Teachers and Schools Celebrate Success at 2009 Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Education Forum

Teachers and Schools Celebrate Success at 2009 Microsoft Worldwide Innovative
Education Forum
Microsoft Partners in Learning expands global network for educators.

SALVADOR, Brazil, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, at its fifth annual
Worldwide Innovative Education Forum (IEF), Microsoft Corp. is celebrating the
impressive work that teachers and school leaders from around the world are
doing to help every student realize his or her full potential. In addition,
Microsoft is announcing the launch one of the world's largest networks for
educators at http://www.partnersinlearningnetwork.com.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

The network underscores Microsoft's commitment to expand the power of
education for all through personalized learning by connecting millions of
teachers and school leaders around the world in a community of professional
development.

Partners in Learning Network
Today's launch of the Partners in Learning Network is the next generation of
the Innovative Teachers Network (ITN), a global network expected to serve more
than 2 million teachers and school leaders by next year. The network has
evolved to include advances in social networking technology that will help
teachers and school leaders do their jobs better by connecting them with one
another in professional development communities. The site is available today
in English and Ukrainian, with more in the coming months. As new languages
become available for the Partners in Learning Network, existing ITN users will
automatically have access to the new, more powerful features that this version
of the network provides.

Members of the Partners in Learning Network will be able to take advantage of
new capabilities such as the following:
-- Connecting with peers around the world based on professional
interests,
teaching subjects or location
-- Creating communities dedicated to innovative teaching and learning,
and
professional development
-- Finding new content and curricula such as peer coaching and the
Innovative Schools Toolkit

-- Becoming content creators by sharing the latest thinking, tips and
tricks, lesson plans, recommended links, and more

At its core, the Partners in Learning Network helps promote practices that
school leaders and teachers can use to improve students' 21st-century skills
such as critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, communication,
contextual learning, creativity, and information and media literacy.

"The Partners in Learning Network provides a unique and powerful way to
connect with educators around the world and offers them an accessible forum
dedicated to the exchange of ideas, educational tools and collaboration," said
Michael Golden, corporate vice president of the Education Products Group at
Microsoft. "The network demonstrates our continued focus on empowering
educators to engage their students more deeply."

Worldwide Innovative Teacher Awards
Each year, Microsoft Partners in Learning searches the world for teachers who
have demonstrated an exemplary use of technology in the classroom. Thousands
of teachers participate from around the world in country-level and regional
competitions. After each competition, winners move to the next level,
culminating each year at the Worldwide Innovative Education Forum, taking
place this week in Salvador, Brazil. More than 250 regional winners from more
than 60 countries are vying for 12 Worldwide Innovative Teacher Awards, to be
announced at the end of the week.

"For me the Microsoft Innovative Teachers Forum is about recognizing an
individual teacher's practice that has had a real impact in the classroom. I
believe that computer games have a huge amount of potential in the classroom
so, for my project, I used an Xbox game as a contextual hub for learning and
as a way to encourage the social interaction of children as they moved between
primary and secondary school," said Ollie Bray, deputy head teacher,
Musselburgh Grammar School, Scotland. "My project was so well received that it
was adopted and rolled out across all 47 schools in East Lothian, Scotland. I
am pleased that Microsoft is recognizing this as an investment in learning and
children as well as an innovative use of technology."

Innovative Schools Program
Microsoft is expanding its Partners in Learning Innovative Schools program
from a pilot program to a full-scale global program, with the addition of 30
new Pathfinder Schools and 12 Mentor Schools, representing 35 countries.
Leaders from all 42 schools are gathering in Salvador for a four-day workshop
to begin a journey of transformation in their school communities. Over the
next 12 months, these school leaders will go back to their home communities
with a mission to transform the way their schools operate. They will be
encouraged to rethink all aspects of school life, from the structure of the
day and the use of technology in the curriculum to ensuring that teachers have
the space and time to bring innovative practices to the classroom. Microsoft
is working in close partnership with local ministries of education to
implement this program and ensure its success.

The schools chosen to participate in the Pathfinder Program were selected from
more than 110 applicants from around the world. Each school in the program has
demonstrated strong school leadership with a proven record of innovation and
successful change implementation. The Pathfinder Schools have been chosen
because of their vision for learning and have already started on the road to
reform and improvement.

"By working hand in hand with Microsoft Innovative Schools program, the
education community can gain an improved understanding of what students need
to advance in a global economy," said Bo Kristoffersson, principal of Viktor
Rydberg Gymnasium in Sweden, a 2009 Innovative Schools Pathfinder school. "The
Innovative Schools Program gives us the resources we need to provide the best
education available, and we look forward to working with Microsoft and other
schools in the program to identify the ways in which we can equip our students
with knowledge, a drive for innovation, and a passion for technological
discovery."

The Pathfinder Schools will work with 12 regional Mentor Schools, chosen
primarily among participants in the Innovative Schools Pilot Program, which
ran over the last two years. The Mentor Schools will be honored at the event
because they have achieved a level of change within their education systems
and are viewed as leaders in their countries and regions. Their innovations
have a global interest and are replicable models that other schools can
follow. Some Pathfinder Schools will have the opportunity to share the
knowledge they gain as Mentor Schools in the future.

Partners in Learning
The Worldwide Innovative Education Forum is hosted by Microsoft Partners in
Learning, a 10-year, nearly $500 million commitment by Microsoft to transform
education systems around the world. Announced in 2003, Partners in Learning
helps schools and teachers more effectively use technology to advance teaching
and learning, provides leadership and change management information to school
leaders, works to strengthen teachers' capacity to use technology effectively
in the classroom, and provides greater access to technology for teachers and
students.

About Microsoft Education
We believe that technology can expand the power of education and unlock the
potential of students, educators and schools. Microsoft partners with
education communities around the world to deliver relevant solutions, services
and programs that focus on improved personalized learning outcomes.

About Unlimited Potential
Microsoft, through its Unlimited Potential vision, is committed to making
technology more affordable, relevant and accessible for the 5 billion people
around the world who do not yet enjoy its benefits. The company aims to do so
by helping to transform education and foster a culture of innovation, and
through these means enable better jobs and opportunities. By working with
governments, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations
and industry partners, Microsoft hopes to reach its first major milestone --
to reach the next 1 billion people who are not yet realizing the benefits of
technology -- by 2015.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software,
services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full
potential.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.

Rapid Response Team, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, +1-503-443-7070,
rrt@waggeneredstrom.com, for Microsoft