Categories for News
JOIN US FOR THE FIRST
MCC Canvas Connections! Meeting
Wednesday, January 22
12 noon – 1:00pm
Join the MCC Center for Teaching & Learning *NEW Canvas Users’ Group – Canvas Connections!, a Lunch & Learn Community!
Join Now!
New and seasoned Canvas users are welcome to join us to:
- Connect! Stay on the inside track with all things Canvas.
- Share! and Learn! with others.
- Engage! in some great conversations over lunch.
This informal user-focused group will meet bi-monthly to discuss:
- Features
- Best Practices
- Upcoming Changes
- Issues/Bugs & Challenges
- Teaching Strategies/Delivery
- Design
- Feature Requests
Users will be encouraged to present or share a specific topics/features. This group will have an informal agenda and will be run by the attendees.
January 22 Meeting Menu:
Appetizer – Welcome
Soup of the Day – Updates, Issues & More
Main Course – Chewing on Chat
Check Please! – Plans for future meetings
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Take CIS 236 & 237 at Mesa Community College
The CIS 236 and CIS 237 series is designed to help you get started in teaching & learning in the hybrid and online formats. First, experience the ‘student’ perspective and discover new digital teaching tools in CIS 236 and then explore course design and content creation in CIS 237. Instructors will complete the series with practical tips, researched pedagogy and a duplicative structure for building and facilitating an online or hybrid format class.
Advantages of the Open Entry / Open Exit Format
Mesa Community College is offering CIS236 and CIS237 in the Open Exit/Open Exit format for the Spring 2014.
Flexible Learning!
- Pick your own start date
- Set your own pace over an 8 week period
- No hard deadlines.
Enroll Today
Enrollment through My.Maricopa.edu.
- Complete your Student Information Form
- Register for Class
- Pay for class, Learn About MCCCD Tuition Waivers: http://www.maricopa.edu/publicstewardship/resources/tw.php
If you have difficulties registering or have questions about these courses, contact the instructor(s) listed below:
CIS 236: Web Based Teaching & Learning I (2 credits), Section #41725
Experience using a web-based learning environment from an online student’s perspective. Use communication tools, submit assignments, use evaluation tools, and navigate an online-learning environment. Introduction to the basics of online pedagogy and lots of hands-on experience with a web-based learning environment and digital teaching tools! Prerequisites: CIS133CA or CIS 133DA, or permission of instructor. Contact instructor for override code.
- Offered fully online during Spring 2014 (Open Entry/Open Exit) – Choose a start date between January 20 and March 7. Students will have 8 weeks to finish the course from the start date.
CIS 237: Web Based Teaching & Learning II (3 credits), Section #41726
Discuss theories, methods, and best practices for designing, developing, and delivering an online course including Classroom Assessment Techniques, Flipped Classroom, Quality Matters and more. Create an online or hybrid course module using a web-based learning environment. Prerequisites: CIS 236, or permission of instructor. Contact instructor for concurrent enrollment code (allowing students to take CIS236 and CIS237 simultaneously).
- Offered fully online during Spring 2014 (Open Entry/Open Exit) – Choose a start date between January 20 and March 7. Students will have 8 weeks to finish the course from the start date.
Register Now for the 2014 TechTalks at SCC
Friday, January 24 – Scottsdale Community College Performing Arts Center
8:30am – 12:30pm
TechTalks 2014 will feature a series of live, 18-minute, presentations about technology and the learning/teaching process with the end result being a morning of inspiring, entertaining, and touching stories with the power to change student success outcomes. The format will be similar to the highly acclaimed TED Talks. Presented by SCC’s Instructional Strategic Technology Advisory Committee and sponsored by Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction.
Register at:
http://mcli.maricopa.edu/techtalksFor more information contact: lisa.young@scottsdalecc.edu or call 480-423-6222
Curb Appeal: Course Redesign
eLCoP: eLearning Community of Practice Session at Paradise Valley Community College
Thursday, January 23, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Q Bldg Classroom 130
Sponsored by the PVCC Center for Teaching & Learning & MCLI
The eLCoP is composed of faculty and staff dedicated to the research, discussion and dissemination of best practices for eLearning at Maricopa. eLearning includes courses taught hybrid and online, those using a college Learning Management System and learning that occurs via alternative delivery methods. eLCoP is open to all faculty and staff who are interested in positively impacting student learning outcomes through the creation and adoption of eLearning best practices.
Register Today: http://mcli.maricopa.edu/elcop_jan14
Session Details:
This session will walk you through the redesign process of a traditional online course. The Instructional Design Team took an outdated look and feel of a traditional course and redesigned it with visual and graphic design elements. While the content has always remained relevant, the visual elements could have been better. Think of curb appeal, the outside may not represent the inside. Participants will be able to see how this course has morphed over time using strategies that can be duplicated and replicated in any course and delivery format.
Who Should Attend this Session:
Faculty and staff interested in best practices to improve student success. Do I need to be teaching an online class to attend? No! Library electronic resources can be used by any class format.
Don’t Miss Out! Register Today!
http://mcli.maricopa.edu/elcop_jan14
If you have any questions about registration, please contact Jeannette Schaffer at the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction. (480) 731-8297.
Don’t Miss Out
Mark your calendars and plan to join MCCCD for the 2nd Annual Canvas Conversations event January 31, 2014 from 9 am to 3 pm at GateWay Community College.
This all day event will focus on all things Canvas. Opportunities for everyone – from beginner to advanced! Participate in:
- Roundtables
- Hands-on workshops
- Show and tell
This event is open to all Maricopa faculty and staff. Don’t delay – take a minute to register today!
Submit a Proposal to Present
In addition, we know you are doing awesome work in Canvas; please consider submitting a proposal today to share your ideas and expertise!
Important Canvas User Semester Start Notices
Course Copy
Copying your course from semester to semester is 1, 2, 3 easy. Please see our copy guidelines to get you started.
- Important Copy Options – Don’t forget to consider your options to Select Migration Content AND to Adjust Events and Due Dates so you can take only what you need and save yourself some time moving assignment dates.
- Don’t wait around! – Depending on the size of your course, the copy process can take from a few minutes to an hour. Feel free to leave the copy page or logout of Canvas while the copy is being made. To verify the status of the copy return to the Import Page.
- Error Check – Canvas added a copy error notice this Fall. Carefully review any errors reported and take corrective action. Errors will most often be related to broken links or empty pages found in the copy process.
- Date & Time Verification – After the course copy review all the dates and time to make sure that they are accurate. Canvas automatically adjusts for Daylight Savings Time. Because Arizona does not observe DST, some assignments dates and times may change incorrectly. Canvas is working to resolve this problem, but until then be sure to check and correct any issues. Learn more from the November 19 Update.
Course Publish
Don’t forget to publish your course to make it available to students. Find the publish dialog box on the home page. To publish the course find Select Publish and follow the screen prompts. Once a course is published you can continue to make changes and updates as needed. Courses cannot be unpublished. Directions for publishing courses.
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Explore a New Year of Learning in the MCC CTL
Center for Teaching & Learning Schedule of Events –
Week of Accountability January 3 – 11, 2014
Explore a week of activities that focus on starting your students off right. From maximizing the Canvas LMS to building learning-centered activities, the Mesa Community College Center for Teaching & Learning is your support and resource for innovative education technology and pedagogy. Plan to start your 2014 and Spring semester with the CTL!
Register Now Registration Instructions
Friday, January 3, 2014
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Open Lab
CTL Pods AS Building
Drop in during any time of the open lab to access resources and help with Canvas or building/planning your course! CTL Staff will be available to answer questions as you work on your classes to get started for the semester. Handouts and computers are available so that you can come in and work and ask questions as you go.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon New Adjunct Faculty Orientation
HRMS Course #001830, Session #0002; CTL Lab AS Building, Room 175
Welcome to teaching at Mesa Community College. This session will cover all the little and big things you need to know about being an Adjunct Faculty Member for MCC. Contact the CTL for more information, (480) 461-7331.
8:00a.m. – 12:00 noon Open Lab
CTL Pods AS Building
Drop in during any time of the open lab to access resources and help with Canvas or building/planning your course! CTL Staff will be available to answer questions as you work on your classes to get started for the semester. Handouts and computers are available so that you can come in and work and ask questions as you go.
Monday, January 6, 2014
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Getting Started with Canvas in 10 Steps
HRMS Course #001839, Session #0006; CTL Lab AS Building, Room 175
Canvas is the Learning Management System of choice at Maricopa County Community College District. Did you know that Canvas can benefit any course format face-to-face, hybrid and online? Learn how to communicate with your students, post course materials/ syllabus, set-up assignments and grades within Canvas in just 10 easy steps.
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Grades & Assessment in Canvas
HRMS Course #001699, Session #0008; CTL Lab AS Building, Room 175
Review the options available in Canvas to help you know how well your students are learning in your courses. In this hands-on session participants will get a brief introduction to the Grades, Rubrics, Discussions, Quizzes, and Assignments features and strategies on how to use them effectively to assess and grade student work.
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. 3D Retention Strategies: Data, Development & Dialog
SPECIAL REGISTRATION: http://tinyurl.com/S14WOA; CTL Lab AS Building, Room 175
The first few weeks of class can be rough for students. In this session we will explore a simple model that will help reveal dropout warning signs while learning proactive intervention strategies. Discover how you can collect and review key data indicators, develop an engaging community and use communication/feedback to keep all your students on the path to completion.
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Getting Started with Canvas in 10 Steps
HRMS Course #001839, Session #0007; CTL Lab AS Building, Room 175
Canvas is the Learning Management System of choice at Maricopa County Community College District. Did you know that Canvas can benefit any course format face-to-face, hybrid and online? Learn how to communicate with your students, post course materials/ syllabus, set-up assignments and grades within Canvas in just 10 easy steps.
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Important Notices
End of Semester Best Practices
In order to ensure a smooth, end of the semester, if you are utilizing Canvas for grading, please consider following these best practices based on the district processes for handling enrollments in Canvas.
Important Note: Withdrawn student data, downloading of data, and sending of messages is not available after final grades have been entered in SIS.
Before entering grades in SIS
- Archive Grades – Download your gradebook to CSV to archive it locally on your computer or flash drive (Click on Grades > Click on the Gear symbol > Click on Download to CSV)
- Gather Data – Download any course surveys, quizzes or exam results to archive them locally on your computer or flash drive (Click on Quizzes > Select the Quiz > Click on Quiz Statistics > Select the download option of Student and/or Item Analysis)
- Final Communications – Send end-of-course messages to students if desired
After entering grades in SIS
- End Course – You can leave your course “as is” and it will automatically go into a read-only mode for students. They will no longer be able to submit assignments or communicate with the class. If you prefer, you can also end your course (Settings > End Course). We DO NOT recommend concluding your course as it becomes inaccessible to you and you cannot un-conclude it.
- Course Copy – Get ready for Spring by copying your courses. Navigate to the Spring 2014 course > Settings and then follow the Course Copy Instructions.
- Locking Content – Regardless of whether you end your course or not, if you don’t want students to view assignments, quizzes and materials after the course is over, we suggest locking items using the availability features within each tool. Enter a date far in the future – 1/1/2020 for example) to keep the contents locked. Locking Modules.
- Clean Your Inbox – Archive your Fall messages in your Conversation Inbox so that you can start the Spring semester with a clean slate. Archiving Conversations.
- Customize Your Course Menu – Remove your Fall classes from and add your Spring courses to your course drop-down menu. Customize Course Menu.
Internet Explorer Update
Internet Explorer 11 was released in November 2013. Canvas supports the two most recent versions of each of the major browsers, however for IE9 the support will be extended through May 2014. After May 24, 2014, Canvas releases will not be tested to ensure that new features work and over time, those using Canvas in IE 9 will experience more and more difficulties. Additionally some upcoming “new” features may not be supported at all in IE 9 even before the May deadline. We recommend leaving IE 9 as soon as possible. Review the list of supported browsers in the Canvas Guides.
Canvas Update Cycle
Canvas is on a 3-week update-release cycle. The beta release notes for this next cycle were available on 11/25, production notes were available as of 12/02 with the release and documentation to follow on 12/07. For information about Canvas updates follow the release page.
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Join the community+ as we explore teaching and learning at MCC!
About the community: The CTL@MCC Google+ Community strives to bring together educators in higher ed to collaborate, share, learn, and innovate so that together we can improve student success and college completion. Join the conversation and help us celebrate excellence!
Mark Your Calendars
Mark your calendars and plan to join MCCCD for the 2nd Annual Canvas Conversations event January 31, 2014 from 9 am to 3 pm at GateWay Community College.
This all day event will focus on all things Canvas. Opportunities for everyone – from beginner to advanced! Participate in:
- Roundtables
- Hands-on workshops
- Show and tell
This event is open to all Maricopa faculty and staff. Don’t delay – take a minute to register today!
Submit a Proposal to Present
In addition, we know you are doing awesome work in Canvas; please consider submitting a proposal today to share your ideas and expertise!
