Microsoft Teams’ new Together Mode is designed for pandemic-era meetings https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/8/21317526/microsoft-teams-together-mode-dynamic-view-new-features #altc
I am concerned that you have to have camera on. In Glow Scotland’s Teams pupils cameras are not & can’t be turned on. I think that helped some shy kids.
The Register’s take
That’s the honest truth about modern software, it’s vulnerable. It’s ALL vulnerable so you have a choice to use something that is honest about it’s vulnerabilities or hides behind the door of closed source providing an ignorance is bliss situation.
Some great information and food for thought, @johnmclear is not trying to sell the product. Relevant to @dgilmour’s link to creativecommons & #OER I don’t think this is the time to pivot tools, but one to keep in mind.
“I’m very concerned about the stream of stories about safeguarding issues with Zoom. The dangers of a ‘free tech tool.’ My grade safeguarded student video conf participation (adult in room etc) but the software itself seems fundamentally flawed. Thoughts / suggestions?”
I wonder about Etherpad which I just found out has video. Free, but without the problem of “commercial free”. Not sure about security cc @johnmclear
Zoom seems a bit of an ethical & security disaster but I think there are plenty of other worries around equity of support, environment and devices.
Etherpad being open source is certainly a positive.
Ive used etherpad in the past, a quick test of the video version shows it works fine on iPad and iPhone. A moot point for me as I think North Lanarkshire will be instructions us to use Teams.
In a primary setting I think there is a lot more to think about around video conferencing, at the moment I don’t think it is a golden bullet for our current problems.
