Basic Microsoft Teams User Guide

I.  Something about Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams  is a workspace for collaboration, real-time communication, meetings, file sharing, and apps that keeps your team organized and conversational, all in one place.

Use the command box at the top to search for tools, take quick actions, and launch apps.

• Teachers and students can download the Teams app for computers, Android or iOS devices
• Or you can use Microsoft Teams on the web at  http:/office.com

1.  Why should you use Microsoft Teams ?

• Chat, work, and study easily with text, audio, video, and file sharing.
• Chat privately to develop an idea, then share it with the entire organization.
• Store all your files, documents, and more in one place.
• Integrate your favorite apps – Planner, Trello, GitHub and more.

2.  Some outstanding main features of Teams

• Manage Teams and Channels – Find channels that belong to or create your own. Inside channels, you can organize meetings, on-site classes, chat, and share files (plans, references, tutorials, assignments, etc.)
• Manage Meetings, Classes – See everything the teacher has lined up for the day or week. Or, schedule a meeting, a class schedule. This calendar syncs with the teacher's Outlook calendar
• Create and manage Calls – In some cases, teachers can call anyone from Teams, even if they're not using it.
• Activity Management – ​​Update all unread messages, @mentions (use @ to designate someone in the group), replies and more.

II. Create and manage groups

1.  Create a group

After starting or logging in to Microsoft Teams, teachers choose  Teams  à  Join or create a team . This is where teachers create their own groups or explore existing groups.

b1. Select Create team to create a new team

B2. Select the type of group that the teacher needs to create (here we should choose Class)

B3. Give the group a name and add a short description if desired.

B4. By default, the teacher's group just created is Private, which means that the teacher will have to add the person or group you want to the group.

In the group we are creating is a Group for the class, so teachers need to add students at Tab STUDENTS and add a teacher of the class in Tab TEACHERS (there can be more than 1 teacher) or teachers can Skip to add List of students below.

If you need more people from outside of your school, use their email addresses to invite them as guests. Add a friendly display name for them.

(Teachers can choose Public if you want anyone in the school to be able to find and join the group)

Step 5. When the teacher finishes adding members, select Add -> Close. And this is the interface after creating a group  (here teachers can download documents and set up class information)

2.  Create channel

By default, every group has a General channel, which is a good channel to use for notifications and information that the team needs. To add more channels, teachers can do the following:

b1. Select More options  (the …)  next to the group name.

b2. Select Add channel.

B3. Enter a name and description for the channel you just created. You can build a channel around a topic, project, department name, or anything else you like.

B4. Select Automatically show this channel in everyone's channel list. If you want this channel to automatically show up in everyone's channel list.

B5. Privacy: Here teachers can choose 1 of 2 options

– Standard – Accessible to everyone on the team: Everyone in the school can join the channel

– Private – Only accessible to a specific group of people within the team: Only those specified in the group can join the channel. Then teachers have to add members (including students and teachers) to the channel

B6. Select Add.

3. Customize and manage groups.

1. Select More options  (the ...)  next to the group name.

2. Select Manage team to find Members, Channels, Settings and Apps for your team in one place.

3. Select Settings > Group Image to add a group photo and give your team some personality.

4.  Collaborate in Teams and Channels

In Teams, groups are groups of people brought together for work, projects, or common interests.

Teams are made up of channels. Each channel is built around a theme, like “Group Events”, department names, or just for fun. Channels are where teachers hold meetings, study, discuss, chat and work on files together.

Tabs at the top of each channel link to your favorite files, apps, and services

5.  Add tab

Select the plus sign  (+)  next to the tabs.

Example: Add Planner to create project boards to track team tasks.

6.  Favorite channel

If the teacher has many channels, please mark the important channels as favorites to make them easy to find.

To favorite a channel, select the More channels menu below the channel list and select the start icon for the channel you want to favorite. To delete a favorite, select the three dots next to the channel name and select Remove favorite.

7.  Working with Posts and Messages

Create and format posts to start a channel conversation.

– Type a message.

– Select format.

– Format the teacher's post with the formatting functions → Select send.

 8. Start class chats, calls, and discussions

With the chat feature, teachers can chat privately or in groups that are not part of the public group's channel. And with calls, teachers can make calls or check their history or voicemail.

8.1. View a chat

Select Chat and select a live or group chat from the chat list.

8.2. Start a conversation

– Select New chat to start a new chat.

– Enter the name of the person or teachers you want to contact.

– Select the down arrow to add a name to the teacher's chat group.

8.3. Make video and audio calls from chat

Select Video call or Audio call to call someone directly from the chat.

8.4. Recently used and favorite

On the left side of the app, teachers will see their Recent chats as well as Favorites.

Hover over the conversation, select the three dots, then select Favorites to keep the teacher's conversation in the Favorites list.

8.5. Use Microsoft Teams to manage your activity feed

– Select the Activity button to view the Activity feed, which summarizes everything that happened in the channels the group follows.

– Select the Filter icon.

– In the pop-up menu, select the type of notification you want to see.

– Select  X  to close the filter.

For a more specific feed, go to the Feed menu and select My Activity. You'll see a list of everything you've done recently in Microsoft Teams.

8.6. Use Microsoft Teams  Record a meeting or group call

b1. Start or attend a meeting.

b2. To start recording, go to meeting controls, and then select  More    start recording options .

Once done, everyone in the meeting is notified that the recording has started.

Meeting notifications are also sent to chat history.

b3. To stop recording, select the call à and then select More options to  stop recording  (Stop Recording)

• The recording will then be processed (it may take a while) and saved to Microsoft Stream and can be played back
• Users will receive an email from Microsoft Stream when the recording is available. It also shows up in the meeting chat — or in the channel, if you're meeting in a channel.

9. Chat and make calls from Teams

Using Microsoft Teams makes it easy to make a call, join a class or a meeting, wherever you are.

9.1. Start chatting

In  chats , you can have 1:1 private or group chats with everyone.

1. Select  New Chat   .
2. Enter the name of the person or people you want to contact.
3. Select the down arrow to add a name to the chat group.

9.2. Make video calls and voice calls

• Select  Video call   or  Voice call   to call someone directly from chat.
• Or select the person you want to call from your contacts and click Video call . or Voice call . to call directly

9.3. Pin chats

1. To pin a conversation, select  more options  >  pin . The chat appears in the Pinned  list  . Note:  You can pin up to 15 chats.
2. To unpin a chat, select  more options  >  unpin .