Google wasn’t the only tech giant to release new tools for teachers and students this week. Microsoft has also announced eleven new features for teachers and students who use Microsoft Teams for EDU.

Rubric Grading in Microsoft Teams is at the top of the list of new Microsoft Teams for EDU features. This is a feature was initially announced back in June, but wasn’t available to all users. Now any teachers who use Microsoft Teams for EDU have access to the rubric grading feature. You can attach rubrics to assignments for students to see before and after completing an assignment. Equally important, you’ll be able to grade an assignment using that rubric without having to open multiple tabs or windows. Watch the following video from Microsoft to see rubric grading in action.

Updated iOS and Android app
The apps have been updated with a capability for teachers to create assignments. In the updated apps students will now be able to see all upcoming assignments and tasks in one place.

Re-use Assignments
You can now re-use an assignment that you have previously given. You can even pull assignments from archived Teams.

Archive Teams
Have a Team that you don’t use anymore? You can now archive it.

Updated Flipgrid App
Microsoft acquired Flipgrid earlier this summer and Microsoft promptly made all of Flipgrid’s features free for all teachers. This week the Flipgrid app got a big update in the form of a new Flipgrid recorder that includes the capability to trim videos before posting.

New OneNote Features
Class and Staff Notebooks have updated toolbars.

Recording of Video Meetings
If you use the video meetings option in Teams you can now have those meetings recorded, transcribed, and time-stamped with just a click.

Dark Mode
This is a just an option to have a darker background in Teams.