With technology becoming an increasingly important part of the educational system, Microsoft has unveiled a new feature that could help revolutionize classrooms across the country. Known as Office Mix, this new app was launched by the tech giant earlier this week, bringing the company to the forefront of the education technology market. Office Mix is currently free to test out.
The program is an add-in package to the latest version of its reliable PowerPoint system, either as a part of Office 2013 or Office 365. This new feature is the latest way that Microsoft is trying to break into the market of interactive education, a lot of which happens online. After visiting the Office Mix website, users can then download the program, which will result in a Mix ribbon to appear in the PowerPoint system.
By using that ribbon, educators will be able to control how and when they incorporate Office Mix into their lesson plans. By using the technology, teachers can add quizzes and videos into their PowerPoint presentations, as well as recording video and narration and add blackboard-like drawings. Instead of using PowerPoint in the traditional way - creating a simple slideshow - Office Mix can turn the program into a complete multimedia immersion.
Office Mix is still in the beta testing stage, available only as what the company refers to as a "customer preview." It is not known when the company will begin selling the product on a more wide-spread scale, though experts predict the feature would be a huge success for Microsoft, as over 90 percent of teachers across the country use PowerPoint in their classrooms.
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