Microsoft 365 Copilot Breakthroughs for Educators [Updated 2025 #ISTELive Guide]

Mike Tholfsen unveils Microsoft’s game-changing schooling AI breakthroughs at ISTE 2025, beginning with the landmark announcement that Copilot Chat is now FREE for college kids 13+, full with enterprise knowledge safety that colleges can belief. Many educators have been ready for instruments that IT directors can management whereas giving college students the ability to be taught and discover responsibly.

Be aware from Vicki: This publish features a vocabulary part, as I’ve executed for earlier posts. The aim is to outline and share the vocabulary that all of us must know and use with legitimate sources of knowledge that I’ve vetted (to maintain us from utilizing generative AI and maybe getting the definitions fallacious.)

The brand new Train module in Microsoft 365 Copilot is what caught my consideration most. Think about creating standards-aligned lesson plans, rubrics, and assessments in minutes, pulling from requirements throughout 35 nations and your personal OneDrive assets.

However here is what excites me as a trainer: college students can generate AI-powered examine guides that generate personalised quizzes and flashcards in Copilot Notebooks, placing studying actually of their fingers.

Mike additionally introduces the Studying Zone app for Copilot+ PCs, which brings AI lesson creation offline utilizing Neural Processing Items (NPUs) – specialised chips that course of AI duties 10-100x extra effectively than conventional processors. Plus, with new unified LTI integration, these highly effective instruments now work seamlessly in Canvas, Schoology, and different studying administration programs with out requiring Microsoft Groups.

This is not simply one other tech replace – that is superior. Different distributors may also be saying issues that can be offering 13+ AI entry with “guardrails” to colleges. It’s our job to check them, however you may count on plenty of dialog round this!

On Monday, Mike can be one of many panelists together with Gabriel Carillo (Edtech Bites), Eric Curts (Ctrl+Alt+Obtain), Jaime Donally (ARVRinEDU), Alice Keeler, Dr. Rachelle Dene Poth, Victoria Thompson (and me.)

Watch the YouTube Present

Hearken to the Podcast

Subscribe to the Present

AI, Edtech, and Know-how Vocabulary Talked about in This Present

AI Vocabulary

• Copilot Chat: Microsoft’s free AI-powered chat assistant with GPT-4o capabilities, now obtainable for college kids 13+ with enterprise knowledge safety. Supply: Microsoft Training
• Small Language Mannequin (SLM): A compact AI mannequin that runs immediately on gadgets with out web, enabling offline AI capabilities. Supply: Microsoft Azure Cloud Phrases
• Neural Processing Unit (NPU): Specialised {hardware} that processes AI duties 10-100x extra effectively than CPUs, utilizing solely 15-20 watts in comparison with 200+ watts for GPUs. Supply: Microsoft Home windows Weblog
• Train Module: A brand new guided interface in Microsoft 365 Copilot designed particularly for educators to create classes, rubrics, and assessments. Supply: Microsoft 365 Weblog

Learn the “What’s New in Microsoft EDU, ISTE Version June 2025” by Mike Tholfsen to get the entire bulletins.

EdTech Vocabulary

• LTI (Studying Instruments Interoperability): An open commonplace permitting instructional apps to combine seamlessly with studying administration programs like Canvas and Schoology. Supply: IMS International
• Copilot Notebooks: AI-powered digital notebooks that generate examine guides, flashcards, and personalised quizzes from uploaded supplies. Supply: Microsoft Training
• Studying Accelerators: Microsoft’s suite of AI instruments (Studying Progress, Math Progress, Speaker Progress) that present real-time suggestions to enhance pupil abilities. Supply: Microsoft Be taught
• Copilot+ PC: New class of computer systems with built-in NPUs that may run AI duties offline, providing 45-50 TOPS of processing energy. Supply: Official Microsoft Weblog

Technical Phrases

• TOPS (Trillions of Operations Per Second): A measurement of AI processing energy; NPUs obtain 2.25 TOPS per watt vs 0.008 for CPUs. Supply: Qualcomm
• Enterprise Information Safety: Safety measures guaranteeing pupil knowledge is not used for AI mannequin coaching and stays non-public throughout the group. Supply: Microsoft Belief Middle
• Requirements Alignment: The flexibility to routinely align instructional content material with Ok-12 requirements from 35 nations by EdGate integration. Supply: Microsoft Article

Hyperlinks Talked about/Wanted

Mike Tholfsen – publicly obtainable bio

Skilled product chief with a deep understanding of the schooling area, prospects, engineering lifecycle and software program growth. All through my profession, I’ve labored on and managed excessive performing groups throughout a spectrum of consumer, server, cellular and cloud merchandise which are utilized by tens of millions of individuals. From v1 to established companies, I’m obsessed with constructing nice merchandise and groups with a deal with the shopper. I’ve a confirmed skill to affect with out authority whereas working positively with colleagues throughout all ranges of the group on new concepts and techniques.

I’ve additionally had some success as a Creator on this planet of TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Throughout the pandemic, I started creating ideas and methods movies to assist educators navigate the turbulence, and now I’ve over 2M followers throughout these platforms, with over 300M views. However I promise, no dancing 🕺

Specialties: Training Know-how, Product Administration, Software program Engineering, Buyer-focused engineering, Cross group collaboration, High quality Assurance, Challenge Administration, Group constructing, Management, TikTok, YouTube, Creator

Hyperlinks and social media: https://create.microsoft.com/en-us/be taught/specialists/miketholfsen