communicating with folks...

I had the pleasure of attending the Worldwide Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), held in Doha, Qatar recently. This is the third year Microsoft has participated in the summit and it continues to be a very valuable K-20 conversation around the state of education around the world, and the need for...

As I’ve said before, the highlight of my year is attending the Partners in Learning Innovative Educator Forums around the world. This year's worldwide finals event in Washington, D.C. was no exception. It's an amazing opportunity to talk, to witness some amazing heroes from every corner of the...

Back in September, I had the opportunity to attend the annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting (see blog post here ) where Microsoft made a new commitment to help bring digital access to one million low-income families in the United States. I was able to speak with Stan Emert, the president...

(Sharing my blog post today from the Official Microsoft Blog ) Today, I’m pleased to announce that more than 22 million people now use Live@edu, representing a 100 percent year-over-year increase. That’s more than 27,000 new people signing up every day, making Live@edu the most widely...