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Teachers Get Trained in Cutting Edge Technology

Hillsborough County School

Hillsborough County Schools

Hundreds of Hillsborough County Public School teachers are expected to participate Saturday in the state's first-ever back to school technology training event with Microsoft, where they will be trained in cutting-edge technology so they can start the school year ready to boost their students' technology skills.

The event will feature hundreds of teachers participating in dozens of hands-on training sessions. With the start of the school just 10 days away, the teachers are interested in increasing their own technology skills so they can prepare their students for 21st Century careers.

Here are two examples from the sessions:

  • At 8:25 a.m. and again at 12:45 p.m., teachers can participate in a session devoted to educational uses of Xbox Kinect, the motion sensing device. This year a dozen classrooms in Hillsborough County schools will be using Xbox Kinect for "interactive, gesture-based learning.
  • At 10:15 a.m. and again at 12:45 p.m., teachers can learn about how Microsoft's Kodu programming/game-development technology will be incorporated into the district's curriculum, helping students to develop IT skills by creating games on the PC and Xbox using the simple, visual programming language designed for use by children.

The Microsoft technology training will take place on Saturday, August 11, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sam Horton Instructional Services Center at 2920 N 40th Street, Tampa.

The event is part of a new partnership and digital education alliance between the school district, Microsoft, the City of Tampa, the Florida Department of Education, and the Center for Technology and Education. This year, the school district will introduce the Microsoft IT Academy program in each of the 27 high schools as well as 18 middle schools as a STEM-focused (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) elective for students. The IT Academy is a college- and career-ready education program designed to provide students with technology skills necessary to gain industry-recognized certifications to be competitive in today's rapidly evolving workplace.

"The Microsoft IT Academy fits perfectly with our goal of preparing our students for careers in the 21st Century,'' said Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent MaryEllen Elia. "This is a wonderful partnership that will benefit our teachers and our students, and I'm grateful to Microsoft and the City of Tampa for their commitment."

Though the training is open to media throughout the day, we are scheduling a media window from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. when officials from Microsoft and the school district will be available for interviews.

Click on the following link for a more detailed news release from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/Press/2012/Aug12/08-10TampaPR.aspx