Then and Now…

 

I’m sending my son to the 7th grade this year and I cannot help but rewind back to 1990 when I entered junior high. Oh, look at that hair! Haha.
I am blown away with the technology that has exploded in these past 23 years.
I have to tell you a funny story about my little niece that is in the 4th grade. My brother went to check on her while she was doing her homework one evening and she was asking a smart phone to give her all of her math questions! I have to laugh at this because she’s such a smarty pants for thinking to ask her phone, and who would have thought 20 years ago that our phones would speak to us and give us instant information at our fingertips?!
I showed my son this picture of a microfiche machine. He said, “what in the world is that?!” I’m feeling kind of old here!! I remember having to schedule time at the library to use this machine in the library to look at old newspapers for my research papers.

 

 

Oh how I wish I had a tablet back then where I could look at newspaper archives, medical journals, and history books in the comfort of my own home or anywhere with Wifi!
Let’s move on to calculators. I remember using this tool most nights to finish my math homework - oh and I remember taking great care of it because it was expensive!

How awesome would it have been to have FREE apps available for all of my calculator needs not to mention taking notes and school calendars?!!



Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium and Office 365 University (for college students)
Back to school season is here! Many of us (myself included) focus on back to school clothes, backpacks, etc., but it’s also important to remember technology, and the growing role it is playing in today’s classroom! For example, according to a recent Microsoft survey, parents and teens agree that softare and online tools make it easier to communicate and collaborate with classmates or teachers (91% and 94% respectively).
In this new classroom environment, Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium will give you the tools to succeed!
Microsoft Office 365 features…

• ·         The latest and most complete set of Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access

• ·         One license for the entire household to use Office on up to five devices, including Windows tablets, PCs or Macs, and get Office on Demand from any Windows 7 or 8 Internet-connected PC

• ·         The ability to download Office Mobile on up to five mobile devices with qualifying Office 365 subscriptions

• ·         An additional 20 GB of SkyDrive cloud storage, nearly three times the amount available with a free SkyDrive account

• ·         60 free Skype world calling minutes per month to call mobile phones, landlines or PCs around the world

• ·         Future upgrades, so you always use the latest time-saving technology

• ·         Fast, fluid design that responds to touch and stylus as naturally as it does to keyboard and mouse

• ·         Default save to SkyDrive, so your documents — and even your personal settings — are always available from virtually anywhere

• ·         And so much more!

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It can be difficult as a parent to keep up with the ever-changing education system that seems to be getting more competitive each year. I love this all-in-one program that Microsoft offers and it gives my son the up to date tools he needs to start his school year. 7th grade here we come!

Be sure to check out Microsoft Office 365's Back to School Throwback Sweepstakes. The Sweepstakes launches on Thursday, August 15th (on Throwback Thursday!) and ends on September 27th. To enter, all you have to do is submit a "throwback" picture of yourself from back in the day. Submit your picture here on the Office Faceboo page and share it on Facebook or Twitter to let your friends know! (#tbt + #officebts) Contestants are entered for a chance to win either a one-year subscription of Office 365 Home Premium (to be given away every weekday) or a Surface Pro (to be given away every Thursday)!