Guest Post by Victoria Thompson
In our last post, we spoke about the first step of becoming an #MIEExpert. The #MIEExpert community (short for Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Community, and often hashtagged on Facebook and Twitter to indicate involvement) is a community supported by Microsoft made up of passionate educators who are constantly learning, growing and working together to change students’ lives and build a better world. I really cannot recommend this program enough–it is so great to be surrounded by like-minded educators who are also interested in using technology to innovate in the classroom and beyond!
First Steps
The first step to becoming an MIEExpert is becoming an Microsoft Innovative Expert, or MIE. This is the entryway into the MIEExpert program, if completed properly. Here are the actionable steps on how to get started now:
- Join the Microsoft Educator Center, which serves as the central hub for all things Microsoft Education. It is completely free and allows for you to peruse webinars, training, and courses.
- Complete 2 hours of training via the Microsoft Educator Center. Previously, I’ve given recommendations for my favorite Microsoft Educator Center courses–feel free to check those out! However, definitely take a look at the various courses that the Microsoft Educator Center has to offer and take those that tailor to your needs.
Learning Paths
Once you complete some courses, something you may want to look into are the Learning Paths within the Microsoft Education Center. A learning path is a series of courses, not necessarily just one course, that allows for you to learn about multiple tools, skills, and objectives under the same “umbrella” or learning goal. There are multiple learning paths on the Microsoft Education Center for you to choose from, and they are located here. From Minecraft: Education Edition Coding Academy to Dyslexia Awareness, to Office 365 to Hybrid Learning Strategies, there really is a learning path for nearly everything! Plus, it gives you more courses to add to your resume before you submit your application to become an MIEExpert.
Courageous Conversations
A personal favorite of mine right now is the anti-racism journey learning path, which coincides with the previous Courageous Conversations in EdTech conversation that we held on April 25th, 2021 featuring Holly Clark, Alice Keeler, and Kenneth Shelton alongside myself, Melody McAllister and Dr. Ilene Winokur. You can watch it here and you definitely don’t want to miss it–it was so great to speak about our various stages in our anti-racist journeys.
Upcoming
In our next blog post we’ll talk about the MIEExpert application, in which we’ll be putting these learnings to the test!
About the Author
Victoria Thompson is a STEM Integration Transformation Coach at Technology Access Foundation–a nonprofit leader redefining STEM education in public schools–a consultant for Ignite EdTech, and a learning specialist for NCCE. She has been in education for five years and began her journey teaching fifth and sixth grade math and science in Summerville, SC. After completing her masters degree in curriculum and instruction she moved to the Seattle, WA area in 2018, where her career has pivoted to focusing on STEM integration in schools, K-12 mathematics instruction with research on decolonizing mathematics curriculum for teachers and learners, creating inclusive math environments, and using technology to bridge equity gaps in math education. She has presented at ISTE, ImpactEducation, CUE, and DigCitSummit on topics such as creating inclusive math classrooms, culturally responsive STEM education, and equity in educational technology.