Barnsley College Director of IT Azhar Iqbal and Digital Innovation Team Leader Abby Parkin with the Microsoft Showcase College award.
We have strengthened our relationship with global technology giant Microsoft and once again received Microsoft Showcase College status after our visit to Bett 2024.
Representatives from the College attended the global gathering – a leading conference for education technology advocates – in London, speaking at workshops and networking with senior Microsoft staff alongside education changemakers, innovative EdTech providers, game-changing governments and charities, and more than 2,000 young people.
An eventful few days was capped by a visit to Microsoft’s headquarters in Paddington, where Barnsley College Director of IT Azhar Iqbal and Digital Innovation Team Leader Abby Parkin were handed the College’s Microsoft Showcase award.
We have retained our Microsoft Showcase status by showing continued commitment to digital technologies and integrating these into the classroom, fostering creativity, critical thinking, accessibility and collaboration.
The College has 52 Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts (MIEEs) who lead the way on developing our use of Microsoft 365 and other innovations including artificial intelligence.
Our Esports students were also among the 34,000 attendees at Bett, winning several tournaments.
Digital Innovation Team Leader Abby Parkin said: “As a further education college, attending Bett is a great way to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations in education technology.
“Bett provides a platform for educators to connect, collaborate, and accelerate trade, driving impact and improving outcomes for teachers and learners.
“We’re proud to have attended Bett 2024 in London and excited to have visited the Microsoft headquarters to pick up our Showcase Award!
“Our commitment to educational transformation and using technology to enhance student engagement, collaboration, and achievement has earned us this prestigious recognition.
“To get Showcase College status you need to meet a set of criteria that demonstrate how committed you are to working with Microsoft, digital transformation and ensuring learners are prepared to work in a 21st century work environment.”
Director of IT Azhar Iqbal added: “Abby supported some Microsoft workshops, and I manned a couple of booths where I spoke to visitors to Bett about Microsoft technologies in education.
“Although they were very long and busy days, we both enjoyed the opportunity to talk about how we use Microsoft technologies in the college.
“We also had evening events with Microsoft where we were able to network with senior Microsoft staff who had come from across the world to attend Bett.”
Take a look at our Computing, Digital and IT courses to see how we implement new technologies into our curriculum.
Last updated: 1st February 2024
Originally posted on: 1st February 2024