Winning Teams Version 3

Master Microsoft Teams with confidence, speed and efficiency.

Winning Teams Version 3 is our most comprehensive and up-to-date Teams training course yet. Designed especially for people who are new to Teams as well as existing users who need to catch up with changes in the application, this course shows you how to use Teams effectively, accessibly and efficiently in real-world situations.

Over the past six years, we have learned a great deal about how blind users interact with Teams in demanding environments. This third edition brings all of that experience together in one fully rewritten training course, focused on today’s version of Teams and the practical skills you need every day.

This course is not just about finding your way around the interface. It is about working quickly and professionally under pressure. Whether you are taking calls, transferring callers, hosting meetings, managing raised hands, responding to participants, or navigating chats and channels, you need techniques that help you stay in control with the fewest possible keystrokes. Winning Teams Version 3 puts efficiency at the heart of your learning so that you can move beyond basic competence and perform at your best.

Accessing Teams

If you work collaboratively using meetings, chat or calls, speed and ease of use matter. To get the most from Teams, we strongly recommend the use of our JAWS scripts for Teams. Details of the scripts can be found on the Teams Scripts page of our web site.

How the Training is Delivered

This new edition takes a completely different approach from previous versions. When you purchase the course, you will receive access to a secure area of our web site whereupon you can access an HTML and Microsoft Word version of the text only book.

This approach allows the material to be updated quickly as Teams continues to evolve. It also means that new sections can be added easily if particular features or workflows need attention in future.

The course is therefore a complete rewrite of the previous release, built around the latest version of Teams.

In addition to explaining how features work, the training often explores the concepts behind them. This gives you a clearer understanding of why a feature exists, how it fits into Teams as a whole, and how to use it more effectively.

Full Table of Contents.

• Introduction from the Author.
• Before We Begin.
• 1. What Microsoft Teams Is For
  • Teams, a Team, a Channel, and a Thread
  • Chat or Channel?
• 2. Getting Ready to Use Teams
  • Signing In
  • JAWS Support and Essential Scripts
  • Installing the JAWS Scripts From Hartgen Consultancy.
  • Activating the Scripts.
  • Using Hotkey Help, Updates, and Script Preferences.
  • The Virtual Cursor
  • Zoom and View Size
• 3. The Teams Window and the Main Keyboard Routes
  • The Most Useful Global Teams Shortcuts
  • Using the Keyboard Shortcuts Window
  • A Good Orientation Habit
• 4. Search, Commands, Status, and Your Profile
  • Going Directly to a Chat or Channel
  • Commands
  • Changing Your Status
  • Setting a Status Duration
  • Setting a Status Message
• 5. The Settings Dialog
  • General
  • Appearance and Accessibility
  • Chats and Channels
  • Notifications and Activity
  • Windows-Style Notifications for Scripted Access.
  • Devices
  • Privacy
  • Captions and Transcripts
  • Calls
  • Files and Links
  • Accounts and Organisations
• 6. Notifications and Activity
  • Windows and JAWS Notification History
  • Using Script Notification Rules.
  • Activity Feed
  • Mentions
  • Hashtags and Search Terms
  • Practical Notification Setup
• 7. Chats and Messages
  • Starting a Chat
  • Sending the Message
  • Reading a Chat
  • Scripted Chat Review, Typing Indicators, and Reverse Quoting.
  • Replying Quickly
  • Editing, Deleting, and Reacting
  • Formatting Messages
• 8. Group Chats and New Chat Windows
  • Creating a Group Chat
  • When a Group Chat Is the Wrong Tool
  • Opening a Chat in a New Window and the Role of the context menu
  • Pinning a Window on Top
• 9. Teams, Channels, Posts, and Threads
  • Standard, Private, and Shared Channels
  • Channel Layouts: Posts and Threads
  • Creating a Team
  • Creating Further Channels
  • Starting a Channel Conversation
  • Replying to a Thread
  • Following Threads
  • Participating in a Channel by email
• 10. Organising Chats, Channels, and Teams
  • Combined and Separate Views
  • Sections
  • Hiding and Showing Teams or Channels
  • Pinning and Favourites
  • context menus
  • Script Bookmarks for Buttons, Windows, and Channels.
• 11. Calendar and Scheduled Meetings
  • Opening Calendar
  • Navigating Calendar
  • Scheduling a Meeting in Teams
  • Scheduling Assistant
  • Scheduling in Outlook
  • Viewing Meeting Details
• 12. Meeting Options, Roles, and the Lobby
  • Meeting Roles
  • Opening Meeting Options
  • Lobby Settings
  • Meeting Chat
  • Microphone and Camera Permissions
  • Recording, Transcription, and Copilot-Related Options
  • Copilot and Other AI Meeting Options.
  • Manage What Attendees See and Green Room
• 13. Joining and Taking Part in Meetings
  • Before Joining
  • Joining with Audio
  • Before The Meeting Begins.
  • During the Meeting
  • Scripted Meeting Shortcuts.
  • The Meeting Window
  • Leaving a Meeting
• 14. Meeting Chat, Participants, Reactions, and Raised Hands
  • Meeting Chat
  • Participants
  • Raised Hands
  • Meeting Sound Cues.
  • Reactions
  • Admitting People from the Lobby
• 15. Sharing, PowerPoint Live, Recordings, and Transcripts
  • Screen Sharing
  • Sharing Your Own Screen
  • PowerPoint Live
  • Captions and Transcripts During Meetings
  • Recordings
  • Meeting Recap
  • Copilot, AI, and Meetings.
• 16. Files in Teams
  • Opening Files
  • Searching for Files
  • Files Tab in a Chat or Channel
  • Attaching a File
  • Downloading and Saving
• 17. Calls and the Calls App
  • Receiving a Call
  • During a Call
  • Scripted Call Controls.
  • Making a Call
  • Adding People to a Call
  • Meet Now
  • Calls App
• 18. A Working Method for Teams with JAWS
  • Learn the Main Routes First
  • Learn the Script Layer.
  • Use Search Instead of Browsing
  • Use context menus
  • Keep Lists Short
  • Prepare Before Meetings
  • Know When to Use Outlook or Office Apps
• Appendix: Keystrokes
  • Native Teams shortcuts for orientation, navigation, and messages
  • Native Teams shortcuts for meetings, activity, and calls
  • Native Teams shortcuts for incoming calls
  • Windows and JAWS commands for general navigation
  • JAWS commands for lists, history, and script information
  • Hartgen Consultancy script commands for help, lists, and navigation
  • Hartgen Consultancy script commands for bookmarks, meetings, and message actions

Price and Availability

The cost of the training course is £60 or $80 US.

Alternatively, you can purchase the course by sending an email to brian@hartgenconsultancy.com. We will then send you a fully accessible electronic invoice, payable through PayPal or by any major credit or debit card.

Conclusion

Teams is a powerful and increasingly essential collaboration platform. It offers enormous potential, but it can also present real accessibility and usability challenges. Winning Teams Version 3 is designed to help you overcome those challenges and use Teams with greater speed, confidence and independence.

Become part of a winning team and discover how to use Teams in an accessible, effective and professional way.