Event recognizes educators who inspire students to learn creatively through technology.

REDMOND, Wash., July 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. is bringing 100 of the nation's best educators to its corporate headquarters this week to connect, collaborate and share their inventive teaching methods at the 2011 U.S. Innovative Education Forum. The event aims to recognize outstanding educators who engage and inspire their students to learn by creatively including technology into their school and classroom curricula.

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Of the 100 educators attending the event, 12 are from the state of Washington, representing Kent, Kirkland, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and Yakima schools.

Educators who attend the forum will participate in hands-on learning sessions with the latest Microsoft technologies and present their innovative learning projects to a panel of judges. Judges will select 10 projects to represent the U.S. at the Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum Nov. 6–11 in Washington, D.C., where more than 500 educators are expected to compete.

Presented by Microsoft Partners in Learning, the U.S. Innovative Education Forum is one of a series of regional forums taking place around the world. Now in its seventh year, this annual event is designed to promote the sharing of exceptional practices of 21st-century learning that incorporate technology in the classroom and school, recognize and celebrate leading educators and innovative schools in the U. S., and engage educators intellectually while offering opportunities to collaborate and learn from peers across the country.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.