Learning Accelerators

Learning Accelerators progress apps

Note

All Learning Accelerators progress apps (Reading Progress, Math Progress, Speaker Progress, and Search Progress) are controlled within the Assignments App in Microsoft Teams. For instructions on managing these apps, see App management controls for Learning Accelerators progress apps.

Reading Progress

Available in Microsoft Teams via Assignments.

Reading Progress is a tool designed to help students improve their reading fluency and comprehension. Here are some key features:

• Practice and assessment: Students can practice reading passages and record their reading. Teachers can then assess their fluency and provide feedback.
• Insights and data: Teachers receive detailed insights into each student's reading progress, including words per minute, accuracy rate, and mispronunciations.
• Integration with Teams: Reading Progress is integrated into Microsoft Teams, making it easy to assign reading tasks and review student performance.

Assign reading tasks

Assigning reading tasks using Reading Progress in Microsoft Teams is simple.

To assign reading tasks:

1. Open Microsoft Teams and navigate to your class team where you want to assign the reading task.
2. Select the Assignments tab in the General channel.
3. To create a new assignment, select Create and then choose Assignment.
4. In the assignment creation window, select Add resources and select Reading Progress from the list of options.
5. Set up the reading passage by uploading a reading passage or choose one from your library, and then setting the reading level, genre, and any other relevant details.
6. Customize assignment details by filling in the assignment title, instructions, due date, and any other necessary details. You can also adjust settings like the number of attempts allowed and whether students can see their scores immediately.
7. To assign to students, choose the students or groups you want to assign the task to and select Assign.

After students complete their reading tasks, you can review their recordings, assess their fluency, and provide feedback directly within Teams.

Learn more:

• Reading Progress training in the Microsoft Learn Educator Center
• Getting started with Reading Progress in Teams

Speaker Progress

Available in Microsoft Teams via Assignments.

Speaker Progress is a tool in Microsoft Teams designed to help students improve their public speaking and presentation skills through AI-powered feedback.

Key features:

• AI-powered feedback:
  • Real-time coaching: Provides feedback on aspects like pace, pitch, filler words, and repetitive language to help students refine their speaking skills.
  • Body language: Offers critiques on body language to help students engage better with their audience.
• Customizable assignments:
  • Create assignments: Educators can create and customize speaking assignments, setting parameters such as practice time and the number of attempts.
  • Integration with Teams: Easily integrate Speaker Progress into your existing class structure in Microsoft Teams.
• Progress tracking:
  • Monitor improvement: Track students' progress over time, providing insights into their development and areas needing improvement.

To implement Speaker Progress:

1. Set up Speaker Progress:
   1. Add to Teams: In your class team on Microsoft Teams, go to the Assignments tab.
   2. Create assignment: Select Create, select Learning Accelerators, and then choose Speaker Progress.
2. Customize assignments:
   1. Define parameters: Set the title, practice time, number of attempts, and feedback options for the assignment.
   2. Choose engaging topics: Choose engaging and relevant topics for students to practice their presentations.
3. Guide students:
   1. Introduction: Explain the purpose of Speaker Progress and how it helps them improve their speaking skills.
   2. Demonstration: Show students how to use the tool, including how to start a recording and review feedback.
4. Monitor and support:
   1. Review feedback: Regularly review the feedback provided by Speaker Progress and offer more guidance as needed.
   2. Encourage practice: Encourage students to practice regularly and reflect on their progress to build confidence and improve their skills.

Learn more:

• Getting started with Speaker Progress for students

Math Progress

Available in Microsoft Teams via Assignments.

Math Progress in Microsoft Teams is a powerful tool designed to help educators and students enhance their math skills through various features.

Key features:

• Personalized learning: Educators can assign math problems tailored to individual student needs, helping to address specific areas where students might need more practice.
• Automated problem generation: The tool can generate a wide range of math problems, saving educators time and ensuring a diverse set of questions for students.
• Instant feedback: Students receive immediate feedback on their answers, which helps them understand mistakes and learn from them in real-time.
• Progress tracking: Educators can track student progress through detailed analytics and insights, allowing them to monitor improvement and identify areas that need more focus.
• Integration with Teams: Since it's integrated with Microsoft Teams, it allows for seamless communication and collaboration between students and educators.

Create assignments in Microsoft Teams using Math Progress

Creating an assignment in Microsoft Teams using Math Progress is straightforward. Here are the steps:

1. Go to your class team in Microsoft Teams.
2. Select the Assignments tab in the General channel.
3. Select the Create button and select Assignment.
4. Fill in the assignment details like title, instructions, and due date.
5. Use Math Progress:
   1. Select Add resources.
   2. Select Math Progress from the Learning Accelerators.
   3. Choose the math topic and difficulty level.
   4. Customize the assignment by selecting options like showing work, student rating, and shuffling questions.
6. Once you set up the assignment, select Assign to distribute it to your students.

Learn more:

• Getting started with Math progress

Search Progress

Available in Microsoft Teams via Assignments.

Search Progress is a tool in Microsoft Teams designed to help students develop their research skills and improve information literacy.

Key features:

• Guided research assignments:
  • Structured process: Search Progress provides a structured way for students to conduct research, guiding them through the process of finding, evaluating, and annotating sources.
  • Real-time feedback: Students receive real-time feedback on their search queries and source selection, helping them refine their research techniques.
• Integration with Teams:
  • Assignments tab: Search Progress is integrated into the Assignments tab in Teams, making it easy to create and manage research assignments.
  • Visibility for educators: Educators can see how students are searching for information, similar to how showing work in math problems provides transparency.
• Critical thinking and reflection:
  • Reflection prompts: Built-in reflection opportunities help students think critically about their research process and the credibility of their sources.
  • Comparison tools: Educators can compare individual student performance to class medians, providing insights into overall class progress.

To implement Search Progress:

1. Set up Search Progress:
   1. Add to Teams: In your class team on Microsoft Teams, go to the Assignments tab.
   2. Create assignment: Select Create, select New assignment, and then choose Search Progress under Learning Accelerators.
2. Customize assignments:
   1. Define parameters: Set the title, instructions, and the number of sources students need to collect. Customize the Explanation and Reflection fields to suit your lesson objectives.
   2. Engaging topics: Choose engaging and relevant topics for students to research. This could be part of a larger project or a standalone activity focused on information literacy.
3. Guide students:
   1. Introduction: Explain the purpose of Search Progress and how it helps them improve their research skills.
   2. Demonstration: Show students how to use the tool, including how to start a search, evaluate sources, and annotate their findings.
4. Monitor and support:
   1. Review assignments: Regularly review the feedback provided by Search Progress and offer more guidance as needed.
   2. Encourage reflection: Encourage students to reflect on their search strategies and results to improve their information literacy skills.

Learn more:

• Introducing Search Progress: A new way to assign and track research projects in Microsoft Teams
• Search Progress, in Teams for Education

App management controls for Learning Accelerators progress apps

Enable or disable Learning Accelerators progress apps

All Learning Accelerators progress apps (Reading Progress, Math Progress, Speaker Progress, and Search Progress) are controlled within the Assignments App in Microsoft Teams. Turning the Assignment App off/on turns all the progress apps off/on. To enable or disable any of the Learning Accelerators progress apps (Reading, Speaker, Search, or Math), you need to be a Teams admin.

1. Go to the Teams admin center.
2. Navigate to Teams apps > Manage apps.
3. Search for and select Assignments and select it.
4. Toggle the app status to Off or On as needed.

Controlling access based on user permissions

You can control access to the Learning Accelerators progress apps by setting up app permission policies:

1. Create a custom policy:
   1. In the Teams admin center, go to Teams apps > Permission policies.
   2. Select Add to create a new policy.
   3. Name your policy and set the permissions for the particular Learning Accelerator progress app as needed.
2. Assign the policy:
   1. After creating the policy, assign it to specific users or groups by navigating to Users > Manage users.
   2. Select the user or group, then assign the custom permission policy you created.

Learning Accelerators coaching apps

Speaker Coach

Available in PowerPoint app.

Speaker Coach is a feature in Microsoft Teams and PowerPoint that helps you improve your presentation skills by providing real-time feedback and personalized insights.

In PowerPoint:

• Rehearsal tool: Speaker Coach helps you rehearse your presentations by evaluating your pacing, pitch, use of filler words, and more.
• Rehearsal reports: After each rehearsal, you get a report with statistics and recommendations to enhance your presentation skills.

Learn more:

• Speaker Coach in Microsoft Teams meetings
• Rehearse your slide show with Speaker Coach

Enable Speaker Coach in PowerPoint

Enabling Speaker Coach in Microsoft Teams and PowerPoint is straightforward.

In PowerPoint:

1. During a presentation:
   • Select Slide Show in the top menu.
   • Select Rehearse with Coach.
   • Speaker Coach starts analyzing your presentation and provides feedback on your delivery.

Note

• To control access to Speaker Coach by creating and assigning custom Teams meeting policies, see Controlling access based on user permissions.
• For more information on managing Speaker Coach in Microsoft Teams meetings, see Manage Speaker Coach for Microsoft Teams meetings and events.
• To disable Speaker Coach, use the following command in PowerShell, replacing <policy name> with the name of the policy you want to modify: Set-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Identity <policy name> -AllowMeetingCoach $false

Reading Coach

Available in Web or app download.

Reading Coach is a free online tool designed to help learners of all ages and abilities improve their reading skills. Here are some key features:

• Personalized practice: Reading Coach uses AI to create engaging stories and leveled passages that match the learner's abilities and interests.
• Challenging words: It detects challenging words and provides more practice opportunities to help learners improve.
• Progress tracking: Learners can track their progress over time and earn achievements to stay motivated.
• Inclusive design: The tool is designed to support emerging readers and learners with dyslexia, offering built-in support from Immersive Reader.

You can use Reading Coach on the web or download it from the Microsoft Store.

Learn more:

• Reading Coach Online
• Reading Coach Download

Note

To turn off Reading Coach, you need to be an IT administrator:

1. Log in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
2. Navigate to your organization’s settings.
3. Under the services list, find the Education service.
4. Uncheck the box for Reading Coach to disable the app for educators and students in your tenant.

To control access to Reading Coach by setting up app permission policies, see Controlling access based on user permissions.

Search Coach

Available on the Microsoft Teams tab.

Search Coach is a free tool in Microsoft Teams designed to help students develop effective search strategies and evaluate reliable sources. Here are some key features and benefits:

• Guided search practices:
  • Effective queries: Search Coach teaches students how to compose efficient search queries and evaluate their results. This helps them become more proficient in finding accurate information online.
  • Search tips: The tool provides search tips that offer general suggestions for improving search results and specific advice based on the query.
• Lesson plans and resources:
  • Classroom integration: Educators can integrate Search Coach into their lessons to enhance digital literacy. There are ready-made lesson plans available for different topics and difficulty levels.
  • Partner resources: Collaborations with organizations like the Digital Inquiry Group and The Economist Educational Foundation provide more resources to teach media literacy and critical thinking.
• Real-time feedback:
  • Immediate insights: Students receive real-time feedback on their search queries, helping them refine their search techniques and improve their information literacy skills.
• Privacy and security:
  • Data protection: Search Coach ensures that student data is secure and complies with privacy standards, making it a safe tool for educational use.

Configure Search Coach

To configure Search Coach in your classroom, follow these steps:

1. Add Search Coach to Your Class Team:

   1. Go to the General channel of your class team in Microsoft Teams.

   2. Select the + (plus) icon to add a new tab.
      

   3. Search for Search Coach in the app catalog.
      

   4. Select Search Coach, then select Add and Save. This adds Search Coach as a tab in your class.

2. Enable Search Coach for other classes by repeating the previous steps.
3. Familiarize yourself with Search Coach. Explore the support pages and resources available to understand how Search Coach works and how to use it effectively in your lessons. Then, review the lesson plans and sample activities provided to get ideas on integrating Search Coach into your curriculum.
4. Plan your lessons to include activities that require students to use Search Coach. This could be part of a research project or a standalone activity focused on digital literacy. Test your lesson plans in advance to ensure the search results align with your expectations.
5. Use the real-time feedback and insights provided by Search Coach to monitor student progress and provide guidance as needed. Encourage students to reflect on their search strategies and results to improve their information literacy skills.

Learn more:

• Get started with Search Coach
• Search Coach and Search Progress in Microsoft Teams – an innovative approach to information literacy
• Teach information literacy with Search Coach
• Introducing Search Coach in Microsoft Teams - a unique approach to learning how to search online
• Training on Search Progress and Search Coach

Note

To turn off Search Coach, you need to be a Teams admin:

1. Go to the Teams admin center.
2. Navigate to Teams apps > Manage apps.
3. Search for Search Coach and select it.
4. Toggle the app status to Off.

To control access to Search Coach by setting up app permission policies, see Controlling access based on user permissions.

Well-Being and Insights

Microsoft Reflect

Available in Microsoft Teams via Assignments.

Microsoft Reflect is a wellbeing app designed to support connection, expression, and learning within educational communities. Here are some key features and benefits:

• Emotional check-ins:
  • Regular check-ins: Educators can set up regular check-ins to understand how students, staff, and families feel about various topics. This helps in building a supportive and empathetic learning environment.
  • Feelings Monster: A research-backed character that helps learners identify and name their emotions in an engaging and playful way.
• Insights and data:
  • Wellbeing insights: Reflect provides valuable insights into the emotional wellbeing of learners, helping educators tailor their support and instruction to meet individual needs.
  • Data-informed conversations: The app facilitates data-informed conversations that can help address areas requiring attention and celebrate areas of success.
• Integration with Microsoft Tools:
  • Microsoft Teams: Reflect is pre-installed and available for free in every class and staff team, making it easy to conduct check-ins and gather responses.
  • Class Notebook: Educators can embed Reflect check-ins directly into Class Notebook pages for formative assessments or as "exit slips" to gain insights for the next lesson.
• Social-Emotional Learning (SEL):
  • SEL Activities: Reflect includes various activities designed to promote mental fitness, refresh the mind, and refocus learners. These activities support the development of self-awareness, empathy, and a growth mindset.

Learn more:

• Microsoft Reflect
• Get started with Microsoft Reflect

Note

• To turn off Reflect, you need to disable Education Insights. This can be done through the Teams admin center. When you disable Education Insights, all data collected for Reflect will be deleted.
• To control which users have access to Reflect, you can use app permission policies in the Teams admin center. Create custom policies to allow or block Reflect for specific users by navigating to the Manage apps page in the Teams admin center and setting the appropriate permissions.

For more information:

• IT Admin Guide to Reflect in Microsoft Teams
• Use app permission policies to control user access to apps

Education Insights

Available in Microsoft Teams via Assignments.

Education Insights in Microsoft Teams is a powerful tool designed to help educators track and support student progress. Here are some key features:

• Activity tracking: Insights provides at-a-glance data views to help educators monitor student activity in Teams, including assignment submissions, class participation, and engagement in conversations.
• Real-time analytics: Educators can access real-time analytics of student progress and activity within their classes. This helps in making informed decisions to support student needs.
• Visualizations: Easily digestible visualizations highlight trends in student activity and growth, making it easier for educators to identify areas where students may need extra support.
• Privacy and security: Insights ensures data privacy and security, complying with standards like GDPR and FERPA. Only class owners can access the data, which includes meaningful learning activities but excludes private chats and personal files.
• Customizable reports: Educators can customize reports to focus on specific data points, such as overall student activity, engagement in class meetings, and grade distributions.

Learn more:

• Educator's guide to Insights in Microsoft Teams

Note

To turn off Education Insights, you need to be a Global Administrator. You can disable it through the Teams admin center:

1. Go to the Teams admin center.
2. Navigate to Teams apps > Manage apps.
3. Search for Education Insights and select it.
4. Toggle the app status to Off.

Controlling Access Based on User Permissions

To control who has access to Education Insights by managing user permissions:

• Role-based permissions: Assign permissions based on roles within your educational organization. This can be done by importing data from your Student Information System (SIS) to map the hierarchical structure correctly.
• Individual permissions: Adjust permissions for individual users if you haven't used SIS data. This can be done through the Insights app settings.