Microsoft presents "Microsoft Education Focus" at the 2018 NEOTD Tech Symposium

Presented by: Bruce Sadler, Education Platform Solutions Specialist, Microsoft
Bruce covered Microsoft's new education solution end-to-end.  He also covered how Microsoft is looking to improve the classroom and how they are making it easier to utilize new Windows devices and deployment methods.

Microsoft's Session at NEOTD 2018

Microsoft's Presentation at NEOTD 2018

Microsoft Q&A

Due to time, not all of the questions presented to Bruce at his presentation were able to be answered live.  However, Bruce took time after the event to answer the questions our audience had for him.  You can read them below:

Q: How do you plan to combat that tablets are becoming obsolete?
Bruce: True the tablet market is declining.  You can see that devices that have a tablet focus are not being utilized a lot, not only by consumers, but also not by educational institutions.  I would guess that our way to combat the decline in tablets, is to make sure that our products, solutions, and ecosystems, work on a variety of devices.  For example, you can use OneNote, which is one of our top educational tools, on ANY device (tablet, PC, Mac, Phone, etc.).  Not only that, but we are differentiating our hardware strategy, both internally and with partners (OEM partners), to come out with devices that are not tablets, but full PCs, with tablet features (like mobility and small footprints).

Q: All of this technology is great, but how do you retain the 40 somethings and 50 somethings on this technology?  Is there something in place?
Bruce: Making our software & hardware accessible and inclusive, is a huge driver for Microsoft.  We don’t want someone to have a negative experience, nor do we want to leave a group, community or population out or behind.  To help people of any age integrate with the new advancement we are making, we actually have a wide array of training and assistance we can provide.  My personal best practice, would be to go to your local Microsoft Store.  In that store we offer free and paid training.  And not just when you purchase a PC or Software, you can attend the training for free anytime they are offered, and you can schedule free shorter training session when you choose.

Secondly we have training available online, in the form of walk-throughs on our technology.  We have a number of YouTube videos, professional videos, and tutorials available for those who want to learn more about how to work with our new solutions.

Lastly, we have incorporated into most of technology, walk-throughs and tutorials.  For example, when you start up a Windows PC with Windows 10, there is a Get Started button that will walk you through the features of Windows 10.  You can also see new features and tips for all of your Office applications, when you start them, so you will be up-to-date on the newest features.