Getting (Digitally) Connected
On this page you will find useful information, links and guides to tools you and your team could use to get yourself more digitally connected. From online webinars, meetings and conferences, to simply checking in with fellow colleagues to say hello if they’re remotely working, there are plenty of tools you can be using to stay better connected.
Cornwall Museums Partnership use the below tools as a way of staying connected to one another. There may come a time when volunteers or team members have to self-isolate or work from home, so to stop the threat of lone working, loneliness or to just keep up to date and in the loop with how everyone is, there are many ways you can connect to one another digitally.
In this document we have included the following;
- Zoom
- Slack
- Trello
- Skype
- Milanote
However, there are plenty of other tools out there to connect to one another, so if you have any suggestions which we can add to this document, please contact our Marketing and Impact Officer, Jody, with the details.
For those of you who may be interested in more information on working remotely, the Digital Skills Partnership have shared the below free webinars which are being hosted by Upskill Digital, which you can access below;
Wednesday 25th March – 11am: Remote working with Microsoft Teams
Thursday 26th March – 11am: Managing Remote Teams Effectively
Zoom unifies cloud video conferencing, simple online meetings, and group messaging into one easy-to-use platform.
By looking at the basic features of Zoom, you will learn how to;
- Sign in and join
- Use the home screen
- Chat to one another
- Use the phone element
- Join and host meetings
- Use in-Meeting Controls
There are plenty of other resources available should you need or want to delve deeper;
Zoom Meeting Online Video Tutorials
Meeting and Webinar Best Practices
Slack is a work-place communication tool where you can chat instantly and share documents and files. It is a smart alternative to email and allows for dedicated spaces called channels. It is simple to follow conversations and, unlike email, gives you the opportunity to choose which conversations are most important. It is a great tool that Cornwall Museums Partnership uses to keep the team in the loop and to stop the overcrowding of email inboxes.
To get started on Slack, there are 5 simple steps to give you the complete know-how on where to begin. From what Slack is, how to use channels and finding and starting conversations, you will find everything you need to know to start using Slack today.
There are many tools available in Slack, such as setting up new shared channels – shared channels look and feel like normal channels, but have people from two different companies inside. Everyone can discuss work, share files and create results in a shared space.
There are many more resources available for using Slack but here are a couple which you may find interesting;
Trello is the easy, free, flexible, and visual way to manage your projects and organise anything. Cornwall Museums Partnership rely on Trello for many of the projects we collaboratively work on, and is a tool used to communicate to those working on the project, as well as a great place to store any documents and files that relate to the ongoing project.
Trello is also a simple way of communicating to those outside of the team who are also connected to the projects you are working on.
You can use Trello’s basic guide to getting started which will allow you to look at topics such as creating a board, adding comments and activities and collaboration.
‘Skype is for connecting with the people that matter most in your life and work. It’s built for both one-on-one and group conversations and works wherever you are – via mobile, PC, Xbox and Alexa. Skype messaging and HD voice and video calling will help you share experiences and get things done with others.
With Skype, you can have meetings and create great things with your workgroup, share a story or celebrate a birthday with friends and family, and learn a new skill or hobby. It’s free to use Skype – to send messages and have audio and video calls with groups of up to 50 people!’ *
Get started using Skype today and connect with those around you – even a friendly ‘hello, how are you?’ goes a long way if one of your colleagues is working from home or away at a course/meeting.
*taken from Skype.com
Milanote is a tool in which Cornwall Museums Partnership use for planning creative projects. The easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface allows you to arrange images, notes, links, files, videos and tasks, side-by-side on an infinite virtual canvas. For those of you who like things more visual, it is a perfect way of staying connected to those on a project and allows for sharing of information in an easy and secure way.
Creating your first project has never been so easy and there are many useful guides to help you along the way.
Pick Up the Phone
It may sound simple, but these days it easy to forget that not everyone is tech savvy or can use digital technology as a form to connect or communicate. Picking up the phone to a colleague can sometimes be the most efficient and effective way to stay in contact with one another.