Technology is rapidly changing, and Microsoft is working to make sure the education industry is keeping up. Microsoft announced new Windows devices and a mixed reality curriculum to prepare the next generation of students. Barbara Holzapfel, General Manager of Education Marketing at Microsoft, was with us to explain how the new curriculum works.
Holzapfel said the next generation of students will face a new job market that will consist of jobs that don't even exist yet. She explained how Microsoft's curriculum will develop life skills that can be applied to a wide range of jobs. Research conducted by Microsoft revealed the importance of social emotional skills and personalized learning. The company's goal is to line up technology to help enable that.
Getting their technology into schools has been a significant initiative for companies such as Microsoft and Google. Google's Chromebook has about 60% of the marketshare in U.S. classrooms K-12. Windows takes 2nd place with about 22%. Holzapfel explained how Microsoft's newest devices will help the company compete.
An independent watchdog within the IRS reports that while taxpayer services have vastly improved, the agency is still too slow to resolve identity theft cases. And National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins says those delays are “unconscionable.” Erin M. Collins said in the report released Wednesday that overall the 2024 filing season went smoothly, though IRS delays in resolving identity theft victim assistance cases are worsening. It took nearly 19 months to resolve self-reported identity theft cases as of January, and Wednesday's report states that now it takes 22 months to resolve these cases.
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Climate change doesn’t just mean more extreme weather – it also leads to billions of dollars in lost productivity, tourism, and stresses infrastructure.
