REFLECTION IN LINKEDIN LEARNING COURSE: Learning Microsoft Teams for Education (For Prelims)

A few years ago, educational experts predicted that gadgets, social media, and online platforms like Google classroom, Edmodo, and Moodle would be an integral part of our educational system. This prediction immediately came true with the advent of COVID-19. The implications of COVID-19 forced our educational system to initiate technology integration in the learning even if most of the schools, especially in the public sector, are still not prepared to undergo a major transformation like this. However, since the current circumstance calls for a change, then the academic community and the educators must adapt, adjust, and thrive into situation to continue the learning process of the students. Fortunately, there are already prevailing online platforms that the academic community can use to implement Online Distance Learning. A good example will be the Microsoft Teams.

Oliver Schinkten is the Instructor of the LinkedIn Learning Course Learning Microsoft Teams for Education. He comprehensively explained the features of MS Teams and demonstrated how to use it. MS Teams is a very useful online educational platform for both teachers and students. As indicated in the course description, MS Teams can be used to collaborate and communicate with the students and with your fellow teachers.

Oliver Schinkten explained how teachers could use MS Teams to create an online space for the students where they can interact and communicate with each other. Teachers can also upload files and assign tasks and projects on the MS Teams that students can have access to. Oliver Schinkten also demonstrated how to schedule, set up, conduct, and record a video conferencing with the students, either in a one-on-one basis or in a group.

MS Teams is a very beautiful and powerful online educational platform that we can take advantage, so we can still deliver a quality education to our learners. MS Teams and other online educational platforms are just one of the positive implications brought by the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). ICT Innovations have helped us to address the challenges and problems of today’s pandemic. Hence, our learning environment have been transformed into an online space learning where students can connect and participate in the learning process regardless on where you are.

For that matter, it is very relevant that teachers must be equipped with all the necessary knowledge and skills to become effective and pertinent educators in the age of learning and uncertainty. If teachers will not upgrade their knowledge and skills, then they will not be able to keep up with the fast-pacing change of the digital society and the challenge of educating and guiding the most intelligent and talented generation of learners today. As educators, it is a must for everyone to adapt and thrive to the changes and challenges of the society.

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