Microsoft has refreshed its back to school line with new tools for students and teachers.
As our world more heavily relies on technology and digital skills, the classroom has altered to compensate. It has not been a rapid process as school budgets, timetables, teacher training and inclination have all played a part, but slowly, technology including tablets, smart whiteboards and more consistent PC use has spread across Western classrooms.
Launching schemes including offering cheap or free tablets to schools, low-cost apps and coding tools do not just give teachers an additional set of tools in their arsenal, but also familiarize students with particular brands and operating systems -- which may, in turn, entice them to become future customers of technology firms.
Therefore, companies including Microsoft, Apple and Samsung run such projects -- and Microsoft is now offering a refreshed lineup of tools for the new academic year.
On Tuesday, the Redmond giant revealed new and updated software solutions designed to enrich learning. If you have a valid school email address in the United States -- and elsewhere later this week -- you can sign up for a simplified, free plan for schools. In total, eight new resources are now available for both teachers and students:
There are many back to school deals still on offer from well-known technology firms. Apple is offering discount PCs with free Beats headphones, the DellStudent Computing Initiative (SCI) offers students heavily discounted systems and Adobe is once again accepting students who wish to subscribe to Creative Suite software with strong discount incentives.
See also: Back to school 2015: Student tech deals and discounts
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