The 2019 Microsoft Innovative Educator awards; How to apply and requirements

About the MIE Expert Program

Are you a teacher striving to find new ways to engage your students? If you’d like to connect with a global, professional learning community of other teachers, just like yourself, who are constantly pushing the boundaries of what a classroom looks and feels like, we have a step-by-step guide for you below. 

Microsoft supports a thriving community of passionate educators who are constantly learning, growing and working together to change students’ lives and build a better world. The Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert program is a premier program created to recognize global educator visionaries like yourself. 

We are looking for self-driven educators who are passionate about teaching and learning, who inspire students with creative thinking, and work in a truly collaborative spirit to share their learning with the world. MIE Experts share their learning with colleagues and other educators through local training programs in their own school systems, presentations at conferences, blogs, social channels, and more. Resourceful and entrepreneurial, they relish the role of change agent, and work to achieve excellence in education using Microsoft technologies coupled with their innovative teaching practices.

Continue on to find out how to join the MIE Expert program and the life-changing opportunities it affords. Click here to see information on all of our Microsoft Innovative Educator programs.

How to join the program

The self nomination tool is open year-round, but selections are made each year beginning on July 15 and a formal announcement is made at the end of August.

You are welcome to nominate yourself at any time, however, we will only formally announce those in the program each August in a blog post and by posting the official list.

Step 1:

Be sure that you have joined the Microsoft Educator Community and completed your profile. You will need to submit the URL to your public profile as a part of the nomination process. You can find your URL by going into Edit Profile and looking under “basic information.”

Step 2:

Ensure that you have earned 1,000 points on the Microsoft Educator Community and become a Certified MIE. You must be a Certified MIE to become (or stay) an MIE Expert.

Step 3:

Create a 2-minute video or Sway that answers the following questions in a manner that creatively expresses what makes you a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. To share the video/Sway in your nomination, you will need to post it somewhere that allows you to create a URL to share it.

– Why do you consider yourself to be a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert?

– Describe how you have incorporated Microsoft technologies in innovative ways in your classroom. Include artifacts that demonstrate your innovation. Your examples should demonstrate that you have cultivated a strong 21st century teaching and learning environment.

– How have you impacted the learning and growth of your colleagues? Have you reached beyond your classroom to coach/support other teachers in their growth?

– If you become a MIE-Expert, how do you hope it will impact your current role in the next 12 months?

Once you have completed those three tasks, you will be ready to fill out the self-nomination form here:
https://aka.ms/mienomination between April 15, 2019 and July 15, 2019

MIE Experts will be selected by the regional Microsoft representative based on the quality of the responses to the self-nomination form, the level of innovation and use of Microsoft tools described in the learning activity and the level of detail in how becoming a part of the program will impact both teaching and student learning.

MIE Experts have the following opportunities:

• Access to professional and career development opportunities and certifications
• Share your expertise with world-renowned educators and specialists to scale their innovations
• Build educator capacity in your community (school, district or at training events) by speaking, training and/or coaching colleagues and inviting them to participate in the online Microsoft Educator Community
• Participate in focus groups giving feedback to development teams on Microsoft products
• Test new products while in beta form and participate in pre-release programs for certain education-related tools
• Represent Microsoft through product demonstrations and by attending events
• Collaborate with innovative educators around the globe
• Host regional events showcasing your use of Microsoft technology in the classroom
• Opportunity to nominate to become a Skype Master Teacher (details below)

Love to bring the world into your classroom via Skype?

MIEEs can also nominate to become a Skype Master Teacher- you can nominate at the same time if you are not yet an MIEE.

Skype Master Teachers are a select collaborative group of teachers who are dedicated to creating global citizens amongst their students by bringing the world into their classrooms via Skype. If you are already doing this, why not nominate to join and represent this global movement? Nominations are open until 5th August.