Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Robin Lowell talks about accessibility in the classroom

Out of all of the real-world applications of Microsoft’s Office, education might be the most vital. Making sure that the next generation is ready to face their share of challenges is a goal that we should all strive for, and we all need the very best tools to aid in that preparation. A guest post on the Office Blog has Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Robin Lowell talking about how the Office 365 suite of tools helps to achieve real accessibility for her special education classroom.

Using the Office 365—free for teachers and students—and Windows 10 tools has changed my students’ educational experience. When students graduate from high school and enter college or the workplace, they are equipped with productivity and collaboration tools, and skills they will use throughout their lives.

The post is a bit more in-depth than most of the guest pieces that we’ve seen on the Office blog, which is certainly good news if you’re into this sort of thing. The post acts as an effective advertisement for Office 365 (although, as is pointed out, these tools are entirely free for teachers and students.) Lowell goes over classic features like Office Lens and OneNote as well as new additions like the Researcher tool in Word. There are also some shout-outs to PowerPoint Designer’s improvements to usability and the Skype Preview app’s inclusion of the Skype Narrator.

Robin Lowell is one of the few uniquely qualified to talk in-depth about how to optimize accessibility in the classroom. For a long time, she’s been a mathematics and science teacher, and a teacher to the blind and otherwise visually impaired. Doubting that the Office 365 suite could do wonders to actually improve someone’s education? Take a glance at Robin’s word for proof.