Every year, the EduTECH Australia conference brings together the best and brightest minds in classroom innovation to compare, share, and learn from one another. Here are some of the highlights and top insights that we at the Microsoft stand got to experience this year:

The future of learning: it’s predictive, and it’s personalised

For all the fun had, EduTECH has a serious mission: bringing Australian learning environments up to speed and empowering students with the latest digital technologies. In his plenary address that kick-started the conference, our VP of Worldwide Education Anthony Salcito painted a compelling picture of what that future classroom looks like – a predictive, personalised environment that automatically reads and caters to each individual student’s needs and learning pace. The key to getting there? It all comes down to mindset according to Anthony, who outlined how it just takes a few passionate educators to spark change across entire organisations.

Hear why Anthony believes the digital classroom’s focus must be the “creativity, critical thinking, and ingenuity” of our people – and not technology itself – in his interview with Sky News Australia.

We launched our guidebook for successful digital classrooms

EduTECH 2018 was where we unveiled Transforming Education, a guide to empower schools to take on digital transformation to help students unleash their talent – and how to ensure students and educators get the best results from the change, without making the most common mistakes. To write the book, we compiled nearly 30 years of research, evidence, and experience from academics and educators across Australia and the world, pulling together what they’d learnt about the skills students will need, and how to foster them as quickly and engagingly as possible.

The book’s greatest value comes from its practical guides on rolling out digital technology into the classroom – covering everything from choosing the right devices to curbing cyber-bullying and alleviating learning impediments with assistive technology. You can download the 139-page e-book here for free.

A lot of teachers revealed their crafty side

More and more educators are using games like Minecraft: Education Edition to teach complex concepts and empower their students’ creativity – so we thought we’d return the favour. Our Minecraft paper-craft competition put teachers’ dexterity to the test as they cut, folded, and constructed their way to real-life models of their favourite Minecraft characters:

Steve was tired but he knew he had to hear about the awesome features of Microsoft Teams #MSFTEdu #EduTECHAU pic.twitter.com/rWv0u12h9D

— Alex Goldsworthy (@ed_teched) June 8, 2018

With two especially crafty educators taking home a special prize each:

Congratulations to @JulietteMajor our Minecraft Papercraft competition winner today at #EduTECHAU. Enjoy your new Minecraft Xbox One S Limited Edition Bundle. #MSFTEdu pic.twitter.com/egfQOGTKHe

— Microsoft Education (@MSAUedu) June 7, 2018

We made a lot of new friends – and caught up with many old ones

This year’s Microsoft stand featured more than just giant Minecraft: Education Edition figures: the latest Surface devices, mixed reality apps, and Office 365 features all made an appearance in live demonstrations, alongside talks from our experts on topics like “hacking STEM” and the secrets to better classroom collaboration.

Want to learn how to integrate #MixedReality into your classroom? Come and chat with @dan_bowen and the #MSFTEdu team on the #EduTECHAU stand. @EduTECH_AU pic.twitter.com/4AMALrNJSq

— Microsoft Education (@MSAUedu) June 8, 2018

Collaborate inside and outside the classroom with #MicrosoftTeams. We caught up with Dr David Kellermann from @UNSW at #EduTECHAU to find out how Teams has made an impact with his students. #MSFTEdu pic.twitter.com/mLGz5Qotth

— Microsoft Education (@MSAUedu) June 8, 2018

Perhaps most valuable of all, however, were the discussions and meetings that happened in and around our space, where educators from all backgrounds came together with a common goal: discovering how to prepare their students better for life after school.

Are you part of the Microsoft Educator Community? There's loads of training resources, lesson plans, discussion groups and events for you. Ask our #MSFTEdu team at @EduTECH_AU or check it out here: https://t.co/ogNXOmPwPC #EduTECHAU pic.twitter.com/PFXrjWaNTs

— Microsoft Education (@MSAUedu) June 8, 2018

And that's a wrap! It's been a massive couple of days and we've had an amazing time at #EduTECHAU. We hope you did too! We can't wait to see you all again next time. #MSFTEdu @EduTECH_AU pic.twitter.com/LZDksKSMMh

— Microsoft Education (@MSAUedu) June 8, 2018

Thanks to everyone who stopped by, had a chat, and shared their thoughts on how digital can inspire in students the creativity, collaboration, and curiosity they need for tomorrow. We can’t wait to see you and hear your successes next year!

It's the start of Day 2 @EduTECH_AU and the #MSFTEdu team are super excited about another action-packed day. Come and say hi at stand 602. #EduTECHAU pic.twitter.com/WMYOGElXBu

— Microsoft Education (@MSAUedu) June 7, 2018

We’ve pulled together a full kit of resources to help you on your digital transformation journey, including discounts on Microsoft Surface devices, STEM learning packs, and research materials on the future of education. Download the full kit now at https://aka.ms/edutech2018 - don’t miss out!