Surface in Education 1

Surface in EducationThe best choice for students, teachers, and IT administrators

Surface in Education 2

Introduction

Better for studentsThinking about inking

Office is best on Surface

No barriers to learning

Better for teachersMore time for teaching and learning

Education unplugged

The power of the pen

Better for ITEasy to deploy and manage

Power that›s built to last

Extended service plan

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Contents

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At Microsoft, our aim is to empower every student to achieve more. Core to our mission is creating immersive and inclusive experiences that inspire lifelong learning, stimulating development of essential life skills and supporting teachers in nurturing student passions. We give students and teachers opportunities to create and share in entirely new ways, to teach and learn through exploration, in the way that suits them, so they can make, design, invent and build with technology.

Since 2012 Microsoft Surface devices have been enthusiastically adopted by the world’s educators and students, who love its portability, its versatility, and its power. The Surface Pro 4 is one of the latest in the line-up, and is faster, lighter, and easier to use, with longer battery life. It comes with Windows 10 Pro as standard, meaning it’s never been easier to switch between laptop, tablet, and digital pen, so users can teach and learn on their terms.

Surface devices are currently being used across thousands of schools and colleges around the globe and dozens of universities.

READ ON TO FIND OUT WHY

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Better for studentsThere’s no such thing as a typical student, which is why the Surface Pro 4 is all about personal learning. Students can set their own agenda, choosing to use the device in the way that suits them, with accessibility options so that all learners can make the most of technology in the classroom.

Thinking about inkingThe Surface Pro 4 might look like a 2-in-1 device, but it’s really a 3-in-1. Students get the best of all worlds by combining the benefits of a laptop, a tablet, and a traditional pen and paper. In Windows 10, wherever you can type, you can use a pen – and the ‘inking’ experience is comfortable, natural and accurate. Research shows that pen input beats typing in a range of learning scenarios. Note-taking, for example, is more focussed and reflective, and writing out mathematical problems and scientific formulae becomes much easier. Students can also use the pen to highlight and annotate digital textbooks, just as they can with paper. Inking is also a perfect input method for many apps from the Store. Independent

learning with the Edge browser is taken to a new level now that students can annotateweb pages. That same annotation feature is also being used by teachers in OneNote, to give live feedback to students.

Office 365 and Windows 10 were designed around the pen, which has been meticulously improved over the past four years, with Microsoft working closely with real-world users to understand what they need. Features like exchangeable, removable tips, the eraser button, and the almost unperceivable latency when inking mean that you get closer than ever before to the feel of writing with a good pen on quality paper.

Office is best on SurfaceEmployers in high-growth, high- wage industries say that Office skills are one of their most desired attributes in prospective employees, coming second to oral and written communication skills. They’re cited as a requirement for high-growth occupations in the U.S. five times as often as any other software. Using Office in the classroom will therefore help students prepare for the most desirable jobs.1

But workplaces don’t use slimmed-down applications, they use full desktop versions, and expect their staff to be familiar with these. The Surface Pro 4 is powerful enough to give students

the full Office experience, including productivity powerhouses like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as new apps and tools that are changing the way we work, like OneNote, Sway, Skype, and OneDrive.

The same goes for other applications, like Adobe Creative Cloud, Visual Studio, or AutoCAD. Surface is more than capable of running the full desktop version, where other 2-in-1s or tablets struggle.

“ It’s really compelling when you go into the classroom and students are excited to do a task. The thought that they get to do it on their Surface has changed everything.” Kimberley Mecham, Director of ICT, St. Thomas School

1(white paper, IDC, sponsored by Microsoft, October, 2013). http://news.microsoft.com/download/presskits/education/docs/IDC_101513.pdf

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No barriers to learningThe Surface Pro 4 provides a device that’s suited to each student’s learning style and needs.

Whether a student prefers pen input, keyboard, touchscreen, eye tracking, or speech recognition, the Surface lets the user take control. With its Continuum feature, Windows 10 adapts itself to the way in which the Surface is being used at any given moment. If it’s attached to the keyboard cover, Windows 10 behaves like a laptop. Detach the keyboard cover and it automatically switches to tablet mode and scales apps and windows to full-screen to offer the best experience for touch input.

Multi-tasking is a breeze, with up to four apps visible on screen at once. Students can easily compare different resources, or versions of the same document, by seeing them side by side. Students can also record a lecturer in class with Sound Recorder while they take notes in the desktop. View video.

And Microsoft has a commitment to improving accessibility for all products. This includes making Windows features like the Start menu and the Store more accessible, but also improving products like Edge, which is getting better browsing and reading experiences not just for those using built-in assistive technologies,

such as Narrator and Magnifier, but also for people who use other commercial assistive technology. And Office 365 is receiving constant updates, like the new reading and writing tools that are designed to make it easier for users with dyslexia, as well as Learning Tools for OneNote. Plus, for users who need larger text or images, the touch screen on the Surface Pro 4 makes zooming much easier than with a traditional keyboard and mouse.

“ The Surface is incredibly versatile … Lots of different learners can use it in lots of different ways.” Don Leslie, Teacher, Broadclyst Community Primary School

“ The Surface has been instrumental in developing students’ ability to work outside of defined class times.” Ben Whitfield, Teacher, St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School

WATCH THE VIDEO

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Education unpluggedWith a Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter, teachers can wirelessly “cast” what’s on a Surface Pro 4 to a projector, monitor, or TV. This enables teaching from anywhere in the classroom without the hassle of cables. The Surface Pro 4 is the thinnest and lightest Surface Pro Device around at just 786g, so teachers can actually do wireless teaching, rather than just flipping the screen back on their 1.5kg touch-screen convertible, but still remaining stationary at their desk.

Now it’s possible to show a PowerPoint presentation on a TV using a Surface Pro 4, then use the pen to ink in details on the fly, perhaps in response to a classroom discussion, while facing the class the whole time, because there’s no need to turn round to write on a board.

Better for teachersIt’s not easy being a teacher. They juggle the roles of educator, entertainer, motivator and role model – and the school day never ends at the school gates. But no matter what teaching style, and no matter how challenging the task, the Surface Pro 4 offers a portable, powerful tool to get the best from any class, in any situation, anywhere. Not only that, it opens up new methods of teaching that simply weren’t possible before.

More time for teaching and learningLogging in to the Surface Pro 4 couldn’t be easier or more secure. Instead of using a password to log in to your device, Windows Hello lets users biometrically sign into their device within two seconds using a 3D rendering of their face or thumbprint. This means quicker logins, no more forgotten passwords, no more IT callouts, and ultimately more time with students.

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“With Surface, the Office suite, and the app infrastructure, I’m able to do what I want to do in my classroom in the way I want to do it.”

Josh Seamon, Maths Teacher, Williston Northampton School

The power of the penBecause the Surface Pro 4 packs all the power of a Windows 10 PC into a compact, portable device, teachers are free to take their own approach to a subject, rather than being limited by their device. Instead of only using touchscreen apps, or being tethered to desks, they can pick the right tool for the right educational setting.

Teachers keep telling us that the most valuable tool in the classroom in their writing device, which is why the Surface and its pen excel in the classroom. Apps like Edge, OneNote (and its Class Notebook add-in), StaffPad, and Adobe Photoshop are all fantastic places to

bring the pen to life. Teachers can present a webpage to the class, annotate it using the pen, and share it on OneNote so that learners have the materials from class to refer back to later during homework or exam revision. No more photocopying, emailing, or lost notes scrawled on bits of paper. Handwritten text on the Surface is even searchable, so you'll should never lose vital information again.

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“ I am trying to create the most powerful teaching and learning environment on the planet. I want to remove constraints. And the Surface Pro absolutely lets us do that.” Rob Baker, Technology Director, Cincinatti Country Day School

Better for ITA great IT manager in education is skilled, motivated and as resilient as their IT. They keep staff and students happy and productive, while ensuring that everything runs securely and smoothly. Adding the Surface to any education environment gives end users a high-quality device whose applications are as broad as its users’ imaginations. It also gives the IT department one less headache thanks to its robust build quality, ease of management, and enterprise-grade support.

Easy to deploy and manageUnlike many tablets or 2-in-1s, the Surface Pro 4 functions as a standard Windows 10 PC that can be deployed and managed like any other Windows PC, using Microsoft System Center or Intune.

It’s also been designed with security in mind. With hundreds of users—and many of them under 18—school IT admins can struggle to make sure sensitive data is protected. But Windows Hello gives users the option to log in to their devices using just their face or hands. The Surface can recognise thumbprints or faces, meaning no shared or forgotten passwords, and lower security risks.Q

Power that’s built to lastThe Surface Pro 4 combines the best in performance, battery life, and build quality to offer simply the best end-user device for education. It’s the only available 3-in-1 device with a kickstand to have up to i7 Intel Skylake processing power, 16 GB of memory, and a 1 TB solid-state hard drive.

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years to make it the best kickstand out there—able to rotate 150 degrees for the best position, wherever you need to work. The screen contains patented Microsoft PixelSense technology and combines touch, pen, and display chipset into one panel that can withstand drops up to two times better than other glass designs. Combined with the Type Cover that fulfils the dual role of keyboard and protective cover, it’s the most durable tablet you can get.

To give you an idea of the lengths we went to when developing the device, we have literally built the quietest place on earth, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Why? Well, by building the best anechoic chamber in the world,

we can more accurately measure the sound coming from our Surface devices, including those that don’t even have a fan! We've cut no corners to ensure that the Surface Pro 4 provides an exceptional user experience for any teaching and learning scenario.

Peace of mind for your schoolWe also offer a range of support packages for the Surface. All devices come with a one-year warranty as standard, with any manufacturing defects repaired within eight working days. This can easily be upgraded to our Extended Hardware Service Plan for longer coverage and faster exchanges, as well as the option of Advanced Exchange, where Microsoft ships an interim Surface device to you first, before you then send your broken device. Our highest level of support, Microsoft Complete for Education, is designed specifically for education and offers coverage against accidents like drops and spills—a daily if not hourly occurrence in schools.2 If you want extra peace of mind, Surface is the only kickstand tablet in the world that supports ruggedised casing from third party partners.

The new 6th generation Intel Core processors run quieter, cooler, and more efficiently than ever before, giving the Surface Pro 4 up to 9 hours of battery and the power to run multiple professional, industry-standard applications like AutoCAD and Adobe Photoshop – as well as handle standard Apps downloaded from the Windows Store.

Surface devices are also designed to withstand the rough-and-tumble of the school environment. The casing is made out of magnesium alloy, a metal that’s lighter yet stronger than plastic or aluminium, which makes the Surface one of the lightest and most durable Intel devices in the world. The kickstand has gone through many iterations in four

2(https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-gb/business/education)

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The Surface – better for everyone We believe that the Surface really is the best device for education. It’s better for students, better for teachers, and better for IT administrators.

For students it combines the best of the physical and digital tools that they know and love to give them an intuitive, immersive, collaborative learning experience. It lets them approachlearning on their terms, in the way that suits them best. Whether it’s with pen, keyboard, or touch, the Surface seamlessly adapts to the way it’s being used. Plus, it’s powerful enough to handle the feature- and media-rich applications that students need to take them beyond the classroom into the world of work.

Teachers get a lightweight, powerful device that lets them set their own agenda in the classroom. The Surface weighs much less than comparable devices, has an excellent battery life, and can wirelessly cast to projectors or big screens, meaning teachers aren’t tethered to a desk and can work from anywhere in the room. From lightning-quick logins to setting homework at the end of a lesson, the Surface offers a smarter way to approach any classroom task.

And IT administrators can be confident that they can provide their school with high-quality devices that are easy to manage and backed up by enterprise-class support. The Surface can be treated like any other Windows 10 PC with Microsoft System Center or Intune, and biometric login with Windows Hello means data stays secure. Rock solid performance stacks up against any device on the market in a form factor that offers unparalleled mobility and durability—perfect for the school environment. And a range of support options means peace of mind for users and budget-holders alike.

Inspire lifelong learning with Surface.

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