New Microsoft Teams Features

NEW Force Mute in Team Meetings

MS Teams now allows you to keep all the participants on mute and they are unable to unmute themselves. An advantage to this is when a teacher needs to present without interruption. This is an “all or nothing” deal. Either all participants are muted or all participants have the ability to unmute themselves and speak.

NEW Spotlight For Focus in Team Meetings

There may be times when you want to force focus on you during a presentation. This keeps the viewer from changing their view to other students. You can also use this function to force the focus on someone else’s image, like a student who is speaking and presenting.

🔆NEW Extending Your Desktop To Share or Present

With two or more displays, you can see your students on one screen while presenting or working on the other. This works well for having your remote students on the projector screen to join the class for direct instruction or to help students remotely with lessons and work. Not sure if your screen is mirrored or extended? Click Here for a quick check document.

Setting Up the New Teams Experience

The new Microsoft Teams experience allows you to take advantage of new features such as an anchored toolbar, large grid, focus, attendance, the “Together” view and other features as they roll out. At this time, it is only available on Microsoft Windows laptops and desktops. It is not available for Chromebooks or iPads. Click on the How To Document below to get started!

Managing a Microsoft Team

Find ways to rename your class, add icons, and more!

Inviting a Team to a Meeting

The advantage of inviting a Microsoft Team to a meeting is in the security. Only members of your team can come into the meeting without your permission.

Students will still access their teams by using the Microsoft Teams Meeting link that you send them through SeeSaw, Google Classroom, or Schoology. If you have other adults in your team (paraprofessionals, team teachers, instructional coaches, etc.), they will also see the invite in their Outlook email.

Managing Guest Access in a Teams Meeting

NEVER allow a guest in from the lobby to enter the Teams Meeting without your explicit permission and understanding. To do so could allow unwanted consequences!