Microsoft Teams, via the Microsoft O365 Suite, is the preferred, and CESA supported, platform to facilitate home learning. 

All CESA teachers and students have access to O365. 

Microsoft Teams offers an easy and convenient way to create interactive video meetings and classes with students. 

Microsoft Teams brings conversations, content, assignments, and video conferencing together in one safe environment, allowing teachers to create vibrant and collaborative virtual learning experiences. 

Video conferencing is a beneficial tool for learning and provides opportunities to:

• Collaborate and connect with teachers in and across schools 
• Connect students with other students in and across schools
• Reach students who cannot get to school due to illness or hospitalisation  
• Record your lesson for playback later 
• Allow students to review recorded lessons after the fact 
• Bring experts into the classroom 
• Connect with other schools to collaborate across borders. 

Schools should also consider asynchronous options such as creating screencasts or recording videos to support student learning. 

This section will guide you through creating and recording an online video meeting/webinar/classroom and inviting others directly, via email, or through a link.

Microsoft have created resources, training and how-to guides for the use of O365, including information on making the transition to remote learning.

See below for Microsoft videos on how to set up and schedule online classes and lectures in O365.

Getting Started with Microsoft Teams 

Professional Learning Communities (PLC's) meet Microsoft Teams 

Manage teacher workflow in Microsoft Teams 

Creating a Class in Microsoft Teams 

Creating a Class in Microsoft Teams #2

Increase student engagement with Conversations in Microsoft Teams 

You Can Grade Assignments With Teams! 

You Can Manage Student Collaboration With Microsoft Teams!

You Can Use Immersive Reader In Microsoft Teams 

As you prepare to facilitate remote learning and virtual classrooms, it is important that we keep students safe online and protect their privacy.  

This guideline contains information to assist you in understanding your responsibilities in maintaining online safety when using video conferencing tools.

Microsoft Teams, via the Microsoft Office 365 Suite, is the preferred, and CESA supported, platform to facilitate home learning. 

All CESA teachers and students have access to O365. 

Microsoft Teams offers an easy and convenient way to create interactive video meetings and classes with students. 

Microsoft Teams brings conversations, content, assignments, and video conferencing together in one safe environment, allowing teachers to create vibrant and collaborative virtual learning experiences. 

Video conferencing is a beneficial tool for learning and provides opportunities to:

• Collaborate and connect with teachers in and across schools 
• Connect students with other students
• Record your lesson for playback later 
• Allow students to review recorded lessons after the fact 
• Bring experts into the classroom 

Schools should also consider asynchronous options such as creating screencasts or recording videos to support student learning.  

• Ensure private chat is turned off for students - so all conversations can be seen by teachers and everyone in the Team.
• Encourage nonverbal feedback on to allow students to interact
• Personal information of students shared with vendors is minimised.

It is essential that schools and teachers focus on the privacy and safety of students when using online video conferencing tools. 

Approved Software:

• Use video conferencing solutions approved by CESA ICT Services. Ensure personal information is not being inappropriately used or shared.

Supervision

• A virtual classroom is just like a regular classroom. Do not leave a student video meeting running unsupervised.  When an online video conference – or chat function - has finished ensuring that all students have left the meeting space before you finalise and end the meeting.

Moderate Behaviour

• Teachers will need to moderate the virtual classroom for inappropriate content or behaviour and are responsible for the removal or restriction of access for disruptive users.

Restrict Permissions

• Ensure permissions are in place which restrict student-initiated chat or video conferences with one another. Students should not be able to invite guests from outside the school, or initiate screen sharing capabilities while participating in a video conference controlled by a teacher. 

Password Protect

• Where possible, teachers should use passwords to restrict virtual classrooms access to students and/or parents where applicable.

Personal Information

• Where possible, only use first names to identify students.
• Do not conduct 1:1 video conferencing with students.

If using third party cloud applications schools are required to conduct a CESA Privacy Impact Assessment and obtain Principal approval prior to use.

Please contact CESA ICT Services if you have questions regarding leveraging technologies in schools.