The Best Tech for Summer

The school year’s end is an exhausting but rewarding time. Both educators and students experience the mixed feelings that accompany the conclusion of their grade levels and classes. Due to the unprecedented challenges caused by COVID-19, the end of this school year is particularly bittersweet.

Still, the summer season is always a welcome occasion for rest and renewal. In addition to keeping busy with physical activities and lots of outdoor adventures, it’s equally important for students and teachers alike to continue to exercise their brains. The following tech tools aim to blend playing and learning.

• In the world of convenient devices, HP’s Probook x 360 11 is top notch. This versatile machine is perfect for writing, drawing, reading, and creating. The durability provided by the Probook makes it practical and user friendly, and its spill resistance makes it Popsicle friendly.
  

• The Windows 10 operating system has always been fast and reliable and it also boasts new features that are fun and unique. With just the touch of a few keys, you can talk instead of type. Finding photos is quick and easy with automatic added tabs. Maximize your time by snapping apps side by side.
  

• Microsoft OneNote is ideal for the fast-paced brain of a teacher, and perfect for when you’re inspired with a great lesson idea. Spend a few August afternoons jotting down some lesson plan ideas and getting organized for the coming year. OneNote’s multi-user collaboration allows for sharing ideas with colleagues.
  

• With most summer vacations being put on hold, take an exploratory yet educational adventure with Google Expeditions. Create one to fit the needs of your students, or take an exciting tour created by one of the world’s most well known institutions. 
  

• Keep your mind sharp while having a great time! Geoguessr is an enjoyable way to blend the lines between work and play. The game places you in an unknown location. Using Google Street view, the player will begin to navigate their way home with the help of logic, clues, and the world of technological tools.

What tech tools do you love for summer? Drop your suggestions in the comments!

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10 Ways To Use The Windows 10 Fall Creator’s Update

Windows 10 just keeps getting better, and this fall’s Creator’s Update is worth downloading. Here are ten things you can expect with the upgrade, and how you should use them.

Sync files On-Demand

The update’s new on-demand feature allows OneDrive to select data from the cloud when it’s needed—without having to sync full files and folders to a particular device. File Explorer will identify what folders are on the local drive and which ones need to be downloaded, a useful feature for folks who like to travel—and travel light, data-wise.

Add your favorite faces to your taskbar

Now you can pin family, friends, and co-workers to your Windows 10 taskbar, making keeping everyone in the loop that much easier. Drag and drop pictures, gifs, and files right into a contact for a quick way to show sharing is caring.

…and your text messages

Speaking of favorite faces, Microsoft is making sure emojis are front and center (and abundant) for messaging with a separate emoji panel. Access it by holding down the Windows button and the period key at the same time.

Get a Mixed-Reality check

You’ll need to purchase a separate headset from your favorite PC makers (Acer, Dell, HP, to name a few) to take full advantage of Microsoft’s answer to virtual reality, but it could be worth it if you’re a bigger gamer.

Find a design that moves you.

Microsoft is speaking a new design language with the Fall Creator’s update, and it’s moving. Literally. You’ll see the subtle difference in how the operating system looks and reacts; blur effects, menu transparencies, and detail in light, depth, and material make this upgrade one you can see and almost feel.

Game the system

GPU gurus can get their game on with improved performance trackers and metrics, allowing gamers to specifically track and control GPU utilization and memory usage.

Live on the Microsoft Edge

One of the more exciting additions to Windows 10 is the improved Microsoft Edge browser, which brings back the beloved pinned sites on the taskbar. It’s now easier than ever to shop at your favorite online stores, watch your favorite online shows, and keep tabs on your favorite talking head.

Write it down

Microsoft Surface owners will rejoice in the improved touch and inking features of the Fall Creator’s Update, and they’ll also love the new feel of the keyboard (with text prediction) and easier emoji access. For those who avoid typing in general, the new voice commands and dictation features are pretty spot on.

Call it as you see it

If you’re using an Android phone, Cortana will display all call notifications, syncing notifications and giving you the ability to text someone from your PC if you’re too busy to take a call. You can even “tell” Cortana to perform certain actions on your PC with specific voice commands.

…and hear it and say it.

Those who have used headphones with previous Windows versions can lament the poor setting interface. The Fall Creator’s Update remedies much of this with a new volume mixer, easier access t the sound icon, and individual volume control for apps.

These are our favorite additions to Windows 10 from Microsoft. What other features would you like to learn about?

10 For 10: Why Windows 10 Is Crushing It In The Classroom

Windows 10 keeps delivering more value to the classroom with a platform that is as fun to explore as it is to use while exploring.

Here are ten ways we think Windows 10 is a win for so many K12 schools and classrooms. 

1. Customized technology means personalized learning.
   According to PBS Learning Media, 73% of teachers say that technology allows them to create specific lesson plans tailored to individual learning styles. Teachers can specify the apps, programs, and settings for each student through their admin console, allowing them to create—and monitor—the learning environment for each student.

1. Students learn by touch, by movement, and by heart.
   Windows 10 devices speak education as their first language, and they translate accordingly to a variety of learners. The goal isn’t to teach every child the same way; the goal is to help kids realize how much they love to learn by approaching it in the way that comes most naturally to them. Touch screens, stylus pens, gesture inputs, and voice activation are just a few ways students can use technology to bridge the gap between questions and answers. 

1. Assisted learning gets an assist.
   It’s predicted that nearly 10% of the population is affected by a specific or undiagnosed learning disability, which can—and often does—have a profound effect on educational outcomes. Windows 10 supports inclusive classrooms by providing a technological environment that is compatible with a wide array of assistive applications that helps all students engage, interact, and collaborate with each other.  

1. Windows 10 puts it in writing.
   A recent study states that students who diagrammed their thinking with a pen scored up to 36% better on science tests than their keyboard stroking peers. Windows 10 takes advantage of Microsoft’s premier inking experience to bring ideas to life on every advice and application.

1. Keeping student data secret and safe.
   Ask any parent about technology in the classroom, and you’ll get their fears in the first two sentences. In fact, 79% of all parents are concerned with the security and privacy of their kids. Windows 10 addresses this head on with improved tools for data security, log-in validation measures, student identity protection, and malware protection.

1. Deploy in minutes.
   This one is for the teachers and administrators who didn’t necessarily sign-on to be IT professionals when they took their jobs. Windows 10 is arguably one of the easiest classroom technologies to deploy, monitor, and manage, offering a seamless transition process for users as well as in-place upgrades and assistance packages.

1. A class that works together, learns together.
   Collaboration is a skill kids learn early and practice often; to do it well takes repeated exposure to different ways of thinking, communicating, organizing and delegating. Windows OneNote makes easy work of this, enabling students and teachers to work on files simultaneously, whether they are across the room or across the country. Students stay on top of their work and, with collaboration tracking, teachers keep an eye on who’s participating.

1. Bring on the peripherals.
   Windows 10 not only makes it easier for students to collaborate and share with each other, but it also makes it easier to work across devices and connect to printers, cameras, digital microscopes, and several other devices.

1. More free apps mean more accessibility.
   School budgets are tight enough without having to add additional costs to one-to-one and shared technology. Microsoft’s education partners are constantly coming up with free and inexpensive ways to help children learn, and all are available in the Windows 10 app market.

1. Windows 10 puts the fun into getting things done.
   All in all, Windows 10 allows teachers to demonstrate ideas and concepts in a way that couldn’t do with traditional methods; they have moved beyond the front-of-the-room lecture and onto white boards, interactive presentations, video, and exploratory maps and wikis. By making learning more accessible and approachable, more kids participate in lessons and fewer kids get left behind. And that’s entirely the point.

Want to know how you can implement Windows 10 into your curriculum?

10 Best Features Of Windows 10

Here at Arey Jones our goal is technology integration in the classroom. From programs to tablets, we believe a classroom that works through technology is guaranteed to succeed. One of our top programs is Windows 10—the easy to use, easy to access, desktop software from Windows. We've given the 10 best classroom features of Windows 10 to showcase its versatile and beneficial uses in educational institutions. You can’t argue, Windows 10 is tops.

1. Designed For All Learning Styles

Windows 10 provides multiple opportunities for learning. Now students of all learning types can successfully participate in the classroom with pen, touch, gesture, and voice. Whatever their preference, Windows 10 can accommodate.

1. Put It In Writing

Windows 10 is not just a mouse-click program. Windows 10 offers students the ability of hands on ink-writing learning. Proven more beneficial for students, Windows 10 increases knowledge capacity with just the touch of a stylus.

1. Compatibility

No longer will students with learning disabilities be behind in classroom learning. Windows 10 is compatible with a wide variety of assistive technology ensuring teachers can creative the most inclusive classroom environment.

1. Safety First

Windows 10 is the safest Windows program yet. With student identity and password settings, malware protection, and data protection, teachers and students can focus strictly on education and not student cyber protection.

1. Collaborative Learning

Afraid technology will mean disconnect between student and teacher? Not with Windows 10 compatibility capabilities. Now student and Teacher can work from the same documents providing that hands-on classroom environment from the screen.

1. Expansive Platform

Windows 10 is a smart investment. Windows can expand to multiple grades with a choice of styles and form factors.

1. Classroom Compatibility

Windows 10 is also compatible with the widest variety of classroom connected devices. Everything in the classroom can work seamlessly together to create ultimate educational success.

1. Multi-Tasking Made Easy

Multitasking is in Windows’ nature. Windows 10 can help students and teachers accomplish goals faster and more efficiently with features like Snap Assist, virtual desktops, and Task View.

1. Seamless Transition

Worried about transitioning into Windows 10? Windows 10 provides simplified ways to manage and deploy the program seamlessly.

1. Wait There’s More!

In addition to Windows 10, Microsoft offers many free products and services specifically offered with the purchase of Windows 10.

Have more questions about Windows 10 or any other Microsoft product? Contactus.