It is clear that for today’s students, digital skills will be as important for success in life as basic arithmetic operations, knowledge of the rules of Hungarian grammar, or knowledge of the obligatory business which is basic literacy. And for this, a few computer technology or IT lessons per week are not enough, especially since these subjects usually give students different knowledge than they might need in an office or corporate environment.
We spoke with Chapa Nyeri, Vice-Chancellor of Kunszentmárton Elementary School and Art Elementary School, about experiences with Microsoft EDU.
“Participating in the program has provided me with a tool with which I can more easily realize my visions and innovative ideas, and I think the biggest advantage is that it has created a change in the behavior of colleagues working in the school,” Chapa said. Neri. “During the program, other participating schools also had the opportunity to get to know other schools, which also had a long-term benefit, since over the years we got to know a lot of good practices and methods. This was also very useful for me personally, because this knowledge contributed to the development of my practice administrative and broaden my methodology.”
Kunszentmárton Elementary School and Art Elementary School – or “Kunszentsuli” – joined Microsoft EDU in 2018, and three years later they were awarded the title of Microsoft Incubator, which was followed by Showcase School Certification last year. Csaba Nyíri has also participated in Microsoft Expert trainings since inception, and has received the title of Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE) every year since. During this time, the specialist has completed more than 150 training modules.
“The Office 365 software package contains useful solutions for our school, which we use in teaching and in our daily work,” Chapa Nyeri explained in detail the digital professional work that takes place in the school. “The main interface we are working on is Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Teams. By decision of the faculty, we decided to deal with official communication with teachers, parents and students through the Teams interface, bypassing the more open social media. For official correspondence, we use Microsoft Outlook, where communication takes place With the school district and other schools. In addition, at the initiative of our school and with the support of the Szolnok school district, we have already laid the foundations for Teams communication at the school district level. Various work groups can work together on this interface, and administrative work is also carried out here, not only at the level school, but also at the school district level. The Office apps for Office 365 provide assistance for school tasks.”
The latest software package implementations expand the methodological tools for educators in several areas. With the help of PowerPoint, presentations for teachers and lectures for students are prepared, and Word and Excel programs make management easier. Sample forms and quizzes can be very well used for assessment, as teachers can see the answers and scores given by the students in real time. In addition, as the interface of the classroom, Teams is a multifaceted and versatile tool to support teacher work. Handing over course materials, issuing and tracking assignments, organizing individual learning paths, and sharing media in different formats is made much easier thanks to its use.
“With the development of technology, more and more things are being digitized and transferred to electronic interfaces, so development and innovation in the field of education cannot be avoided either,” Chapa-Nery added. “For today’s youth, it is necessary to develop digital literacy and to develop a critical mindset, in order to facilitate their daily lives as adults. It is now correct to say that we do not know what professions will be available to them, as development is too fast to be predictable. Therefore, in our school “We’re trying to show them a path that allows them to continue in several directions, because they have the right foundations. I think the old mantra that knowledge is power is being revalued today, as information and knowledge of the ways in which different data can be accessed is increasingly valuable. That’s why Our students also have access to Microsoft 365 interfaces and can work in them from anywhere. They can even use their own devices during lessons. Through this, they can solve quizzes, practice tasks and check their knowledge. In short, it can be said that digital tools can be used to develop the necessary competencies For success in today’s world: such as communication, teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking. With Microsoft tools, it is possible to elevate them in the digital world as well.”
The specialist finds that the majority of students are happy with the use of digital interfaces, and fellow teachers use gamification tools in order to maintain students’ attention. With digital interfaces, it is possible to use multiple media, so that everyone can choose the best learning strategy and tool for them. And the Teams interface gives students the opportunity to ask their questions to their teachers or communities at any time. And for children with special educational needs, the Modern Reader is a huge step forward, with the help of which even those with reading difficulties become able to complete and interpret tasks.
“Knowledge of digital tools is essential in the world of work, which is why we teach our students how to use them,” Csaba Nyíri introduced to Professional Work. “From 2022, national measurements will also be available online, so preparation for them is also included in the classroom. We place special emphasis on recognizing task types, reading and interpreting digital materials, and Microsoft 365 provides the appropriate tools for them. This allows us to improve Digital literacy, which makes it easier for them to get further studies and work.
The teacher described that it is very beneficial that constant improvements and updates work perfectly for Microsoft products, thanks to which they always have access to the most modern interface in the school. In this way, not only the students’ knowledge expands, but also the teachers’ knowledge expands, and their methods improve. Knowledge sharing works very well within the school’s faculty, so many hidden solutions have been discovered over the years.
“OneNote, Forms, and PowerPoint are very versatile and can be used well for games,” noted the specialist. OneNote can be used, for example, to create escape rooms or to create different board game-like assignments as group work. The Whiteboard app can be used well for brainstorming, but also to tackle one topic at a time in teacher classes, or even to get to know each other And team building. There are events that we also want to use to solve quizzes and assignments between classes, so extracurricular activities can be made more lively with digital tools and interfaces.”
