Get your students and faculty the software that they need
Microsoft presents the MSDN Academic Alliance (MSDN AA) Program. MSDN AA is the easiest and most inexpensive way for students and faculty in the technology and design fields to get the latest Microsoft software they need. MSDN AA now refers to a family of memberships available to meet the different needs of the academic audience.
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/academic/default.aspx
Per a session on "Microsoft & Academia Partnerships" at the NCCIA conference in Albemarle, NC last Thursday, I learned that....
1) The Academic Alliance grants software directly to students or to school departments that use Microsoft software.
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/academic/bb250608.aspx(Students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math departments in particular)
2) The department head or coordinator must verify students --- It takes approximately 30 minutes per month to manage.
3) The use of MS software for approximately 100 students can be equivalent to 1/2 million in software that schools can get for FREE.
4) There is zero cost to departments.
5) There is over 760 different software titles (current and legacy) that are available for FREE. Office is not currently one of these titles, but Microsoft is trying to work out problems that is keeping it from being offered. They hope to have Office available for free in 2009. In the meantime, students are encouraged to go to
http://www.ultimatesteal.com/ for a $60 download that is available through April 30, 2008.
6) The software is available for use on any student, faculty, or staff machine that will be using the products.
7) The agreement for the software is 3 years.
8) You get 5 collections & 100 hours of e-learning, professional support (up to 4 incidents that nobody hardly ever uses), and managed newsgroups among other benefits.
9)
How do you GET STEM software?1) Electronic hosted on ELMS (easiest, minimal maintenance, offsite in Microsoft land)
2) Department-owned on secure server.
3) Microsoft relies on
http://www.e-academy.com/ to distribute the software to more than 5200 institutions.
Thrifty Idea:**Schools are even ordering computers
without operating systems to obtain the equipment cheaper and then obtaining the systems software for free through MSDNAA.
Other Partnership Programs with MicrosoftThere is a ...
1) Faculty Connection Website
2) Sponsorship for Workshop Training
3) Academic Day Conferences available for educators
Click HERE to view a PowerPoint presentation on MSDNAA from Microsoft representative, Gus Weber, 2/21/08.
Other Microsoft Links:
IT Academy Student Pass (NEW! @ Microsoft)**Teachers can email and request codes for students at
http://www.microsoft.com/education/MSITAcademy/itastudentpass.mspx1) Students can take the e-learning lessons and put them on resumes.
2) E-learning has Microsoft assessments.
3) Does not replace IT Academy.
4) TRACKS include: Windows Developer, Web Developer, Database, Windows Server, Windows Client.
5) Resources: E-Learning, $60 to take Microsoft exams. 70-80% of e-learning covers actual content on exams.
Other Student Programs:1) Student Pass
2) Tech Net for Students
3) Certification Programs: Student Discounts and Second Shot Chance (included in purchase price of initial exam, a win-win situation)
4) Imagine Cup: IT Challenge and Software Design
TechNet for Students (NEW!)
- $99 for students, but Microsoft is working on making it free in the future.
- helps students to become PROs in their field.
Microsoft Certification Exams
ImagineCup
- IT Student Challenge: Offers up to $12-$20,000 in competition for resume and marketability
WILEY PublishersWiley Publishers are Microsoft's official academic publishers.
Five Point Model
- Instructor Readiness: Wiley Faculty Network
- Student Software: MS Trials and Subscriptions
- Student Assessment: Wiley PLUS & Certiport
- Classroom Tools: Print and Onlnie Content
- Learning Validation: Certiport Certification Exams