Learn Microsoft Teams

Make sure you know the technology that you are using to share your lesson. For example, do you know how to make breakout rooms, open the whiteboard, or change your background?

For more information, view the Humber ITS: Microsoft Teams Quick Reference Guide

Turn on captions and record

Don’t forget that you want the information from your session to be easily available to your learners. By recording your sessions and turning on captions, you ensure that all learners can understand and access your lesson.

Share a handout or teacher notes

To help learners follow along, it is a great idea to share a handout or some notes with them ahead of time.

Use visuals to clarify ideas

As you explain concepts verbally, share visuals so that learners can get the information in more than one way.

Switch gears periodically

Avoid just talking for an hour straight. Instead, break up your live session with regular interactive activities (e.g., like a Kahoot quiz or a Mentimeter poll, etc.).

Begin each session with an agenda

These overviews will help learners understand what they are about to learn. The agendas can double as useful study aids for learners who are trying to locate specific topics before the exam.

Use breakout rooms for collaboration

Use breakout rooms to host smaller groups, and assign them a task to complete and present to the whole class.

Teach with video strategically

Avoid showing videos during your synchronous sessions when they are longer than a couple of minutes. For longer videos, share the link for learners to watch before the session and ask them to come to class prepared to discuss it. When showing short videos during a live session, learners will often miss key pieces of information due to slow internet connections and other issues, and some learners will require accessibility tools. Always share the video link with the class before pressing play so that learners can watch on their own device if needed.