The power of technology to connect with students around the world

Today I had the honor of participating in Skype-a-Thon 2017, a global learning event that makes it possible for students to virtually travel around the world and connect beyond the classroom. Over the next few days we will travel 10 million virtual miles, connecting nearly half a million students. I love the spirit of the campaign – as we strive to make new friends, while opening hearts and minds to create a kinder, more compassionate world. What a fantastic opportunity to make a difference, right from my desk at Microsoft.

I spoke to Mr. Smith’s fifth grade class from St Therese's Catholic Primary School in Monto, Queensland, Australia. As one of the early connections in Skype-a-Thon 2017, together we helped the campaign surpass the 500,000 mile mark.

The students opened the call by singing the Australian national anthem and then asked me a range of questions about my career at Microsoft, the latest technology trends, and as expected, showed lots of interest in gaming!

I enjoyed speaking with Cody, Cooper, Emily, Brayden, Jordan, Josie, Holly, Lucia and the rest of their classmates who were incredibly polite and asked smart, insightful questions. They were very curious for details on new versions of their favorite products like future Xbox consoles, and shared great ideas about what they would do to differentiate Xbox and new features for mixed reality and Minecraft.

A few things stood out for me from this conversation:

1) Curiosity and a quest for learning will fuel our future. It’s inspiring to speak to students and see their inquisitive expressions while they ask important questions, see their faces light up when you connect with something they are passionate about, and how truly curious they are to learn. I love speaking to students – it’s a great reminder to bring the same level of curiosity to my work each day. How can we be better? How can we differentiate? How can we deliver products our customers will love?

2) Technology can be a universal connector. Skype is amazing technology and I love the spirit of the Skype-a-Thon. It's humbling and inspiring to see how much these students love Microsoft technology. And it really is incredible that the same technology we build in Redmond is beloved so far away – another reminder that we can delight people all around the world, every single day. I was also inspired to hear Mr. Smith discuss his plans to use Minecraft EDU in the classroom. This class is very tech-savvy and I can’t wait to see what they will build.

3) We must build products that matter – and tell great stories to reach people in a way that matters to them. We discussed marketing and the role it can play in helping people connect with products. I shared my thoughts on the importance of a clear reason, like Xbox One X’s “most powerful console”, and why we must differentiate from competitors and deliver products that people love. These students remind me that passionate fans want to love our products and we must tell great stories to inspire them to bet on Microsoft.

It was fun to share advice on what to focus on in school (Minecraft, learning to code, math, English and communication are my top recommendations), what I love most about my job (working with so many smart people to help pioneer the future), and what trends I am most excited about (mixed reality). And I appreciated the wise recommendation from Nate, who reminded me that we can all benefit from playing outside.

Thank you to Mr. Smith and his class of fantastic students. You made my day.

Yusuf