Microsoft Ambassador Abby Gail Tiongson hosts Microsoft Teams Community Workshop
by Julian Bass
The Microsoft Ambassador program brings passionate leaders together to grow and learn through technology, and this extends to communities where an appreciation for technology and its capabilities motivates people to excel.
Last May 29, Abby along with her co-host Beta Microsoft Ambassador Surya Gouni Neha hosted the webinar “Achieve the Dream with Microsoft Teams”. Microsoft Teams is an online communication and collaboration tool used for channel communication, audio and video calls, file sharing and more. It is recognized as one of the leading meeting collaboration tools along with the likes of Zoom and Google Meet.
But what really sets Teams apart in the basket is its feature allocation for classroom use. You won’t find assignment submission and grading capabilities in other collaborative apps, and Teams has maximized this benefit to amplify productivity among educators and students alike. It does all this while being fluid for both business, classroom, and even personal use.
“Microsoft Teams has taken over our academic life in this new normal. If not always, Teams is seen by us, students, as an enemy instead of a friend who just wants to help. As a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador, I want to be that bridge that helps my fellow ram see Teams as more of a friend that can help you be productive in their academics or extra curriculars.”, said Abby in an interview.
The sheer number of integrated applications is a great strength of Teams for collaborating on pretty much any kind of project. You can integrate Microsoft Planner or Trello boards for a bird’s eye task management view or add a GitHub tab to a channel if you’re working on code. The exploration through these plugins is a learning experience in itself for task management across different learning paths.
“Teams can help your team celebrate all your wins and work more closely together in fixing rough patches.”, said Abby.
Abby joined the Microsoft Student Ambassador program last January. The environment offers community opportunities to grow networks and delve into specialized Microsoft tools for development and productivity. The beauty of the ambassador program is how open it is to different learning paths. Developers looking to expand code projects can do so through Microsoft Azure and GitHub integrations using development tools like Visual Studio. Students into data analytics can learn advanced techniques through Excel or Power BI.
But it’s not just about the tools; mentors and spokespersons regularly come together to bring out the best values in young leaders to help them become sources of knowledge, motivation and inspiration for their communities. The tools help, but it all comes down to the drive, attitude, and personality of each ambassador to use the learning environment to progress to the best they can be.
The following is an excerpt from my interview with Abby,
Looking back, I think what changed the most about me was my perspective of the future. I used to limit myself to the norm or traditional methods of my program course. Now, I have been more innovative in applying what I have learned from Microsoft; sharing with students in less tech-oriented management courses so they too can move up their game through embracing technology as the new norm.
The biggest thing I have learned is that nothing is impossible. I know it’s cliché but it’s still so true that I have to stress it even more. Coming from a non-tech background, I felt I had far less chances of getting accepted. I know nothing about GitHub nor Azure. I only know basic SQL commands and basic coding from mg PROGCON course. However, this never stopped me from trying. Thankfully, I got accepted; learned what I can from fellow Microsoft Ambassadors in APC and all over the globe.
The advancements through efforts by companies like Microsoft, Amazon and many more all pave the way for cleaner, more cooperative work wherever we may be. As these tools evolve, so do we in one way or another for the better. Leaders like our Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors help move us through this change to accomplish new feats in the modern world, and it’s through our own efforts and willingness to learn that these feats become a reality.
