The ITN is part of Microsoft's Partners in Learning (PiL) initiative, a program that gives educators the resources, training and content they need to complement classroom technology and allow students to reach their full potential.
In this newest boost of funding to PiL, Microsoft officials say educators will see a focus on programs that can support innovative students.
"What the U.S. needs the least is another database of lesson plans," said Mary Cullinane, director of Microsoft's U.S. Partners in Learning program. "What we do need, and what we believe is of significant value, is a place for innovative teachers and educators to have access to high-quality resources, to have an area for sharing best practices in learning communities, to communicate and collaborate with colleagues, and ... to expose [educators] to a worldwide conversation."
Microsoft has been testing the ITN for roughly six months, and U.S. educators have already given positive feedback. The ITN will connect nearly 1 million educators around the world.
Within the network, educators can create their own communities, start discussions and collaborate with other educators who have similar interests. Users can also initiate threads and conversations, and they can create communities with pre-set lists of attendees or members.
"We'll see more and more educators asking for and thriving on these communities," Cullinane predicts. "From a classroom perspective, I can't tell you the number of times where an institution's biggest challenge was that the math teachers in their school weren't collaborating with one another. It's those real-world challenges that technology can help alleviate."
The ITN also might help cut down on the amount of time teachers spend searching for tips or solutions for classroom practices or problems.
As educators search for information, they can become inundated with results and must spend time sorting through material and judging its appropriateness. The ITN is an example of how technology can be very effective in fostering communication and collaboration, and could help educators, both new and experienced, realize they are not the only ones dealing with classroom problems or frustrations.
The launch of ITN accompanies news that Microsoft is beefing up funding and support for its PiL core programs -- Innovative Teachers, Innovative Students and Innovative Schools. PiL is a key education initiative under Microsoft Unlimited Potential, the company's commitment to making technology more affordable, relevant and accessible for everyone through equipment, training and partnerships that focus on transforming education, fostering local innovation and creating jobs and opportunities.
This renewed commitment will bring the company's total 10-year investment in PiL to approximately $500 million and will reach an estimated 259 million additional students and teachers around the world by 2013, Microsoft said.
