Future of School (FoS) today announced that Microsoft has joined as a partner in the Resilient Schools Project (RSP) to provide access to valuable training sessions from Microsoft Store aimed to support educators with remote and hybrid learning. The RSP, a partnership between FoS and the Digital Learning Collaborative (DLC), is an initiative designed to help schools and districts respond to instruction disruptions during the 2020-21 school year and beyond.
“Addressing immediate school district challenges is only the beginning of the Resilient Schools Project,” said Amy Valentine, CEO and Education Evangelist of Future of School. “Now is the time to think big and pursue ambitious goals related to flexibility, accessibility, equity and achievement. It’s clear that Microsoft’s commitment to the transformative potential of technology, and to giving educators and students tools that empower them, makes it an ideal partner to work with us in pursuit of the RSP’s objective.”
Through the partnership, Microsoft Store provides free virtual trainings for students and educators from participating schools, helping them upgrade their digital learning experience and leverage products that support remote and hybrid learning.
Microsoft is aligned with the RSP in the pursuit of empowering every student to achieve more and that starts in the classroom. A recent paper published by Microsoft Education highlighted many of the needs the RSP is working to address. Research demonstrated that 98 percent of students want personalization over automation, a shift that can be supported through the use of purposeful technology alongside other changes meant to promote flexible learning options for all students. In support of this shift, technology companies, nonprofit organizations, school districts and many more stakeholders work together to identify, understand and fill existing gaps within the education infrastructure. The paper also states the potential of hybrid learning to simultaneously connect students while accelerating learning with each of these focal areas consistent with the RSP’s long-term goals:
● Paving the path toward a future of education where flexibility is the norm, and access
and equity are ensured.
● Demonstrating the critical importance and infinite potential of building resiliency into
districts while navigating difficult times and circumstances.
● Highlighting the power of collaboration and connectivity in redesigning school models
from a one-size-fits-all approach to creative, student-centric learning environments.
● Maintaining a focus on meeting the needs of those who matter the most in schools—students.
“Education support is a priority for Microsoft, which aligns well with the RSP’s ongoing efforts,” said Microsoft Store Education Specialist, Amanda DeHarak. “This partnership ensures that educators have access not only to technology, but also the much-needed training to support effective, efficient and accurate utilization of these teaching tools to create engaging experiences for students.”
The RSP currently has 10 member districts who are engaging in a facilitated professional collaborative network. Throughout the year, the Project will work with these districts to find, share, and/or create guidance on key issues and best practices. To learn more about the Resilient Schools Project and future participation opportunities, please e-mail Amy Valentine at avalentine@futureof.school. To track the RSP’s progress throughout the year, visit http://futureof.school/rsp.
About Future of School
Future of School (FoS) mobilizes change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place. By amplifying technology's impact on students and educators, FoS informs, inspires and spearheads much needed transformation. Learn more at www.futureof.school
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
