In a test of the game, Microsoft Education principal group product manager Mike Tholfsen, invited educators and education professionals to play the Literacy Skills Challenge. Microsoft launched the challenge on September 8 to celebrate International Literacy Day: “The Literacy Skills Challenge supports International Literacy Day and is a free, gamified learning challenge which helps introduce educators and school leaders to the Microsoft literacy tools which support all learners and assist students in building and retaining their own unique literacy skills.” It is worth noting the challenge is open for a limited time. Specifically, a full month (28 days). At the time of writing, there are 24 days left and 672 people have taken the challenge. Users who want to participate must register to do so.
Details
That process includes detailing your professional role in education and your current knowledge, as well as which Microsoft products you want to explore. The challenge is made of seven modules that users must complete in a specific time. Topics of these modules are diverse and cover Microsoft’s various literacy products and services. For example, Reading Progress, solutions for dyslexia, and Office 365 services. Entering a module allows for further exploration into more granular details of the product/solution. Microsoft says the Literacy Skills Challenge is free and will remain so until it closes on October 7. However, it is only open to customers with a Microsoft Learn account. Tip of the day: Windows lets you use Cortana to translate sentences, words, or phrases, with the results read back to you automatically. This makes it particularly useful for group scenarios, but you can also type if you’re unsure about pronunciation. Cortana translation sports an impressive 40 languages and utilizes machine learning to provide natural results in many cases. Check our full guide to learn how to use Cortana for quick translations.
