M I C R O S O F T L E A R N October 20023

AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

EDUCATOR TEACHING GUIDE

General overview
This educator teaching guide provides preparation and reference resources for instructors who plan to teach AZ-900:
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals in higher education or similar education settings. For example, early college programs in
secondary schools or workforce training, adult education, or continuing education programs.

This guide includes:

• A planning checklist to prepare to teach the course.
• A high-level overview of course materials, planning tools, and resources.
• A general overview and recommended best practices for classroom labs and demos.

Planning checklist to prepare to teach the course

Instructors should aim to complete the following planning checklist before teaching the course. Each checklist item is
bookmarked to the corresponding detailed content section.

Understand core concepts and terms in this course

• Review the list of skills measured for Exam AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals.
• Develop your technical learning plan.
Know your course materials
• Read this Educator Teaching Guide.
• Preview the presentations, demonstrations, and labs in the Microsoft Official Course.
• Review the Trainer Prep Guide.
• Preview the online training on Microsoft Learn.
• Watch the Virtual Educator Prep Sessions.
Plan your course
• Learn about this course’s flexible format design.
• Plan your syllabus and calendar.
• Explore tools to enable remote learning and deliver inclusive and accessible instruction.
Prepare technologies and tools
• Understand the minimum technical requirements for you, your students, and your classroom.
Configure your classroom labs
• Set up your Microsoft Learn profile and Azure subscription.
• Provide students with instructions on how to set up their own Microsoft Learn profile and Azure subscription.
• Set up in-class demonstration and lab technologies.

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• Review best practices for using Azure resources.

• Understand core concepts and terms in this course.

Overview
This section introduces you to resources for learning technical concepts and skills in this course. It also provides
guidance for developing a technical learning plan.

Review exam objective domains

This course is directly mapped to AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals. A great way to start your technical skilling
journey is to review the skills measured in the exam and note the extent to which they cover familiar versus new
technical concepts and skills.

Develop your technical learning plan

We recommend that you complete the certification exam before teaching the course to verify your understanding of the
course content and gain insight into how to support students preparing for the exam. We maintain a continually
updated list of options for learning the skills measured on the AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals landing page. The
list includes free online learning paths on the Microsoft Learn platform, instructor-led courses delivered online and in-
person by our learning partners, and official practice tests. You can also find up-to-date information about options to
register for the exam at an authorized testing center or via remote proctoring.

You may also find the following resources helpful as you prepare to teach the class:

• Microsoft Azure
o Learn how to create an Azure account
o Learn how to use the Microsoft Azure portal

Know your course materials

Overview
In addition to this Educator Teaching Guide, the table below will help you get to know your course materials. It includes
the location and a brief description of each resource, as well as recommended best practices.

All of the course materials are located in the Learning Download Center, on Microsoft Learn, or on the MSLE Training
and Tools page. Watch the Virtual Educator Prep Session (VEPS) onboarding series for a video explanation of the
educator resources and how to access.

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RESOURCE INFORMATION
Microsoft Official Course Location: Learning Download Center
Description: Standalone modules that can be delivered in 60-240 minutes of
class time. The learning paths are subdivided into modules and facilitated
through PowerPoint slide decks that include lecture topics, instructor notes,
demonstrations, and hands-on activities.
Best practices:
• Search for "Notes" in the help section of PowerPoint if you don't see
the instructor notes.
• Use PowerPoint’s embedded accessibility features to facilitate
inclusive instruction.
• Consider accessibility standards when modifying slides or creating
additional content.

Online training Location: Microsoft Learn

Description: Self-paced online learning content on Microsoft Learn that
aligns directly to AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals and to the
Microsoft Official Course. Each module stands alone and includes
explanations of technical concepts, hands-on activities, and knowledge
checks. The activities include modules from the exam learning path plus
supplemental modules that provide additional hands-on practice with the
technologies discussed in the course.
Best practices:
• Complete the online training before teaching and taking the
certification exam.
• Follow prompts in PowerPoint slide decks to determine when to
assign aligned online learning activities to students.
• Emphasize to students that hands-on practice activities in the online
training are particularly useful for solidifying understanding of exam
concepts, completing projects, and transferring knowledge to real-
world problems.

Virtual Educator Prep Session (VEPS) Location: Microsoft Learn

Description: On-demand recordings to support you as you join the MSLE
program and prepare to teach the Microsoft curriculum. There are Microsoft
Learn for Educator (MSLE) VEPS that will guide you from onboarding to the
MSLE program to wrapping up your course. Microsoft Official Curriculum
(MOC) VEPS contains course-specific tips and tricks from Microsoft Technical
Trainers on how to deliver MOC content to your students.
Best practices:
• View before teaching each module.
• Useful to view while planning your course and revisit after the first
couple of weeks.

Plan your course

Overview
This section is designed to help you plan your course and syllabus. It includes information on other resources from
Microsoft that you can utilize to supplement the course materials described above, enable remote learning, and deliver
inclusive and accessible instruction. View the MSLE VEPS for more information on planning for your course.

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Design your syllabus

The course is designed to enable you to deliver a complete subject from the Microsoft Official Course during 1-
2 class meetings and then direct students to complete the aligned segments of the online training on Microsoft
Learn. However, the content and online learning have a flexible design that includes standalone lessons and units.
This allows you to easily modify the delivery format, supplement the content, or integrate the course with other
curricula.

It's often helpful to provide real-world scenarios and business use cases to students when first introducing new technical
concepts. The following resources give overviews of how Azure is being used in the real world:

• Cincinnati Children’s
• Microsoft Azure Customer Stories

We recommend that you consider your students’ prior experience with technology when determining how to design
your course syllabus. The course has no prerequisites and students don’t need prior experience with Microsoft Azure
before taking this course; however, a basic level of familiarity with computer technology, and the internet is assumed.
Some of the concepts covered in the course require a basic understanding of mathematics, such as the ability to
interpret charts. The course includes hands-on activities that involve working with Azure, so knowledge of working online
will be helpful.

Consider using the following resources if you need to modify the recommended delivery format or supplement the
content:

• Microsoft Learn for Students

• Microsoft Learn for Educators
• Microsoft Educator Center

Enable remote learning

Microsoft’s Remote learning in education page includes resources, training, and how-to guides to help schools and
educators deliver remote instruction. The Special education and accessibility resources for remote learning page also
provides extensive resources for accommodating students in remote learning contexts.

Deliver inclusive and accessible instruction

The diversity of learning needs demands that instructors provide inclusive, accessible learning environments that inspire
confidence and encourage independence differently for each student.

Several resources are available to help create an inclusive learning environment:

• The Microsoft Educator Center course Creating a digitally inclusive learning community.
• Microsoft Style Guide Bias-free communication article.
• Microsoft’s Inclusive Design methodology website.

Microsoft Office and the Edge browser include embedded features that you can use to create a personalized and
engaging learning experience for all your students. Use these resources to learn more:

• Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible.

• Create accessible content.
• Accommodate students’ diverse needs:
o Reading, writing, and math
o Executive function

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o Speech, language, and communication

o Hearing
o Mobility
o Vision
o Neurodiversity
o Multiply impaired and medically fragile
o Mental health
• Support second language learners.
• Support highly capable and twice exceptional students.

Microsoft has a support resource for questions about the accessibility and product compliance of all its products,
including the technologies used in the hands-on practice activities for this course. The support team can help resolve
issues relating to disability and the functionality of the products to be used with assistive technology, as well as find
conformance documentation.

Prepare technologies and tools

Overview
This section provides the requirements needed for hardware, software, devices, and Azure Services, for you, your
students, and your classroom.

Technical requirements
Educator hardware and software requirements:
• PC or laptop
• Access to the internet
• Modern operating system
• Modern browser
• Microsoft PowerPoint
o If you do not already have PowerPoint, students and educators at eligible institutions can sign up for free
access to Office 365 Education
• Ability to display PowerPoint slides to students
• Azure subscription

Student hardware and software requirements:

• PC or laptop
• Access to the internet
• Modern operating system
• Modern browser
• Azure subscription

Classroom hardware and software requirements

• Access to the internet
• An open Port 80 and Port 443 so you and your students can access Azure via a modern web browser

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Configure your classroom labs

Overview
Review the following information on platforms, technologies, and best practices to ensure you are ready to teach the
course labs.

Microsoft Learn
The Microsoft Learn platform is used for instructor-led demonstrations, in-class labs, and aligned online learning. All
relevant links to Microsoft Learn appear in the text of the slides or the instructor notes (search for "Notes" in the help
section of PowerPoint online if you don't see the instructor notes).

• Students can access course content on Microsoft Learn without a profile or signing in.
• Additional features become available when students are signed-in and create a profile. These features include:
o Progress tracking on learning activities.
o Experience points to measure achievement in completing lessons.
o Badges to demonstrate completion of a module.
o Trophies when an entire learning path is completed.
o In some cases, free Azure resources to access tools.

See the description of the Learn Catalog API to understand options to integrate Microsoft Learn content into your
learning management system (LMS). You can also apply to the Catalog API Preview (CAP) Program if you wish to
participate in early previews of new features.

Azure subscriptions
You will need an Azure subscription to teach this course, and your students will need one to complete hands-on-labs
and activities.

Azure for Students gives eligible students access to free developer tools and Azure credit. It does not require a credit
card. Check the Azure for Students website and the Azure for Students frequently asked questions document for the
most up-to-date details, including eligibility and activation instructions. Remind students to use their school email
address to verify their student status.

Students can visit the Education Hub to download free software when they’ve activated their Azure for Students offer.

Educators, faculty, and students who do not qualify for Azure for Students are eligible for an Azure free account and free
Azure credit. A credit card is required to sign up, but you pay nothing up front. Check the Microsoft Azure Official Site
and the Azure free account frequently asked questions document for the most up-to-date details.

After you and your students activate your Azure subscriptions, you can sign in to the Azure portal at
https://portal.azure.com.

Tools and technologies

The table below shows all the technologies and tools used in the course. Use the links provided to access the product
information page for each technology. The product information pages include additional links to documentation and
support resources.

Note that the table below lists technologies in alphabetical order.

TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION

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Azure Manage subscriptions, create workspaces, create

resources, manage services.
Learn Provides interactive, hands-on learning paths, which
contain the learning path, course modules, and lessons
used in this course.

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Best practices for demos and labs

• Communicate Azure for Students setup instructions to students at least two weeks before the start of class.
• Before class starts, complete the exercises in the online modules on Learn using your own Azure subscription.
You can then demonstrate the completed exercises in your Azure Machine Learning workspace and Visual
Studio Codespaces.
• Review the Virtual Educator Prep Sessions (VEPS) content.
• Use a light-colored theme in Visual Studio Codespaces―this makes it easier to read the Python code in the
notebooks.
• The instructions in Microsoft Learn often include guidance for shutting down Azure resources after completing
hands-on practice activities. We encourage you to reinforce this information with students when class first
begins and after each lab.
• Content in Microsoft Learn is designed to be modular, so many of the hands-on practice activities include
repetitive instructions for creating an environment. Let students know they can reuse environments and do not
need to create a new one for each activity.
• You can check your Azure credit balance in the Azure portal by visiting Track Microsoft Customer Agreement
Azure credit balance and review How credits are used.
• Prompt students to check their Azure balance as an activity during class by visiting Check your credit balance.
• For Microsoft assistance in resolving issues with Azure credit, go to contact support.

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