Channels vs. MS Teams

MS Teams are collections of people, content, and tools.

Channels are dedicated sections within a team to keep conversations organized by specific topics or projects. Files that you share in a channel (on the Files tab) are stored in SharePoint.

Overview of MS Teams and Channels

• Posts (channel)
• • Best used for group work
  • Post announcements for the whole class in the general channel
  • Students can ask or respond to general or one-on-one chats
  • Quick response system
• Set up in advance when possible (groups and class)
  • Channels are best used for extended group work (e.g. assigned groups for the semester)
  • Channels organize themselves alphabetically
    • If you want a particular order, add numbers at the beginning of your channel names in the format 01, 02, etc.
    • If you want a channel pinned at the top, preface it with an underscore. “_channelname”.
    • You can delete channels, but there is a lag in removal so you cannot name them the same as a deleted channel.
• Include direct links for frequently used items in the general section of the channel
• Groups (livestream and/or synchronous)
  • Set clear expectations for how groups will function
  • Provide low stakes practice experience to prepare students
  • Channels may facilitate groups better than other asynchronous methods (e.g. Canvas discussions, MS Teams Breakout rooms)
• Use Chat as meeting notes
  • Students posting screenshots of the presentation for example
  • Students summarizing parts of the presentation for later use

Steps [but there’s only one listed?] to form a Group Channel

• Create a Channel [a MS Team? how?] and assign people as group members. To assign group members, @ mention those you wish to be in each group. These can be renamed by the teacher [MS Team owner/creator?] and stay in the same place [not sure what this means] as originally named.