Introduction to Classwork in Microsoft Teams
Teachers who use Microsoft Teams will have a convenient new feature to use this fall. That feature is called Classwork and it will enable you to create modules of resources drawn from assignments and OneNote notebook pages as well as web links, files, and Microsoft Forms quizzes. Last month at the ISTE conference I saw […]
New Microsoft Teams Features to Note
A couple of weeks ago Mike Tholfsen published a video highlighting new Microsoft Word features for teachers to note. This week he published a video highlighting eight new Microsoft Teams features for teachers to note. Some of the new Teams features demonstrated in Mike’s video include new background and filter options, new zoom options, and […]
Teacher and Student Views of Reading Progress and Reading Coach in Microsoft Teams
Last year Microsoft added actionable insights to Reading Progress in Microsoft Teams. This year there is even more information and there are more actions that you can take when using Reading Progress and Reading Coach in Microsoft Teams. In a new video that he released yesterday, Mike Tholfsen provides a complete overview of how to […]
An Overview of Microsoft’s Search Coach
Last summer Microsoft announced a new Teams product that would be rolling to education users over the coming school year. That product is called Search Coach and it appears to now be widely available to all Microsoft Teams education users. As its name implies, Search Coach in Microsoft Teams provides students with tips to improve […]
New Microsoft Teams Features for the New School Year
Mike Tholfsen is a product manager at Microsoft he has early access to features that are rolling-out to users. That means his videos sometimes include overviews of new features before anyone else has used them. If you want to know about what’s new in Teams and other Microsoft products Mike’s YouTube channel is for you. In one […]
Ziplet Now Integrates With Microsoft Teams
Ziplet was one of my favorite tools in 2021. Ziplet has a few features that make it an outstanding tool for conducting online exit ticket activities. First, there is a large library of premade exit ticket questions that you can use. Second, students can respond in a variety of ways including with a just an […]
Games, Teams, and Mud – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where sunny weather has returned after a couple of days of sleet, snow, and rain. That sleet, snow, and rain is part of what makes this time of year Mud Season! How muddy? This week a school bus in our area got stuck in the mud while taking kids home from […]
New Whiteboard Features in Microsoft Teams and New Excel Formulas
If you regularly use Microsoft Teams or any component of Office 365 and you’re not subscribed to Mike Tholfsen’s YouTube channel, you need to subscribe to it. That’s where I learn about all of the latest features available for Teams, Reading Progress, Immersive Reader, Word, OneNote, and many other Office 365 tools. Mike’s latest videos […]
Actionable Insights for Reading Progress in Microsoft Teams
Last week Microsoft added some new aspects to the Reading Progress tools in Microsoft Teams. One of those new features is called Actionable Insights. As the name implies, it provides you with information about your students’ reading progress and lets you create assignments based on those insights. The means that after you have reviewed the […]
Blurred Backgrounds and More Microsoft Teams Updates
I’m not a daily user of Microsoft Teams so I rely on Mike Tholfsen’s excellent YouTube channel to stay abreast of the latest features added to Microsoft Teams. It was through his recent video Top 5 New Features in Microsoft Teams that I learned about blurring backgrounds in Teams. I had assumed that the web […]
Q&A in Microsoft Teams Meetings
I’m not a regular Microsoft Teams user (the schools and clients I work with all use Zoom or Meet) which is why I rely on Mike Tholfsen’s great YouTube channel to keep me updated about the latest and greatest in Microsoft Teams. It’s through Mike’s channel that I learned about the relatively new and updated […]
Ten Updated Microsoft Teams Features for Teachers to Note
Mike Tholfsen is my go-to person for all things related to Microsoft Education products. He regularly updates his YouTube channel with informative videos about the latest features added to Microsoft Teams, Word, PowerPoint, Immersive Reader, and more. And as a product manager at Microsoft he has early access to features that are rolling-out to users. […]
Reading Progress + ReadWorks in Microsoft Teams = Awesome!
This fall I’ve been seeing a lot of people Tweet about how much they like the new Reading Progress feature in Microsoft Teams. Not being a regular Teams user myself, I didn’t give it a good look until this week. I wish I had looked at it sooner! Reading Progress in Microsoft Teams gives you […]
40 OneNote and Outlook Tips for Teachers and Students
Mike Tholfsen is a product manager for Microsoft Education and the producer of some excellent Microsoft product tutorial videos for teachers. I recently mentioned one of his videos in my weekly newsletter. For those who missed it, the video I mentioned was 20 Outlook Web Tips and Tricks 2021. In 20 Outlook Web Tips and […]
See Video, Chat, and Notes at the Same Time in Microsoft Teams
Mike Tholfsen has released a new video that teachers using Microsoft Teams for online instruction should be excited to see. In this new video Mike demonstrates how to use the new presenter view in Microsoft Teams Meetings. As you’ll see in the video, the new presenter view is similar to the presenter view you’re probably […]
Microsoft EDU – You’ve Got Questions, He’s Got Answers
Many times over the last year I’ve mentioned Mike Tholfsen from Microsoft and his many Microsoft Teams tutorial videos. His YouTube channel is really the place to go for help with Microsoft Teams and OneNote questions. Next week he’s hosting a live AMA (ask me anything) session on his YouTube channel. At 5pm ET on […]
New Microsoft Teams Features for 2021
When it comes to learning about the latest features of Microsoft Teams there is no one better to follow than Mike Tholfsen. I’ve mentioned him a lot over the last couple of years. But for those who aren’t familiar with him, Mike is the product manager for Microsoft Education. Last spring he started publishing a […]
How to Create Breakout Rooms in Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet
Breakout rooms can be useful to get students talking and working in small groups in a virtual class meeting. Here are directions for creating breakout rooms in Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. How to Create Breakout Rooms in ZoomTo create breakout rooms in Zoom you’ll first need to make a small change in your […]
Breakout Rooms in Microsoft Teams
Breakout Rooms is one of the most popular features of Zoom. A similar feature is now available in Microsoft Teams. Just like in Zoom you can assign your students to a specific breakout room or have them randomly assigned to a room. You can breakout and regroup as many times as you like during your […]
How to Reduce Noise in Microsoft Teams Meetings
Good microphones like Blue Snowball microphones can help you sound better in a virtual meeting. But you can also use a new feature in Microsoft Teams to reduce the background noise that comes through your calls. In this new video Mike Tholfsen demonstrates how to reduce background noise in Microsoft Teams calls. It’s an impressive […]
A New Microsoft Teams Feature That I Wish Google Classroom Had
If you work in a school that use Microsoft Teams or any of the other great Office 365 tools available to teachers and students, you need to subscribe to Mike Tholfsen’s YouTube channel. It was through his channel that I recently learned about a fantastic new feature in Microsoft Teams that I wish Google would […]
Five Features of Microsoft Teams to Note
This year I added a section on remote teaching to the Practical Ed Tech Handbook. What follows here is an excerpt from that section. Whiteboards: To use the whiteboard in Microsoft Teams meetings simply open the screen sharing menu then choose “whiteboard.” You can turn the whiteboard on or off at any time during your […]
A Great Set of Microsoft Teams Tutorials
I published a bunch of videos about using Google Meet and Zoom this spring. That’s because those are the tools that I use the most and I was asked about the most. This afternoon I answered an email from a reader who was looking for help with Microsoft Teams. My recommendation was to check out […]
How to Share Your Computer’s Audio in Microsoft Teams
Whether it’s the basics of how the technology works or “features” right now we’re all learning a lot about hosting online meetings. For example, this week I learned about sharing system audio in Microsoft Teams meetings. Microsoft Teams isn’t a service that I use on a regular basis so when I do use it there […]
Seven Microsoft Product Updates for Teachers to Note
Over the last six or seven weeks Microsoft has rolled-out some notable updates to their products that teachers and students use most. I’ve covered some of those updates in blog posts here and some I have only shared on social media. Here’s a recap of noteworthy updates to Microsoft products made in the last seven […]
Share Rubrics and Other Improvements to Microsoft Teams for Edu
Back in August rubric grading was added to Microsoft Teams for Edu. With that feature enabled you can attach rubrics to assignments for students to see before and after completing an assignment. Equally important, you’ll be able to grade an assignment using that rubric without having to open multiple tabs or windows. This week at […]
Rubric Grading and Ten Other New Microsoft for EDU Features
Google wasn’t the only tech giant to release new tools for teachers and students this week. Microsoft has also announced eleven new features for teachers and students who use Microsoft Teams for EDU. Rubric Grading in Microsoft Teams is at the top of the list of new Microsoft Teams for EDU features. This is a […]
Five Key Updates to Microsoft’s Education Products
During the ISTE conference this week Microsoft showcased many features of their varied education products. If you, like me, were not able to attend the conference, you can get a full run-down of all of the updates in What’s New in EDU. Here are the updates that stood-out to me. Add Forms to Assignments in […]
Microsoft Adds New OneNote and Teams Features for Teachers and Students
This week Microsoft announced a handful of new OneNote and Teams features. These new features were all developed for the purpose of improving collaboration and transparency. Rubrics in Teams Back in February Microsoft acquired Chalkup. One of Chalkup’s primary services was to provide a platform for creating, sharing, using rubrics to grade assignments online. Chalkup’s […]
Microsoft Teams for Education Gets Five New Features
This week Microsoft announced the release of five new features for Microsoft Teams for Education. The two of the more significant of the five new features are the ability to schedule assignment postings and the ability to give assignments to individual students or small groups. Schedule assignment postings Scheduling the posting of assignments is a […]