Instant messaging as the main port of communication

[JoeRogue]

Hi All,

 

Not sure if this is in the correct forum so please feel free to move admin!

 

We're in the process of tidying up email groups as our new Headmistress (rightly so) is already annoyed at the amount of emails that get sent on a daily basis.

 

In terms of planning for the future, are there any schools out there that have adopted using things like Slack/Google Chat/Teams instant messaging as the main port of communication?

 

We're a Google school and I have been using Google Chat for around 6 months with my department and a few members of staff and have found it beneficial.

 

Any feedback/thoughts would be great.

 

Thank you

[Boredguy]

We limited the users that can send to certain e-mail groups, however moving everyone to using IM style communications has it's drawbacks in the classroom.

 

As we have standardised on using Office 365, all our users have Teams open, so could send messages via that, however it can pop up during lessons, etc when it could be distracting. At least with e-mails the notifications can be supressed, or the page/app left closed.

[paulkerton]

We kinda leave it open to staff. We didn't use Google Chat at all really before the lockdown, but opened it up to staff during lockdown to help them with communicating.

 

 

We've left it open. Some use it a lot, others seem to barely acknowledge it exists. I guess it's departmental, as to how it will be used really!

[psydii]

I brief all new starters that sending an all staff email is a career limiting move. The Head really doesn't like them.

 

We have an admin team member who collates all 'all staff' messages and sends them out on a Friday. This encourages people to be organised and think ahead.

 

Teams is used a lot, but messages inside of any given Team is quite low volume. However some people chatter a lot via Teams 1:1 Chat.

 

I have discovered that this chatter shows up when we have to run e-discovery. OH MY GOD ***THOUSANDS OF MESSAGES*** when one email would have done.

 

Having dealt with several widely scoped SARs and legal discovery pieces recently, I am burning down the server room, and turning off Office 365.

[TRS-80]

For admin staff Teams chat is beneficial, not so much for teachers. We're looking at Teams phones and one of my big concerns is how to stop teachers' Teams clients ringing while they're in class.

[paulkerton]

For admin staff Teams chat is beneficial, not so much for teachers. We're looking at Teams phones and one of my big concerns is how to stop teachers' Teams clients ringing while they're in class.

I would assume (and I don't know Teams phones, so I'm assuming here) that an entry in their calendar for their class could mark them as unavailable, and therefore unable to answer?

[TRS-80]

I would assume (and I don't know Teams phones, so I'm assuming here) that an entry in their calendar for their class could mark them as unavailable, and therefore unable to answer?

That's what Microsoft have said, but then we need to populate their calendars from the timetable. Which there are tools to do so, but it's just another thing to manage. I'm not sold on the benefit of hooking up the IM platform to the phone system in general, whether it's Teams or Cisco or whatever.

[psydii]

I have found that calls still ring even if your calendar says you are busy.