Explore these guides on Microsoft Teams to best prepare your school or classroom to go digital or for periods of online learning due to temporary school closure.
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For more information on all Teams' features and capabilities access other links within the learning hub.
Accessing Teams
Accessing Teams via the DoE portal
Transcript and instructions
- Open your browser of choice.
- Login to the DoE Staff Portal
- If you have added Microsoft Office 365 to your essentials page, click the icon.
- If you have not yet added the Microsoft Office 365 icon, click 'my learning tools'. Locate the Microsoft Office 365 icon and click 'show details'. Then click '+ add to my essentials' list.
- Click the portal 'home' button and click the Microsoft Office 365 icon.
- This will bring you to the Microsoft Office 365 home page. Locate the Teams icon on the left menu and click to launch Teams.
Accessing Teams via the desktop
Transcript and instructions
- Open up your browser of choice.
- In the search bar, type https://aka.ms/getteams or click the link.
- Click the 'download for desktop' button.
- This will download the latest version of Microsoft Teams for your device.
Accessing Teams via iOS
Transcript and instructions
- Open the Apple App Store on your iOS device.
- Tap the search icon in the store and type Microsoft Teams. Make sure you choose the Microsoft app, as shown or click iTunes store.
- Tap the download link to install the app on your device.
- Once the app has finished downloading and installing, tap the open button.
Setting up a team
Creating a team
Transcript and instructions
- Select Teams button from the app bar.
- Select 'join' or 'create team' and click 'create team'.
- For a classroom team, select 'class' as the team type.
- Enter a name and optional description for your class. Select 'next'.
- Enter participant usernames with numbers and select 'add'. Click 'done' when you’re finished.
Sharing a join code to invite students
Transcript and instructions
- If you’re a team owner, go to the team name and click the ellipsis to show 'team options'.
- Click 'manage team'.
- Select the 'settings' tab, then 'team code' and click 'generate'.
- Click 'copy'. Share the code with your invitees however you choose—send the code to a single person via email, chat or write it on a white board for a whole room full of people.
Joining a team - for teachers and students
Transcript and instructions
- Select Teams and click 'join or create a team'.
- This is where you can join a team, or discover existing ones.
- Go to 'join a team with a code' (the second tile).
- Type or paste the code in the 'enter code box', and click 'join'.
Inviting members directly to your team
Transcript and instructions
- Navigate to the class team you’d like to add your co-teacher or student to.
- Select 'more options' next to your class team, then select 'add members'.
- Select the students or teachers tab, then type in their DoE name, username with number or email and then select 'add'.
- The teacher or student is immediately added to the class team (teacher as a co-owner). Select 'close' to return to teams.
Video and audio calls
Making video and audio calls
Transcript and instructions
You can create an instant meeting from within your channel, post or chat areas in Teams.
For a meeting with everyone within a channel:
- Click the 'meet now' icon in the top right of the screen
- Edit your settings, meeting name, audio and video preferences where necessary
- Click 'join now'
- You can add attendees by typing their name in the participants box in the top right of screen.
Calls from a chat
Transcript and instructions
- While you are in a chat with a person or a group of people, you can start a call with individual people, or call the whole group
- In the top right corner of the window is the phone and video icon. If you are in a chat with a group and click this, it will start a call with the group.
- If you want to call an individual from the group, you can hover your cursor over that person's icon and click the 'call' button when the box appears over that person.
Selecting camera and mic for calls
Transcript and instructions
- Before you enter a meeting you'll be prompted to select your audio and video settings.
- Use the sliders with the camera and mic icons to toggle your camera and mic on or off.
- Select the 'gear' icon to open the settings for the mic and speakers. Ensure that the correct webcam and microphone are selected.
- Click 'join now' and you'll enter the meeting.
Screensharing in a call
Transcript and instructions
- While the call is in progress, click the 'screen share' icon in the top right corner next to the mic and camera icons.
- Select what you would like to share. You can share the desktop of your computer, or any specific windows you have open at the time. If you have a document open such as a PowerPoint, you can share that too. If you have any media that has audio, select the 'include computer sound' slider.
- Once you are sharing, you can toggle the audio on or off, and give control to people you are in the call with, by hovering over the top of the screen and using the controls. You can stop sharing by selecting the 'cross' icon.
Communicating in Teams
Starting a conversation
Transcript and instructions
You can communicate in Teams by starting a conversation in a channel or by using the Chat feature.
To communicate in a channel:
- Select your desired Team & Channel
- Click on the Start a Conversation button at the bottom of the main screen.
- To reply to a channel message, select the little Reply link underneath the message
Using chat
Transcript and instructions
In Chats, you can have individual or group chats with people. The content can be anything from text, images and attachments to emojis, images and animated gifs.
- Click the chat icon on the left of screen
- Select 'new chat' icon at the top of the chat panel
- Type the name or email address of the person or people you want to contact.
- Select the down arrow to add a name to your chat group.
- Begin your conversation by adding some content and click the send icon in the bottom right of the screen
Adding an attachment including pre-recorded audio and video
Transcript and instructions
To include a file or picture in a message:
- Click 'choose file' below the compose box.
- Choose a file or picture from your computer or OneDrive or search for one from the 'files' tab for that channel.
- In a chat conversation, click the 'choose file' button and pick the file or picture you want from your computer or OneDrive.
NB For information on pre-recording video content such as a daily welcome to add to your Teams space, access The Student Filmmaker resource, or alternatively view this video on how to pre-record in Zoom and The Virtual Event Toolkit for other options.
For information on how to add audio content such as a daily podcast to your Teams space, access The Student Podcaster resource.
You can then upload your Video or Audio using the steps above.
Sharing links including pre-recorded audio and video
Transcript and instructions
To share a link in your communication you can:
- Simply paste your link info the compose box and press send. Teams may add some metadata and a thumbnail.
- Click the 'format' button in the compose box.
- Select 'insert link'.
- You can edit the text that appears and paste your link into the address box.
- Click 'insert'.
- Send your message.
NB For information on pre-recording video content such as a daily welcome to add to your Teams space, access The Student Filmmaker resource, or alternatively view this video on how to pre-record in Zoom and The Virtual Event Toolkit for other options.
For information on how to add audio content such as a daily podcast to your Teams space, access The Student Podcaster resource.
You can then post a link to your Video or Audio using the steps above.