What you need to know
- Microsoft Whiteboard for education gains six new features.
- The new features focus on inclusion and collaboration.
- This is yet another education update during a streak of updates from Microsoft.
Microsoft Whiteboard for education received a series of updates that focus on inclusion and collaboration. They aim to increase engagement, reduce distraction, and improve accessibility.
The first addition is the ability to add reactions to content on Microsoft Whiteboard. Students and teachers can give a thumbs up to content on the digital whiteboard from Windows 10 and iOS devices. The service also gained a space-themed EDU sticker pack on iOS and Windows 10.
Send to Teams allows students and teachers to share boards that they've created. Boards that are shared remain viewable and allow collaboration between participants.
Two new features focus on accessibility and delivering content to students. Microsoft's Immersive Reader has tools including focus mode, parts of speech identification, and a Picture dictionary which help improve reading comprehension. Additionally, students can use the Follow-along feature (currently in preview), which automatically follows and zooms in on the portion of the whiteboard that a contributor is actively using.
To minimize distractions, teachers can mute individuals using the Read-only mode, which prevents students from adding distracting content.
Microsoft is on a bit of a streak when it comes to updates regarding education apps and services. Minecraft Education Edition, OneNote, and several other Microsoft services have received updates recently to help students and educators.
This digital whiteboard allows you to instantly collaborate with colleagues, teachers, and classmates. It works across devices and supports touch, pen, and keyboard.
Cheap PC accessories we love
Take a gander at these awesome PC accessories, all of which will enhance your Windows experience.
Anker 4 port USB 3.0 hub ($10 at Amazon)
Whether on a desktop or laptop PC, you always need more ports to connect things to. This hub gives you an additional four USB 3.0 Type A ports.
Ikea Fixa Cable Management System ($11 at Amazon)
This IKEA cable management kit is your ticket to a clean setup. It's simple and functional.
NZXT Puck ($20 at Amazon)
This clever little accessory has powerful magnets on the rear to make it stick to any of the metal panels on your PC case or anything else. It's great for hanging accessories like headsets.
