Microsoft IT Academy Student Pass

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Microsoft DreamSpark

The Microsoft IT Academy Student Pass is a special no-cost online learning opportunity for students. IT Academy Student Pass provides free e-learning courses to verified students who are interested in extending their technical skills with Microsoft technologies.

The IT Academy Student Pass offers 12 to 22 hours of FREE e-learning courses, aligned to the first set of topics you need to master for the first Microsoft certification exam within the track. Each track is unique, and most will require you to take additional e-learning courses to complete all of the topics you need to succeed on the certification exam.

The goal of the IT Academy Student Pass is to give you a head start by providing hours and hours of rich, award-winning e-learning content that sets the stage for the learning to come.

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Education Games with Microsoft Office

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From the site:

I have tried to create templates for games, using Microsoft Office, that teachers can download and quickly modify to match any curriculum.

Try it:

Jeff Ertzberger Microsoft Office Games PowerPoint Games

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TextFlow

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Following yesterday's post on collaborative document sharing I've been told about TextFlow. Haven't had the chance to try it yet but if anyone does please let me know in the comments.

TextFlow

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Are You Certifiable

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OK Let's get the sniggers out of the way first. Yes, I know that Microsoft setting up a site asking are you certifiable will be the start of many jokes but it's actually a useful site.

Designed to help consider whether Microsoft certification is the right way to go it takes the form of a trivia game with technical (and some not so technical questions). Top spots get onto the leaderboard and, far more importantly, bragging rights.

Learn more at the Microsoft Education blog:

The UK Further Education Blog : Do you know your GPO from your AD?

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Microsoft DreamSpark

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Quick reminder for those that haven't come across it before that Microsoft have made available a pile of tools free for students. They include

• Visual Studio
• Expression Studio
• SQL Server Developer
• Windows Server
• Visual Languages (C Sharp, C++, Basic)
• Virtual PC

and more including a pass for the IT Academy.

Check it out here:

Microsoft DreamSpark

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Microsoft SmallBasic

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Microsoft have released a new version of basic designed for children and novices called SmallBasic. It has only fifteen keywords to learn to allow newbies to get up and running quickly. The web site says that

Small Basic is a simple and easy programming language with a friendly environment that provides a cool and fun way of learning programming. From making turtles animations to running a slide show on the desktop, Small Basic makes programming natural and effortless.

Might be a good way of introducing programming to your classes.

Featured Windows Download: Small Basic Teaches Programming Fundamentals

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Didn't This Used to be Investigated by the Justice Department?

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OK Here's the scam.

1. Invent an operating system that's full of vulnerabilities
2. Create some software that plugs the holes (let's call it OneCare, for example)
3. Sell it
4. Find that no-one buys it because others sell similar software except cheaper and better
5. Make your software free
6. Drive all the other manufacturers out of the game
7. Sell your software at a new, higher, price

Microsoft are at point five on the list. Six and seven are sure to follow soon.

In the meantime take advantage of their "generosity" to make your Windows machine safe to use.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Microsoft to offer free security

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Microsoft Moves into the Cloud

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It says a lot for the continuing battering ram that is Google that Microsoft, who based their fortune and world domination on operating systems and applications for the desktop, have announced their move into the cloud with Microsoft Azure.

With the promise of being able to write and host applications on Microsoft's servers rather than their own, Microsoft hope to take a slice of the emerging market for web based applications that include the basic Google Docs as well as more ambitious CRM and invoicing applications.

The only question is: is Microsoft too late?

This is worth keeping an eye on. With the right sort of lobbying Microsoft may be persuaded to include a set of educational tools and hosting for educators along with the promised web versions of its Office products. Here's hoping...

Computer Buyer - Advice you can Trust

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OneNote for Education

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Microsoft Education Product Center: Microsoft Office OneNote 2007

I've never really got in to OneNote, Microsoft's free format note taking software. It looks fun but I've just not had time to really put it through its paces.

The new site from Microsoft might change that with its Teacher Toolkit containing templates and articles.

Try it and let me know how it goes in the comments. You might even convert me.

Computing and Information Technology Conference

Image via WikipediaNow, I know that there's no need for any more sweeteners to tempt you to the conference on Thursday the 25th of June at Central College in Glasgow but...

A little bird has told me that Microsoft might just be offering a nice XBox 360 as a prize. So, don't sign up. I want to win it...