Christmas has come a few months early for about 80,000 students    in Anne Arundel County, where they'll get free access to some    very popular computer software.  
    Link: How to sign up  
    The school system got the official word Friday that every    student will be able to download Microsoft 365 for free and    they can install it on as many of as five devices.  
    Many at Germantown Elementary School in Annapolis were    surprised and eager to install the new software, and most are    convinced that homework will start to look a lot different.  
    "I really like to use technology more than just, like, writing    on paper, and doing packets and stuff. I find it's more    constructive and a more fun way to learn," said Aidan Antoniuk,    a Germantown student.  
    "They use, at least in elementary schools, they use the    PowerPoint a lot in different projects. And so that way they'll    be able to have an opportunity to expand on the projects at    home or ultimately at least gain more familiarity with it,"    said Ellen Chase, a parent.  
    School system officials said the free software was part of a    larger package deal they just couldn't pass up.  
    "We spend half a million dollars a year or so with Microsoft on    software, and license and operating systems, and that kind of    stuff and we signed an agreement with them to get Office 365,    and OneDrive for employees and what comes with that is this for    students," district spokesman Bob Mosier said.  
    Parents are just one click away from downloading the    software. They'll get to use their child's student    identification number to sign up.  
    Teachers said the free technology will enhance what they're    already doing in the classroom.  
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AACPS students get free Microsoft software