Microsoft expands AI experiences for education
Microsoft is rolling out new AI tools and a professional growth program to help schools use AI with confidence. The focus is simple: give educators practical support, give students real skills, and keep trust and safety front and center.
The plan combines community, training, credentials, and classroom-ready features inside tools many schools already use. That lowers friction for adoption and shortens the path from "pilot" to daily practice.
What educators get now
Microsoft introduced a new program, Elevate for Educators, to connect teachers and school leaders with a global community, year-round professional development, and credentials tied to real classroom skills. The achievement system lets educators move up as they apply new practices, which can support career growth and, in some systems, salary progression.
Inside the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, Teach helps streamline lesson planning, personalize instruction, and handle classroom prep. Microsoft is also launching Microsoft Learning Zone, a free AI learning app and the first Copilot+ PC experience built for educators. It supports designing adaptive activities without adding hours to your week.
What students get
College students can access 12 months of Microsoft 365 Premium and LinkedIn Premium Career at no cost. That means Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with Copilot built in, plus AI agents like Researcher and Analyst to support research, analysis, and critical thinking.
The goal is straightforward: help students work faster, write and reason better, and practice responsible AI use before they step into internships or full-time roles.
Why this matters for your school
- It centers AI literacy on real tasks: lesson planning, feedback, and student projects.
- It reduces prep time so teachers can focus on instruction and relationships.
- It builds a credentialed pathway for staff while aligning with classroom outcomes.
- It gives students a safe way to learn how to use AI in academic and professional contexts.
How to put this to work this term
- Start with one use case per team: lesson planning in Teach, or formative feedback with Learning Zone. Keep the scope small and measurable.
- Set clear classroom norms for AI use: what's allowed, what needs citation, and what requires original work.
- Map program credentials to your PD calendar so progress counts for evaluations and potential salary steps.
- Create student-facing exemplars: show how to use Copilot prompts for research planning, outlining, and data analysis.
- Run quick guardrail checks with IT and compliance: data access, logging, and age-appropriate settings.
Practical guardrails
Keep student data safe, document acceptable-use policies, and require attribution when AI assists with work. Pair AI feedback with teacher judgment, and teach students to verify sources and reasoning, not just outputs.
Most of all, keep it transparent. Let families know how these tools are used and how they support learning goals.
Helpful links
- Microsoft Copilot for Education
- Microsoft Educator Center
- AI courses by job role (Complete AI Training)
Bottom line
This update gives educators a clearer on-ramp to using AI well and a way to prove their progress. Start small, measure impact, and keep students' trust at the center of every decision.
Your membership also unlocks:
