Faculty Connection is an online set of real-world resources and shared peer knowledge, the goal of the Faculty Connection site is to put relevant and applicable tools and information at the fingertips of technology educators.
The UK Academic Team is responsible for offering IT students and faculty members free access to software, for enhancing knowledge and skills by providing curriculum materials and other learning opportunities, for helping students achieve their dreams by organizing an international competition, and finally for assisting last year students through career resources and job opportunities at our customers and partners.
With this blog we want to inform you on our latest initiatives.
Enjoy reading and stay tuned!
Learn more about Windows Azure and Windows Azure Interoperability with PHP with these great new and updated tutorials below.
Updated Windows Azure Tools for PHP (Compatible with the Windows Azure 1.3 SDK):
Windows Azure with Drupal 7
Four new generic modules developed by Schakra and MindTree that allow Drupal administrators/developers to provide users with new features:
Over the past few days I have had a number of questions, regarding the oppurtuity of institutions providing IT equipement as part of the overall student experience.
In particular I have had lots of questions regarding Windows Tablets or the new Slate form factor. I personnal use a Windows 7 ThinkPad x201 with a multitouch enabled screen which I simply take everywhere as its my office, phone and connection back to the corporate network, however what is really neat is that this is now also my note pad and my whiteboard during these meeting. This piece of kit has raised a number questions over the past few weeks from ITPro's, Academic and students during my institution vists.
So what are the questions. The number one statement is woo! thanks cool! the number one question is simply who can the new range of Windows Tablets and Slate devices support students learning as there lots of debate at present in the slate market simply because the price of device is becoming more attractive. The key question in my response to this is simply what is your software portfolio and how do you manage this? The Windows 7 Slate has a major advantage for most Institutions as it natively fully supports Windows applications such as Office.
To help answer the simple question or what are like to use? What can you do with these in regards to software applications? and how easy are they to use?
I suggest you watch the following video, the video gives you a quick overview of the power of Windows 7 and Office 2010 when used on the slate device form factor.
From my perspective the Window 7 slate device is a very attractive proposition for both students and institutions wanting to deliever and support software and hardware.
So UK Student's and Academic's are you doing anything as cool or interesting as this?
We would really love to hear about how your using Microsoft Technology and software in your curricula or research.
Tell us and and share your outcomes and experiences at the Faculty Connection UK Linkedin Group
We ensure that primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and HE in the UK have access to high-quality STEM curriculum enhancement and software tools.
These activities produce successful STEM learners by offering engaging and achievable challenges, whilst building student confidence. They support students' development into responsible citizens through placing the STEM learning in relevant life contexts.
For more information on STEM visit STEMNET
Learn new ways to easily create, express and share your ideas.
Now faculty and students can view, edit, and share Microsoft Office documents from virtually anywhere with an Internet connection.
Microsoft Office can help you handle the writing, presenting, organizing and communicating it takes to keep moving at the speed of the academic calendar.
OneNote 2010 Getting Started guide click here
OneNote 2010 Step-by-step guide click here
Office 2007 & 2010 Step-by-step guide click here
Office 2007 & 2010 Getting Started guide click here
Bring subjects to life. Windows Live™ Movie Maker is the fast, easy way to turn photos and video clips into great-looking movies and slide shows you can share with students, other faculty, or on the Web. And it’s free.
Learn more about the power of Movie Maker click here
Quick Step by Step guide to using Movie Maker click here
Microsoft Bing is more than an internet search engine
As a academic your day is filled with non-stop time commitments, class preparation and on-going research. Microsoft Office can help you handle the writing, presenting, organizing and communicating it takes to keep moving at the speed of the academic calendar.
For more info on how Bing can help click here
UK Students Get a FREE Microsoft Certification Exam from DreamSpark
The job market can be a tough ride, but it doesn’t have to be. Boost your CV and your job prospects by getting Microsoft Certified.
Right now, you can get a FREE Microsoft Certification Exam Voucher to help you get started. Recuritment managers look for Microsoft Certification on CVs and 75% of them believe that certification is important to overall team performance.
This offer is for select Microsoft Certification exams (with 072 prefix). Offer will expire when supply is depleted. Students must take exams by June 30,2011.
For more information on why to become certified
Like new jobs, these are in limited supply so don’t wait! Visit www.dreamspark.com
University offers students a lifelong web-based resource called iPortfolio The iPortfolio service supports reflective learning for students of the institution and provides a useful job-hunting tool after they graduate.
To permanently host the ever-growing amount of iPortfolio data was a daunting storage challenge for Institutions IT staff, and their original solution was expensive and difficult to scale. With the help of Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Intergen, the university has moved iPortfolio data and computing resources to the Windows Azure platform. By moving to a cloud-based platform, the Institution has reduced data storage costs, simplified IT resource planning, streamlined development, and enabled exciting enhancements to the iPortfolio application.
Want to know more about Windows Azure Cloud Services watch this short video
Case Study - Download
Business Situation
To better support student learning and simplify IT budget planning, Curtin University needed to replace its storage area network–based iPortfolio data repository with a less-expensive system that is easier to scale and manage.
Solution
The university has moved its locally hosted iPortfolio storage and computing resources to the cloud-based Windows Azure platform.
Benefits
Reduced data storage costs and simplified IT planningEnhanced learning resourcesMore agile development
Software and Services
Windows AzureMicrosoft Live@eduMicrosoft Visual StudioMicrosoft SilverlightMicrosoft SQL AzureMicrosoft ASP.NET
Business Need
Cost Containment
Microsoft Faculty Connection is constantly updating and improving the curricula and training materials available to higher education.
Windows Operating System Internals Curriculum Resource Kit (CRK) (Faculty Resource Center) The Windows Operating Systems Internals Curriculum Resource Kit (CRK) explains operating systems (OS) concepts based on the Microsoft WindowsP and Windows Server 2003 operating system family, structured following the ACM/IEEE Operating System Body of Knowledge (BOK) as defined in the Computing Curriculum 2001 project by the Joint IEEE and ACM Task Force (CC2001).
Programming Language Fundamentals – From Java to C# Interested in learning C#? These curriculum materials, build on your expertise in Java to introduce C#, .NET and Visual Studio. The curriculum consists of 12 modules covering approximately 15 hours of core ACM requirements. The modular curriculum facilitates as much or as little of the content to be used.
Introduction to Programming through Game Development Using Microsoft XNA Game StudioLearn the underlying skills and principles of software development as you design and build your first games for Xbox 360, Windows, and Zune.Designed specifically for students with no computer science background, this curriculum teaches the fundamentals of C# programming and the XNA Game Studio framework for skills you can apply to game programming and beyond.
Cloud Computing - Software Engineering FundamentalsThis set of materials on cloud computing is from Professors Johann Heinzelreiter and Werner Kurschl from the Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences. The materials propose a possible cloud computing curriculum. This curriculum discusses key software technologies and cloud software architecture issues, and also defines key terms. It also shows implementations of comparable sample applications based on Microsoft Windows Azure and Google App Engine as well as architecturaldesign issues for large and complex cloud applications. Design guidelines as well as open issues conclude the curriculum. The following material is covered in this set of resources: