#SLACK
TEAM COMMUNICATION WITH:
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What is Slack?
This is a tool for communication and productivity for adult teams. Usage agreement is for 18+
This presentation is geared toward teachers collaborating together, and administrative or technical teams.
This is a tool for any ongoing project-type or collaborative need.
The beauty of Slack is that it pulls a lot of different stuff into one place. It’s a service aggregation tool as well as a communication tool.�
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What is Slack?
Organize your team conversations. Three Levels
Open Channels – Anyone can post/read and add themselves to the channel
Private Channels�For sensitive information, create private channels and �invite a few team members. No one else can see or join your private channels.
Direct Messages�To reach a colleague directly, send them a Direct Message. �It's completely private and secure.
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What is Slack?
Time to look at a live Slack window�This is a browser-based tool. Use any browser. Chrome is happy.
Drag, drop, and share your files.
Not just your messages, but all your files, images, PDFs, documents, and spreadsheets can be dropped right into Slack and shared with anyone you want. Add comments, star for later reference, and it’s all completely searchable.
If you use any services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Box, just paste the link and that document is immediately in sync and searchable too.
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What is Slack?
All your tools in one place.
Connect all the tools you use to Slack and avoid all that constant switching between apps. Set up your integration so that you get all your notifications directly within Slack—from support requests, code check-ins, and error logs to sales leads—all of them searchable in one central archive.
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What is Slack?
Search your entire archive.
Everything in Slack—messages, notifications, files, and all—is automatically indexed and archived so that you can have it at your fingertips whenever you want.
Slack also indexes the content of every file so you can search within PDFs, Word documents, Google docs, and more. With one search box and a set of powerful search operators, you can slice and dice your way to that one message in your communication haystack.
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What is Slack?
Who is using?
Major clients in App/SW Development
Entire Universities use it for messaging for staff and students
Currently no other State-Wide IT or Education Agency use
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What is Slack?
Clients available for desktop and mobile plaforms
IOS, Android, Apple, Linux, and PC users.
See the QR code handouts also…
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What is Slack?
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Using Slack
�Orientation to the interface:
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Using Slack
Main Pane - Channel Description and use
Files Pane on right side
Post message
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Right Column
@ symbol toggles column views
Star symbol shows your Starred items - starring like a favorites option
The vertical ellipsis - more views:
Using Slack
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Messages can be tagged to a Channel - like how-to or usage guidelines
Messages can also use symbols or emojis to add meaning quickly
Using Slack
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Use of Slack as Helpdesk
Using Slack
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Use Slack for reminders
There are / codes that can be used (Check out ‘/’ at message line)
/remind for example
• /remind me to drink water at 3pm every day
• /remind me on June 1st to wish Linda happy birthday
• /remind #team-alpha to update the project status every Monday at 9am
• /remind @jessica about the interview in 3 hours
• /remind @peter tomorrow "Please review the office seating plan"
Using Slack
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Organizing Slack
Create standards for naming Channels
ex.
Create 2 levels for some channels: High level for all and Chatter such as ‘announcement’ and ‘announcements-chatter’ back and forth goes in the chatter channel - or use dash - for granular announcements
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Organizing Slack
Working with VT-School-IT Slack
Is everyone on that team now?
What channels should we have? Brainstorm
Ex. Helpdesk and Helpdesk-specific
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Organizing Slack
Working with VT-School-IT Slack
We can link to a Google Drive repository - VitaLearn?
Link up individual docs to channels that get posted there.
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Organizing Slack
The Slack Team Directory (Other Subscribers) can have added fields so we can add specialization data so we can find others using similar platforms.
Field names like:
Switch Platform
Firewall
Content Filter
LMS
SIS etc.
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Slack Next Steps
What do you think? Can we use this to replace School-IT, and will you use it?
Give Feedback/Concepts
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Slack Next Steps
Paid version has some powerful add-ons:
Vita-Learn purchase paid version for all VT schools?
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Slack Next Steps
Enterprise version coming also:
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Slack Next Steps
Create the team usage standards
Anyone interested in working on this with me?
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Slack Next Steps
Google Drive repository add/configure
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Slack Next Steps
Get everyone on the VT-School-IT Slack
Craig will send email to the School-IT list to invite
(CSV Add/Export from School-IT?)
Spread the word
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Slack Next Steps
More dialogue on VT-School-IT
Join the Dev Channel on VT-School-IT
Contact me, Alan? directly there on private channels