Welcome to the Teacher video conferencing training page

The following resources are here to help you choose the best technology solution for video conferencing in your classroom. You will find a range of videos and downloadable guides for each solution to assist you to successfully incorporate video conferencing in your learning from home classroom.

The table shows the specific features of each video conferencing solutions provided by the NSW DoE (April 2020). 

Video conferencing advice

The following advice comes from the NSW DoE and the Killara High School to help you understand how to setup your lessons and things to consider before deploying video conferencing in your class room.
NSW DoE VC guidelines
Killara High School VC guidelines
Simon's advice
"Why everyone needs to incorporate video conferencing into your learning from home practice"
Video conferencing (VC) is a great way to personalise and create connections with students in a remote online learning model that is not possible without technology. 
When you are planning your lessons it is important to consider what student learning outcomes are in your lesson and if video conferencing can add value to the learning.
Here is my list of important considerations when using VC in your Learning from Home environment.
  • You need to plan lessons differently for the online learning environment and using VC to deliver a lesson similarly to face to face may not be very successful. 
  • I would not recommend utilising VC for more than 15 minutes at a time and ideally this may be at the start of the lesson and then after an activity to debrief.
  • ​Use VC for collaborative activities, short teacher centred demonstrations, giving valuable feedback and as a means to allow more timely student feedback. 
  • All my classes have mentioned they feel more motivated when they have the human interaction of seeing their teacher at the start of the lesson to explain learning intentions and success criteria. 
  • It is very important to consider which VC tool you use and ensure you are protecting your own and student's privacy.
  • Make sure you know how to work the technology before your first lesson e.g. sharing your screen and managing students in the call. I would suggest starting your first VC with colleagues or a trusted senior class.
  • I always use a blurred background and ask the same of my students. Generally I will have all students start with their camera off and audio muted
  • Setting up your first VC it is important to setup up virtual classroom expectations and be ready to enforce them e.g. microphones muted, replies only about classwork.
  • Finally we are all learning and it is OK if your first VC session does not go completely to plan. Your students will appreciate the effort you are putting in to improve their Learning from Home experience.

Zoom training

Zoom is a fully featured application that has been used in the corporate world for a long time and recently used by many schools around the world. The NSW DoE has provided a more secure version of Zoom for all teachers and students to use. 
Use for: Teacher and Students meetings
Pros
  • meeting links can be shared via email or LMS
  • teacher and student video
  • host control over attendees
  • NSW DOE has added enhanced security settings to Zoom
  • break out room functionality
  • the ability to add virtual backgrounds
  • annotate your screen share and virtual whiteboard.
Cons
  • Zoom has advanced functionality and requires a bit of practice to run meetings
  • there are not many cons for Zoom, however, it has more functionality than some teachers will need.
Quick reference guides
Teacher guide
Student guide
Quick start videos
Join a meeting
How to schedule a meeting
Meeting controls
Using break out rooms for collaboration

Microsoft Teams

.Microsoft Teams is the all in one collaboration hub with everything integrated in one package. The meet now video conferencing functionality allows a broad range of features with teacher and student videos. Lessons can be recorded easily and automatically upload to the Teams channel.
Use for: Teacher and Students meetings
Pros
Cons
  • video conferencing right within a channel in Microsoft Teams
  • teacher and student video
  • host control over attendees
  • record and upload your lesson with two clicks
  • The most secure video conferencing application through the NSW DoE
  • download a meeting roster into Excel
  • the ability to add virtual backgrounds
  • meeting rooms via Microsoft Teams channels
  • Microsoft whiteboard easily accessed. 
  • video conferencing is easier when you use Microsoft Teams (this can be integrated into Google Classroom)
  • running a meeting requires a bit of practice.
Quick reference guides
Participate in a meeting
Setup a meeting in Microsoft Teams
You can connect your Google Classroom to Microsoft Teams meet now meetings
You can connect your Google Classroom to Microsoft Teams. Thanks to Pip Cleaves for this excellent guide. 
​Quick start videos
How to use meet now with students
Sharing your screen during a meeting
Present PowerPoint slides in a meeting

Google Meet 

Google Meet is a simple video conferencing solution setup through the  NSW DoE that is easy to use and run. Using this application with students has some privacy issues and the NSW DoE are working with Google on these issues. There is not a current ETA for Google Meet to be opened up for students. We strongly recommend that you do not use this with students until these security issues have been resolved. Click here for a DoE article on this.
Use for: Teacher meetings only
Pros
Cons
  • meeting links can be shared via email
  • teacher video
  • host control over attendees
  • simple interface
  • easy to learn and run meetings
  • record for teacher meeting
  • Google Classroom integration (after security issues have been fixed)
  • security and privacy issues 
Quick reference guide
Google Meet Quick start
The following is a good guide written by tsogreg+remote@gmail.com on how to setup up Google Meeting within the NSW DoE. Click on the links below for teacher and student guides.
Quick start video