Microsoft has created a lab for educational experiences called: Microsoft Edu Labs.

This space aims at generating awareness on how to integrate learning concepts of the 21^st century, such as technology, to reform education.

The project’s goal is to promote collaborative and flexible learning spaces with new educational methodologies, to inspire the education community, redesigning classrooms, becoming a model in education innovation and creating a flexible and inclusive space.

The space has been designed to develop students’ skills by placing them in the focus of attention. This promotes interaction, experimentation and creativity between teacher and student.

#MicrosoftEDULab is divide in six zones with different purposes and activities to interact. In each of them, the teacher uses technology, such as an interactive whiteboard or games to enhance interactivity and participation among students.

The zones are: interaction, where the teacher uses technology to improve interactivity and participation among students; creation, where teams of students record, produce and edit; presentation, where they present their projects; research, where they use a flexible space to motivate children to stop being passive listeners and become involved; construction, where students can create solutions to communication problems and present them in the classroom to receive feedback; and, finally, a reflection zone, which is an informal learning space.

These spaces also have configurable furniture, which makes it possible for students and teachers to make them fit their purpose and activities.

Adaptability includes light, which can be changed according to the kind of learning.

#MicrosoftEDULab aims at integration the entire education community with training sessions, workshops, and courses for teachers, councils, students, companies, and families. The expected result is for it to become a different technological and educational environment.

Source: Observatory of Educative Innovation Tec de Monterrey and Microsoft