Teams
Teams is a digital hub that brings conversations, content, and apps together in one place. Educators create collaborative classes, connect in professional learning communities, and communicate with school staff—all from a single experience.
What is Teams to learners?
- Safe, collaborative, and social environment for learning
- Real time feedback tool for communication with educator and peers
What is Teams to educators?
- Organization tool to keep all class files, conversations, and collaborations in one place
- Time saver — give learners immediate access to files, create announcements to keep everyone informed, work with learners as groups or individually
- Efficient tool to assign and grade work and assessments
SEL and the class
“Within Teams there’s instant feedback to that student, and collaboration between learners, within an environment that’s safe and effective for class learning. That learning process extends well beyond the confines of a school. Learning can happen just about anywhere.”
-Rob Dickson, Omaha Public Schools
Teams supports SEL by offering learners opportunities to build relationship skills and engage in responsible decision making.
Relationship Skills
- Learners navigate social engagement by practicing clear communication and cooperation with others.
- Working in a collaborative environment, learners negotiate conflict constructively and seek and offer help when needed.
Responsible Decision-Making
- When working collaboratively on activities and projects, learners make constructive choices about their personal and social behaviors.
- Learners work in a collaborative environment engaging in interactions that allow them to practice safe, ethical behaviors and social norms.
Explore it
The Microsoft Education Community offers various options to get started using Teams. Quick start guides offer step-by-step instructions to get Teams up and running, or modules and webinars that offer a more in-depth overview of the tool’s features.
Access Teams to get started.
Get started in your class team: Use this guide to quickly set up Teams, add learners, and get organized.
Teams introduction for educators and staff: Access this on-demand webinar to learn more about how Teams supports learning.
Structure Teams through channels, tabs, files, and apps: Take this module to learn how to navigate and use Teams.
Features are fun and the ones in Teams support SEL in both remote and in-person settings. Check out at least one of the features below. What fun ideas support social and emotional skill development?
Conduct meetings in Teams
Set up meetings with the entire class, small groups, or even individual learners. They're a perfect way to give learners the opportunity to practice communication and cooperation with their peers.
- Access this video to learn more about conducting meetings in Teams.
- Read more in this guide about creating, attending, and running meetings.
Work collaboratively using Whiteboard
Provide learners an infinite canvas to work together to create, explain, and explore ideas.
- Read more about using the infinite whiteboard to engage in collaborative learning.
Integrate favorite apps into Teams
Use app integration in Teams to connect favorite tools for supporting and integrating SEL in learning experiences. Check out some of the apps that integrate to support SEL.
Reflect
Go back over the module graphic organizer and note any ideas for implementing Teams as a teaching and learning tool to support SEL or any resources to come back to later. Use the following questions to reflect on practice and ideas.
- How does Teams offer learners opportunities to practice communication and cooperation with peers?
- What is one aspect of Teams that helps learners practice responsible decision making?