Youth Sector KI Teachers Team
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Kativik Ilisarniliriniq is making Microsoft Team the main tool for communication and file sharing. The Youth Sector KI Teachers team is open to all teachers and Eductaion Services team, making it the central point to collaborate.
Getting Started with Teams
Microsoft Teams should already be installed on your KI computer. To sign in, use your KI credentials, the same you use to access your email. Once you are signed in, you should see the Youth Sector KI Teachers team.
If you couldn’t locate Teams on your computer or if you were unable to sign in, refer to the troubleshooting section at the end of this article.
First Steps
To support your first steps with Microsoft Teams, specifically with the Youth Sector KI Teachers team, we have developed a series of tutorial videos. Please watch them to familiarize yourself with the organization, communication and file management aspects of our Teams environment.
Setup
Communication
Files
Contacting your Pedagogical Consultants in Teams
For quick answers to your day-to-day questions, you can contact your pedagogical consultant using Teams’ Chat tool located in the left hand side menu. To start a new chat, click on the paper and pencil icon. You can also download the Teams app on your mobile device for easier access.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Files and Library?
In the Youth sector KI teachers Teams, you will see two different tabs labelled Files and Library. They both contain documents but have distinct uses.
Files
The Files tab is a shared location, accessible by all members of the team, where documents can be worked on collaboratively. That means documents in the Files tab can be edited by anyone. All documents shared in a Post will also automatically be saved in the Files tab of the corresponding channel. If you’d like to make alterations to a file for yourself, please download it to your computer first, and then make edits.
Library
The Library tab is managed by the Education Services and contains essential documents such as curriculum, LES, forms, etc. You have access to this folder, but can’t edit its content. Each channel of the Youth Sector KI Teachers team has a link towards the corresponding folder in the Library. In order to use documents from the Library, download them on your computer first.
In short, Files is a space for collaborative work and shared resources, while Library serves as a secure storage for reference materials. Understanding these sections will help you use Teams more effectively.
How to Mute or Pin Channels in Microsoft Teams?
If desired, you can Mute (deactivate all notifications) or Pin (anchor to the top of the page) a channel on Microsoft Teams. To do so, follow these simple steps. Before you mute channels, remember that only direct messages and mentions of your name will trigger notifications. Therefore, we don’t recommend muting channels altogether.
Pin
- Select the channel you wish to Mute.
- Click on … next to the channel’s name for More Options.
- From the dropdown menu, select Pin.
Once a channel is pinned, it will appear at the top of your channel list on the left hand side of your Teams for quick access. You can pin multiple channels following the same steps, and they will be arranged in the order you’ve pinned them. To unpin a channel, simply follow the same steps and select Unpin from the dropdown menu.
Mute
- Select the channel you wish to Mute.
- Click on … next to the channel’s name for More Options.
- From the dropdown menu, select Mute.
Muting a channel will prevent any notifications from this specific channel from popping up, but you will still be able to see all the messages and updates inside the channel when you chose to consult it. Remember, when the channel’s title is in bold, it means new activity has occured.
Where to Communicate… Posts, Chat or Email?
In this section, we present the key factors for determining if your question is most suitable for a Post in a channel (Teams), the Chat tool (Teams), or email (Outlook).
To answer simply, it largely depends on the nature and urgency of your question, as well as who needs to be involved in the conversation.
Post
Posts in a channel are visible to all members of the Youth Sector KI Teachers team. Starting a conversation there is a great choice if your question is general, related to shared projects or responsibilities, or if the answer might benefit multiple team members. This encourages open discussion and collaborative problem-solving.
Chat
If your question is specific to one person, or if it involves sensitive information, then a private Chat might be the most suitable option. It’s also a good choice for quick, informal communication or when an immediate response is needed.
Email is usually best for formal communication or when you need to include people outside of the Youth Sector KI Teachers team in the conversation. It’s also good for long-form communication that may need to be referenced later on.
Troubleshooting
If you face technical difficulties using Microsoft Teams, multiple resources are available for yo to get support. We recommend following this order when seeking help:
- Reach out to your principal or to the person leading technology in your school.
- If the question is related to Learning using technologies, reach out to your EdTech pedagogical consultants.
- If they can’t provide you with the necessary support, they will help you create a service ticket to request technical assistance from IT.
Conclusion
Kativik Ilisarniliriniq is committed to bringing everyone and everything together on the Teams platform to facilitate sharing among our teaching staff in the youth sector. This year, one of our goals is to promote collaboration between schools from different communities, and the Teams platform will be one of the easiest ways to do so.