The Guardian recently released an “infomercial page” about the Microsoft Educator Community that does a really good job laying out some free resources for maximizing the Microsoft tools you likely already have in your classroom.

What sets MEC apart?

MEC has some particular advantages as a source of CPD:

• It is separated from the school’s hierarchy and structure, and so is non-threatening and reassuring.
• It is owned by the teacher, as a member of the MEC.
• It is largely delivered by fellow educators, who, the evidence tells us, are the people from whom teachers are most likely to learn.
• It is highly interactive – a collaborative learning community, not a passive group of learners.
• It offers a wide choice of starting points – material which is age related, or subject related, or both, for example.
• It is available anytime, anywhere, can be repeated, slowed down or approached from different directions.
• It can be accredited with a system of “Microsoft innovative educator” badges.
• Crucially, it’s free.

Read the whole article here: http://www.theguardian.com/microsoft-partner-zone/2016/jan/27/what-is-microsoft-educator-community-how-can-help-teachers