Microsoft Teams is going to make me cry with rage

[AssangesCat]

DS has to use it now for school. Neither of us has a clue. Is it me or is it useless? Whoever says on the advert that they are living on Teams must be a poor soul or a liar. It's just a mess. Notifications for everything that happens, whether it's relevant or not. How are you meant to find anything a teacher has said in the screeds of daft messages and emojis from children who are just getting the hang of it themselves? I feel rudely yanked out of the cosy world of a small primary school and thrust into the roiling cauldron of a big high school, and it's my job to help DS through this!

@Rollergirl11 A lot of Scottish children are doing their transition phase now. This is his introduction to high school. He should have been going for a 3 day visit to meet the teachers and his new classmates, instead we are farting about on Teams.

Should have been enhanced transition as well. I was really keen for him to meet teachers in a relaxed way as the potential for additional needs to manifest in dramatic fashion is usually in the first three weeks of getting a new teacher, and at high school there will be about 6 different teachers in a day so god help us. We're already pencilled in for CAMHS a few weeks into the new term in anticipation of new teacher related melt down.

Re hiding a body on SharePoint, I used to say if you want to keep a secret, put it on SharePoint.

It's a pretty easy tool to use, just watch some videos. Microsoft have lots of them on their website that teach you how to use it.

Uploading files is simply just drag and drop.

I really like using it the problem is whether people are using it properly.

Are threads being created to contain the same conversation in one easy to find place ..it can get manic if people talking about a topic just put up individual posts and then it's just a long stream of posts.

Channels can be set up so only teacher can post but others can comment on that post as opposed to writing new posts

If someone needs your attention they should be tagging you in.

Interestingly, we were discussing this in a Teams meeting at work, and saying that children and parents who aren't familiar with how it works will struggle.

Once you have mastered the basics it is reasonably straightforward to navigate around.

The issue with not being to download, I think, might be if you don't already have Microsoft Office installed. Before I got my PC back from work I used Office 365 which is free.

I am happy to be corrected, but I struggled with downloading stuff until I installed Office 365.

We are using Teams for work, sorry but I think it's brilliant! I'm in two teams, a total of about a dozen channels; I don't read every notification as it pops up (most of my channels have notifications switched off) but I do then catch-up a couple of times each day. We are actively uploading files but then collaborating as a team (simultaneous editing!). Some of my team are on Win7, I'm on Win10, we're using the downloaded version but I'll often log into the online (cloud) version whilst sat on my Chromebook. The only thing I'd recommend is that if you are using the online (cloud) version on a Windows machine, use it through the Chrome browser and not IE/Edge.

Doesn't offer anything I didn't get through Skype for business, except it's more likely to hang or drop, it's less easy to use, and nothing is easy to find, it's all about accidentally hovering the mouse in the right place on the screen

I have never used Skype for Business so I can't compare it with that. The company have made a decision to stop using Skype anyway.

I use Zoom for online pilates classes and get more freezes/drop outs with that than I do on Teams.

Granny ive just copied your post and texted it to my son

Are any of you part-time? I’m finding it’s more difficult to catch up as a PT person. It used to be a quick chat to whoever was within earshot and a scan of my email. Now work moves so quickly and I don’t know what I don’t know to ask!

I am, but I work with and for some great people so it isn't an issue. My team leader does a catch up call every morning anyway.

Hate it. No idea how many teams ds is on. Possibly 15? He only does about 3 or 4 when he feels like it.

I work with and for some great people too but I’m still not keen on Teams!
Gin, when you say your team leader calls every morning is that just days you work? I think we need a daily update but someone would have to scan so much info...

2 hours of teams today and now my camera won't work on anything! and it pops up each time I turn on the computer restarted, check setting etc etc, still no bloody camera.
I now hate teams and I want a better laptop.

@dreamingofyellowandnavy if you look in the participant list you can click on ppl and ‘pin’ members- they’ll then show up on screen. You can leave them up or unpin and toggle through (they don’t know)

Could it be the way your school is using it that's confusing, OP? My year 7 DS and year 10 Dd are getting all their work assignments for each subject via Teams and are getting on with it fine - I haven't had to help or intervene at all, even with 12yo DS.

I'm loving Teams but it needs a bit of getting used to.

Download the app. It gives you a far better experience
If you must use a browser, remember it's a Microsoft product so designed to run through Microsoft Edge
If you rightly consider Edge to be the spawn of the devil, Chrome is an acceptable option

The teacher needs to exert some control I.e. keeping chat to the chat function and leaving the channels for actual work. If you use @ when using the text it will flag it up Ann notify whoever you are talking to. Very useful for getting the attention of the teacher. You can also call them (audio or video) from the chat function.

Zoom has shocking security holes. If an institution has a license you get end to end encryption. But this is really really expensive. Many schools are using teams because they already have Microsoft accounts

Silly question that I’m too ashamed to ask at work however many weeks in. On my first day I randomly clicked some things and Teams appeared as an App on my phone. Cool, I know that’s an app. How do I know how I’m “running” teams on the laptop? If I’m running it Chrine which is highly probable how do I get it into an app on the laptop?

Also...I’m in a couple of Teams, I know that, that’s pretty clear. What’s a Channel?

TeamsMakesMeScreams yes, I only participate on the days that I work. We also do a weekly quiz on Teams. I think it works very well, and keeps the team spirit going. We are very busy at work at the moment, and it is nice to have a bit of light relief once a week.

@slug I would assume that most people would be using a browser for Teams if it is work related because most people would be using a PC or laptop anyway.

We don't really use Teams for chit chat, except for first thing in the morning. We have got into the habit of wishing everyone good morning, but generally we use the group chat for work related questions such as asking for email addresses of suppliers etc.

We use it at work and I just can’t get with it.
I’ve never found anything so unintuitive. I work with loads of software systems, I’ve always been quick to pick them up, but Teams and my brain just don’t play nicely together!

You can pit the app on your PC or Mac. I especially recommend it if you are using a Mac as the experience is much better

Would I want my son's Teams account on my phone as an app? Would that help at all? He doesn't have a smart phone and doesn't want one.