Tag Archive: Canvas
Canvas End of Semester Best Practices
In order to ensure a smooth, end of the semester, please consider following the best practice activities for closing your course and transitioning to the next semester.
Important Notes
Check Your Grading – Ensure that student grades are tabulating correctly.
- Check your grading options including any assignment groups and grade weighting (if applicable) from Assignments in the course navigation.
- Enter zeroes for any student work not submitted OR from Grades select the “gear” drop-down menu, click “Treat Ungraded as 0’s” to ensure unsubmitted assignments are scored with a zero. Detailed instructions.
Incomplete Grades – Do not conclude your course or lock modules if you have assigned a grade of “Incomplete” to a student. They still need to access and participate in the course material.
Accessing Course Data – Withdrawn student data, downloading of assignment data, and sending of messages is not available after final grades have been entered in My.Maricopa.edu (SIS). Instructions for accessing grades in Canvas after conclusion.
End of Semester Quick Reference
New Course Deletion Process
To reduce the quantity of old courses on the server, Spring 2014 and older SIS courses will begin being deleted the 3rd week in September, 2015. This will be the first in a regular cycle of course deletions that will occur every semester throughout the district.
What does this mean for you?
Beginning the 3rd week of September courses from Spring 2014 and later will no longer be available for you to access. All course materials and student information associated with those courses will be deleted. These courses will also no longer appear in your course menu, inbox or calendar list.
Preparing for Course Deletion
- Begin exporting your old Canvas courses. Even if you rollover your course from semester-to-semester, we recommend that you retain a copy of any of your courses that will be deleted, as the export file can be imported into another Canvas course at a later time. Note: A course export does not include student records.
- Student grades and work (those you want to retain beyond the life of the course) should be downloaded at the end of each semester (review the instructions included later in this announcement). Note: Student discussion posts cannot be bulk downloaded, but can be printed to PDF. Contact the CTL for details.
- Once the initial course deletions are finished, you can expect five (5) semesters of courses to be retained at any one time. Plan each semester to export your course content and download student records to make sure you always have a back-up of important course information.
What about records retention and dispute of grades?
The deletion plan meets the records retention policy of the district and state of Arizona. MCCCD’s official policy on records and information management.
BEFORE Entering Grades in SIS (My.Maricopa.edu)
Archive Grades – Download your gradebook to your computer or flash drive. Do not store student data in cloud-based services. Click on Grades > Select the Export option. The resulting CSV file can be opened with MS Excel. More Information – Downloading Grades
Gather Data – Download any assignments, course surveys, quizzes or exam results to archive them locally on your computer or flash drive. Do not save to cloud-based services.For Quizzes: Click on Quizzes > Select the Quiz > Click on Quiz Statistics > Select the download option of Student and/or Item Analysis More Information – Downloading Quizzes/Surveys
For Assignments: Click on Assignments > Select Download Submissions from the right-navigation. More Information – Downloading AssignmentsSend Final Communications – Send end-of-course messages to students, if desired. Please note that all communication will be preserved in the Canvas Conversations inbox.
Export Your Course Content – Export your course content and save it locally on your computer or flash drive. Settings > Export Course Content. Note: A course export does not include student records (discussion posts, assignment submissions, grades, etc.).
AFTER Entering Grades in SIS (My.Maricopa.edu)
End Course – You can leave your course “as is” and it will automatically go into a read-only mode for students. Students will no longer be able to submit assignments or communicate with the class. If you prefer, you can also end your course (Settings > Edit Course Details > Enter an Ending Date for the course). More information on course dates.
We DO NOT recommend concluding your course as it becomes inaccessible to you.
Locking Content – You can selectively lock content to keep students from accessing sensitive content such as quiz results.
If you do not want students to view Quiz Questions after the end of a semester you will need to set and ending date for your course.
Click on Settings > Edit Course Details > Enter an Ending Date for the course. More information on course dates.
For Module Content, lock each module by entering a lock date far in the future – 1/1/2020 for example). Locking Modules Instructions
For Course Files, hide the Files area from the course navigation. Keep in mind that files linked to pages will still be visible unless locked. Locking Files Instructions.
Preparing for Summer/Fall 2015
Update Your Canvas Links – Canvas has launched an updated Community feature for users. This change means that any current web links to Canvas Guides will no longer work after June 30. If you have linked to Canvas materials to help students do or access something in your course related to Canvas, you will need to update those links to the new community resources. This includes any college provided information (such as the Getting Started modules, course templates, etc.) that links to Canvas guides. The NEW links to the commonly used Canvas Guides can be found at the CTL LMS Tutorials page.
Course Copy – Get ready for Summer and Fall 2015 by copying your course content from Spring or other course shells. To get started, navigate to the Summer or Fall 2015 course, open Settings and then follow the Course Copy Instructions.
Clean Your Inbox – Archive your Spring messages in your Conversation Inbox so that you can start the Summer/Fall semester(s) with a clean slate. Archiving Conversations.
Customize Your Course Menu – Remove your Spring 2015 classes from and add your Summer and Fall 2015 courses to your course drop-down menu. Customize Course Menu.
Other Notes – We also recommend updating all your browsers, components and clearing your browser cache before beginning a new semester.
Questions? Concerns?
Contact the Center for Teaching & Learning at ctl@mesacc.edu or (480) 461-7331.
Register Now for MCC’s Camp Innovate May 26 – May 28!
The Mesa Community College Center for Teaching & Learning will be holding its 6th Annual Camp Innovate event Tuesday, May 26 – Thursday, May 28 on the MCC Southern and Dobson Campus. So air out your tent and grab your gear to participate around the campfire of innovative teaching and learning!
What is Camp Innovate?
Camp Innovate is a week of sessions and engaging activities offered every summer at the MCC Center for Teaching & Learning that address excellence in education, technology, teaching and learning.
Visit the Camp web site for more information.
Camp Schedule Announced!
Event topics will include Accessibility/Captioning, Digital Tools, Video Production, Lesson Design, Virtual Reality, Broadcasting, Copyright, Canvas and more! See the full week Camping Guide for a day-to-day listing and description of events.
New this year! Introducing Rise & Shine (8-8:45am) and Smore-Sized (12-12:45pm) sessions! Join us over chow time for these engaging 45-minute demonstrations of emerging technologies and/or quick “best practice” tips that can maximize your instructional impact and activate learning. Light provisions (refreshments) will be served.
Camp Location & Registration
Camp Sessions will be hosted in the AS Building; Southern & Dobson Campus.
All MCCCD faculty and staff are welcome. Attend one session, attend one day or attend all, we hope to see you there! Registration will open soon. Stay-tuned in!
Is Camping Gear Required?
No! We won’t actually be camping. Just bring you and maybe a friend or two to enjoy the learning and community.
Earn a Digital Badge for Participation and More
“Campers” can earn digital badges for participating in sessions, bringing guests, submitting ideas/projects and evaluating the event. These digital badges can be added to your professional portfolio, Linked-In profile and more. Learn more about using digital badges in education. The MCC Center for Teaching & Learning will track and award badges based on the individual badge criteria.
1st Time Camper Badge –
Attend 1 Session
Avid Camper Badge – Attend 3 or More Sessions
Camp Inspector – Submit an Event Evaluation
Happy Camper – Bring a Friend to Camp
Camp Crafts – Share a “Craft” (Lesson, Strategy or Activity)
Campfire Chat – Tell the World about Camp (Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
Questions? Concerns?
Send us an email at ctl@mesacc.edu.
Camp Innovate Web Site | Learn More About the CTL | CTL Calendar
Important Notices
Canvas Community Update
Canvas has launched an updated Community feature for users. The Community is a resource for students and instructors to find helpful guides on how to use Canvas, as well as to participate in feature discussions, find best practices and more.
What does this mean to you?
Aside from the valuable resource that the Community presents, the single most important takeaway from this is any current links to Canvas Guides will no longer work after June 30. If you have linked to Canvas materials to help students do or access something in your course related to Canvas, you will need to update those links to the new community links. This includes any college provided information (such as Getting Started modules, course templates, etc.) that links to Canvas guides.
Instructure, the makers of Canvas, will have redirects in place for the links until June 30, but after that time the redirects will no longer work.
Accessing the Community:
Canvas Course Deletion to Begin Fall 2015
To reduce the quantity of old courses on the server, Spring 2014 and older SIS courses will begin being deleted the 3rd week in September, 2015. This will be the first in a regular cycle of course deletions that will occur every semester throughout the district.
What does this mean for you?
Beginning the 3rd week of September courses from Spring 2014 and later will no longer be available for you to access. All course materials and student information associated with those courses will be deleted. These courses will also no longer appear in your course menu, inbox or calendar list.
Preparing for Course Deletion
- Begin exporting your old Canvas courses. Even if you rollover your course from semester-to-semester, we recommend that you retain a copy of any of your courses that will be deleted, as the export file can be imported into another Canvas course at a later time. Note: A course export does not include student records.
- Student grades and work (those you want to retain beyond the life of the course) should be downloaded at the end of each semester. Please pay attention to announcements about end-of-semester practices for details on these processes.
- Once the initial course deletions are finished, you can expect five semesters of courses to be retained at any one time. Plan each semester to export your course content and download student records to make sure you always have a back-up of important course information.
What about records retention and dispute of grades?
The current deletion plan meets the records retention policy of the district and state of Arizona. MCCCD’s official policy on records and information management.
Summer & Fall 2015 Course Shells
Summer and Fall 2015 course shells have been opened in Canvas. You will find links to all your summer courses on your Course List. TIP: Customize your course menu to include summer and fall courses in your quick pick drop-down menu.
Don’t see your course listed?
Check the Class Schedule to make sure you are assigned as the instructor. If not, contact your department. If you are assigned as the instructor and your course still does not appear, contact the MCC CTL at (480) 461-7331.
Please contact the MCC Center for Teaching & Learning if you have any questions about this information or would like support using Canvas.
View More Notices
What’s New in Canvas?
Here are some highlights of the recent and pending changes to Canvas including a summary of the most recent production release on April 4 and the upcoming release on April 25.
April 4th Production Release –
Interface Polish & Discussion Creation Date Changes
In this release Canvas made adjustments to the Learning Outcomes and Learning Mastery Gradebook areas that included a change in calculation of mastery based on a decaying average and a change in language for mastery levels.
Other updates in this release included the continuation of user interface changes for consistency of the look and feel of Canvas. Original discussion creation dates are now also invisible to students and observers making it easier to move discussions from semester to semester.
Finally, the Facebook integration with Canvas is no longer supported.Read the Production Release notes for details.
April 25th Production Release –
Anonymous Peer Review & Date Validations
The following features and updates are currently being reviewed in Beta and are slated for the April 25 production release. Note: The beta environment will be more sluggish than production (live) Canvas and resets every few weeks. Not all features in beta are available at MCCCD. Placing a feature in beta does not guarantee it will be part of the upcoming production release. Please view the April 20, 2015 Production Release Notes for complete release details.
Peer Reviews Go Undercover
By popular demand (learn more about voting feature ideas) Canvas is exploring a series of options to improve Peer Reviews starting with anonymity features. When setting up a Peer Review assignment, Instructors will have the option to hide the student reviewers names from the student submitting the work. Later updates will include the option to hide the name of the student submitting the work. Note: The Peer Review feature is available for assignments and discussions.
Learn More:
Creating Peer Review Assignments
Creating Peer Review Discussions
Your Dating Skills will be Validated
Canvas will now validate all due and availability dates for new, edited and basic assignment shells. Instructors will receive an error message for dates that fall outside of the course or term start and end dates.
Learn More:
What are Assignments?
Availability vs. Dues Dates – What’s the Difference?
Mark Your Calendar – June 6 Brings Big New Features
On June 6, 2015, the following changes will be made in Canvas:
- Differentiated Assignments (by section) will no longer be a Feature Option (not currently enabled in MCCCD) in Canvas and will be enabled for all Canvas users as a standard feature. What are Differentiated Assignments?
- The new Files interface (Better File Browsing) will no longer be a Feature Option (not currently enabled in MCCCD) in Canvas and will be enabled for all Canvas users as a standard feature. This change will enable New Files on the course and user levels.Using Files as an Instructor.
Other Updates & Bug Fixes
Review the release notes site for details of all the recent changes to Canvas including the Bug Fixes. Want to ask Canvas to consider a feature option? All Canvas users are encouraged to make feature requests that can benefit the teaching and learning environment of the Canvas tool. Learn more about voting on Features and Sharing Feature Ideas.
Canvas “On-the-Go”! – Mobile (Android & iOS) Updates
Review the latest release notes for each mobile platform. Android (4.3) update features an internal calendar and improved notification set-up and the iOS SpeedGrader update features a completely updated and improved grading experience on the iPad.
Did You Know?
Why is Canvas Always Changing!?!
Understanding the Canvas Release Cycle
From the beginning Instructure, the makers of Canvas, wanted to create a Learning Management System that was responsive to teaching and learning needs. From adding new features that enhance the learning environment to fixing bugs/issues, the goal is to have a product that is flexible, current and innovative. To ensure this, Canvas is on a 3-week update-release cycle.
From Beta to Production
The Canvas Release Cycle includes a beta and production environment. Feature changes and bug fixes are first deployed in the beta environment so that the community can test and preview the changes before they are moved in to the live or production environment. Instructure publishes a set of notes prior to and with all releases (both production and beta) to let users know what has been updated and changed.Not all changes placed in the beta environment will come to production immediately or ever. The purpose of the beta is to “test” new features. Canvas may or may not release these features based on the results of the testing. That is why it is important for instructors to pay attention to the release cycle.
How can I get involved?
Instructors can take advantage of the release notes and beta preview period to familiarize themselves with the changes and to provide feedback to Canvas. This feedback is considered when Canvas moves features to production.
To get involved:
Subscribe
to the update release notes.
Preview
the beta releases (log-in to maricopa.beta.instructure.comwith your MEID/MEID Password).
Note: Do not use the beta environment to teach or update your course. It is not accessible to students and will be overwritten every 3-weeks.
When is the next release?
Production release notes were released on 4/20 with the upcoming release and documentation to follow on 4/25. The next beta release notes and release will be on 5/4.
Canvas Training
Online Resources, Tutorials & Guides for Faculty
- Canvas 101 is an open enrollment course that covers the basics of setting up a new course in Canvas. To enroll, simply click on the “Join this course” button on the Course Home Page. There is no facilitator, but it is a good series of self-paced exercises for faculty wanting to learn Canvas basics.
- Canvas 102 Demo Videos are a comprehensive 3 hour video presentation of all things Canvas for instructors. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
- Canvas Guides are available that cover all major features of Canvas by question topic. They are easy to navigate and mostly image-based walk thru demonstrations of how to use a particular feature.
- MCCCD Canvas Help Area provides how-to documents, and support information to all Canvas users, students and faculty.
CanvasLive Webinars
CanvasLIVE is a free webinar series designed to give Canvas users additional training and a place for members of the Canvas Community to share their knowledge. Each session includes a quick tutorial and overview on a Canvas tool or feature, followed by a focused demonstration and a short Q&A. Sessions are archived so if you are not able to attend a live session you can still benefit from the presentation.
- Check out all of the upcoming sessions on the CanvasLIVE Schedule currently featuring the new Community (5/5), the Creative Commons in Canvas (5/11), Peer Reviews (5/17) and more!
- Check out the forum that includes all CanvasLive Archives.
- Have an idea for a future CanvasLIVE webinar? Click to Suggest a Future Topic
Keep Learning Blog
Keep Learning is an education technology blogging project created by the makers of Canvas, Instructure. The purpose of the blog is to engage educators in meaningful dialog around educational technology. Posts are written by educators and technologists around the world. If you would like to contribute, send an email to jared@instructure.com or just visit the site and Learn. Teach. Share.
Free Online VoiceThread Workshops
The MCC CTL is excited to recommend VoiceThread’s next series of workshops for May and June! VoiceThread is a teaching and learning tool that we currently have a license for at Mesa Community College. It is as unique platform desgined to engage learners in conversations around multimedia. Common uses of VoiceThread include presentations, projects, storytelling, debates, discussions, portfolios and more! It is a great tool for all course formats and easily integrates with the Canvas LMS within assignments and in the gradebook.
Learn more about VoiceThread.
Sign-up for these hands-on, FREE sessions to learn how VoiceThread can enhance your courses.
Lesson Design Series
- Teaching Reading and Writing – May 20th at 7:00pm ET – Register Now
- Student Portfolios – June 3rd at 3:00pm ET – Register Now
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL) – June 9th at 3:00pm ET – Register Now
- Flipped, Blended, and Hybrid Classes – June 17th at 3:00pm ET – Register Now
Basic VT Skills
- Uploading, Commenting, and Sharing – May 13th at 7:00pm ET – Register Now
- VoiceThread in your LMS – June 24th at 3:00pm ET – Register Now
About the Workshops
These workshops are completely free. Each session is led by George Haines, an instructional designer and former educator. George will share his expertise to help you get the most from VoiceThread.
Resources
VoiceThread Quick Reference
VoiceThread Manual
http://voicethread.com/support/guides/
Web-Based Teaching & Learning
Prepare for or Retool Your Online, Hybrid and Web-Enabled Course
The CIS 236 and CIS 237 series is designed to help you get started in or retool for the unique world of teaching & learning in the hybrid and online formats. It can also help support you in web-enabling your ground/face-to-face course.
First, experience the ‘student’ perspective of online learning in CIS236. Get helpful tips to facilitate a course including policies, procedures and content management (copyright and accessibility). Along the way, see what the Canvas learning management system can do to enhance any course format and discover new digital teaching tools to engage learners. Then explore course design and content creation more deeply in CIS 237. Build engaging assignments, group activities and integrate technology to support learners’ needs.
Instructors will complete the series with practical tips, researched pedagogy and a duplicative structure for building and facilitating an online or hybrid format class or supporting a ground/face-to-face course with an online presence.
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 2015.
Flexible Learning!
- Pick your own start date (1/19 – 3/13)
- Set your own pace over an 8 week period
- No hard deadlines.
Enroll Today
Enrollment through My.Maricopa.edu. (SIS will be unavailable until February 16)
- Complete your Student Information Form
- Register for Class
- Pay for the course, 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:
CIS 236: Web Based Teaching & Learning I (2 credits), Section #31761
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 2015 (Open Entry/Open Exit) – Choose a start date between January 19 and March 13. Students will have 8 weeks to finish the course from the start date.
CIS 237: Web Based Teaching & Learning II (3 credits), Section #31762
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 2015 (Open Entry/Open Exit) – Choose a start date between January 19 and March 13. Students will have 8 weeks to finish the course from the start date.
Canvas End of Semester Best Practices
In order to ensure a smooth, end of the semester, please consider following the best practice activities for closing your course and transitioning to the next semester.
Important Notes
Ensure that student grades are tabulating correctly:
- Check your grading options including any assignment groups and grade weighting (if applicable) from Assignments in the course navigation.
- Enter zeroes for any student work not submitted OR from Grades select the “gear” drop-down menu, click “Treat Ungraded as 0’s” to ensure unsubmitted assignments are scored with a zero. Detailed instructions.
Do not conclude your course or lock modules if you have assigned a grade of “Incomplete” to a student. They still need to access and participate in the course material.
Withdrawn student data, downloading of data, and sending of messages is not available after final grades have been entered in My.Maricopa (SIS). Instructions for accessing grades in Canvas after conclusion.
End of a Canvas Course FAQs
BEFORE Entering Grades in SIS (My.Maricopa)
Archive Grades – Download your grade book 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 More Information – Downloading Grades
Gather Data – Download any assignments, course surveys, quizzes or exam results to archive them locally on your computer or flash drive.
For Quizzes: Click on Quizzes > Select the Quiz > Click on Quiz Statistics > Select the download option of Student and/or Item Analysis More Information – Downloading Quizzes/Surveys
For Assignments: Click on Assignments > Select Download Submissions from the right-navigation.
Send Final Communications – Send end-of-course messages to students, if desired. Please note that all communication will be preserved in the Canvas Conversations inbox. Messages will not be deleted or automatically archived by the system.
AFTER Entering Grades in SIS (My.Maricopa)
End Course – You can leave your course “as is” and it will automatically go into a read-only mode for students. Students will no longer be able to submit assignments or communicate with the class. If you prefer, you can also end your course (Settings > Edit Course Details > Enter an Ending Date for the course). We DO NOT recommend concluding your course as it becomes inaccessible to you.
Locking Content – You can selectively lock content to keep students from accessing sensitive content such as quiz results.
If you do not want students to view Quiz Questions after the end of a semester you will need to set and ending date for your course. Click on Settings > Edit Course Details > Enter an Ending Date for the course.
For Module Content, lock each module by entering a lock date far in the future – 1/1/2020 for example). Locking Modules Instructions
For Course Files, hide the Files area from the course navigation. Keep in mind that files linked to pages will still be visible unless locked. Locking Files Instructions.
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Spring 2015 Canvas Course Shells are Open
Spring 2015 course shells have been opened in Canvas. You will find links to all your assigned Spring sections on your Canvas Course List. Feel free to develop 
your courses within these unpublished shells throughout the Fall. TIP: Customize your course menu to include Spring courses in your quick pick list.
Delays in Instructor/Enrollment Updates
If you don’t see your Spring 2015 course shell in Canvas, please be patient. The SIS (My.Maricopa) to Canvas update is experiencing delays, so recent instructional changes/additions within the schedule may not yet be reflected in Canvas. We hope that this situation will resolve itself soon. Please contact the CTL with any questions or concerns.
Course Copy Tips
Don’t forget that you can copy course content from your previous Spring or Fall courses into these shells. Please see our copy guidelines to get started. Don’t forget to use the Adjust Events and Due Dates option to save yourself time. It can take up to 2 hours for copies of courses from one semester to another to be completed (size and traffic determine speed). Feel free to leave the copy page or logout of Canvas while the copy is being made.
Additionally, pay close attention to any error notices at the end of the copy process. Review any alerts reported (posted notice in the import history) and take corrective action. Errors will most often be related to broken links or empty pages.
Maintenance on Roll Call/Attendance on November 9
Canvas will perform maintenance on the Roll Call/Attendance tool on November 9 beginning at 10pm MST. The tool will be unavailable at this time for an estimated 2 hours. Learn more about the Roll Call/Attendance Tool.
Canvas Update Cycle
Canvas is on a 3-week update-release cycle. The beta (preview) release for this cycle was on 10/27, production notes were shared and the release and documentation will follow on 11/8. Follow the release schedule on the Canvas Updates Calendar.
Recent & Upcoming Updates
Strikeouts for Assignments Improve Calendar Functionality
On the calendar, students will see submitted assignments with a text strikeout. This is a visual indicator that work for that assignment has already been turned-in. For instructors, a crossed out assignment indicates that the due date has passed and that all grading has be completed.
Learn More: The Canvas Calendar
Interface Changes Expand Accessibility & Streamline Navigation
Canvas has made a variety of changes to the interface to improve the user experience, enhance navigation and comply with best practices in accessible design. Recent changes include:
- The removal of the Assignments Tab from the Global Canvas Navigation to encourage students to enter the course to find and submit assignments.
- The addition of Term Dates in the Course List to make it easier to identify courses by semester.
- The improvement of contrasting within the calendar and to grade score formatting within the Gradebook.
Be in the Know with Canvas Status Updates
Want up to the minute reports on the status of Canvas and Canvas features? Check out the improved Canvas Status tracker at http://status.instructure.com/. In this interactive interface you can review the current functionality of all the major features from Document previewing to the Media recording tools. Subscribe to Updates to receive notices of issues/incidents in your Gmail.
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A Festival of Learning Just for You
The Center for Teaching & Learning will be holding its 3rd Annual Fall Tech & Teach Fest Monday, October 20 through Friday, October 24 on the Southern and Dobson Campus.
What is the Fest?
The Fall Tech & Teach fest is a week of activities to support teaching & learning at MCC. The week will consist of sessions, discussions, hands-on demonstrations and other events that address excellence in education pedagogy and technology. All MCCCD faculty and staff welcome. Attend one or attend all, we hope to see you there! Register soon for this festival of learning.
Topics will include:
Google, Canvas (conferences, collaborations, apps and other best kept secrets), VoiceThread (discussions around media), Nearpod (interactive presentations), Accessibility, Video Production, Outcome-based Learning, Designing for Online Learning, Building Effective Discussions, Kahoot (course polling/gaming) and more! See the Full Fest Guide for a day-to-day listing and description of all sessions and events. Topics are both staff and faculty oriented.
Event Maker Party!
Join us for food, fun and making! Learn how to create web mashables and applications to engage learners in content & activities for your program or course. Quickly remix web content, video, audio, images and pages using free web-based Maker Tools. Also feel free to bring your thoughts and ideas from any of the sessions throughout the week. Fest staff will be on hand to answer questions and help you develop your projects. Register Now.
See the Event Full Calendar:
Fall 2014 Tech & Teach Fest Guide
Sessions will be hosted in the CTL Room AS175, AS Building; Southern & Dobson Campus.
Register Now!
Register through the HRMS (Time & Labor System)
Registration Instructions
Having trouble registering? Call us at (480) 461-7331 and we will register you. Questions? Send us an email at ctl@mesacc.edu.
Earn a Badge!
All event attendees will earn a 2014 Fall Fest Digital Badge. Earn and share your sills, accomplishments and professional development with others. Learn more about digital badging.
* We apologize, but C.A.F.E. Funds have been exhausted for this semester.
** Sessions with low enrollment may be canceled up to 24 hours prior to the start time/date.
Important Canvas User Notices
New Canvas 101 for Students Launched at MCC
The MCC Canvas 101 Student Orientation course has been updated! This self-enrolled, self-paced course was first made 2 years ago when MCCCD transitioned to Canvas. It is given out by faculty to orient students to Canvas. It is also published on our MCC eLearning web site, Center for Teaching & Learning Canvas Tutorials and other locations. It is highly recommended that you encourage those students new to Canvas to take this course. This will not only help them be more successful in navigating Canvas to access important course information/activities, it should also save instructional time otherwise spent on technical issues. The easiest way to share this course is to include the web link in your syllabus, welcome letter, getting started activities, etc..
Canvas 101: Student Orientation to Canvas Course – http://tinyurl.com/learncanvas
Keep Your Browsers Current & Clean!
Many of the issues users face with Canvas relate to the web browser. Canvas supports the latest two versions of all the major browsers (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari and Firefox). Although users may be able to access Canvas with older browser versions, they may experience a variety of issues including loss of functionality and worse, loss of work if the browser crashes.
In addition, it is important for browser health and for the usability of Canvas and Canvas features to regularly clear the browser cache. We recommend that users mark their calendar to do this maintenance at least a few times per month or whenever they experience issues like being unable to record video or audio using the Canvas media tools. Some Canvas features also require Flash and the Java plug-in.
A few words on security. Canvas is a secure environment and this can sometimes cause issues with certain multimedia features like embedded videos and tools working or displaying properly due to browser security. It is important to provide links to media and tools, as well as the embedded versions to ensure that students are able to see and interact with course material.
Learn more about Canvas and browser compatibility including security. **Bookmark this resource and give it to students it is extremely valuable!
Resources for Clearing Browser Cache
When in Doubt, Switch Browsers!
One of the first things a user should try when they are experiencing an issue in Canvas is to switch browsers. It may sound like a Help Desk cliche, but a little flexibility in browsing preferences can save a lot of time and frustration. Currently most users are preferring the functionality provided by Google Chrome or Firefox. Internet Explorer is supported, but not recommended.
Canvas Update Cycle
Canvas is on a 3-week update-release cycle. The next beta (preview) release is on 9/15, production notes will follow on 9/22 with the release and documentation to follow on 9/27. Follow the release schedule on the Canvas Updates Calendar.
Recent Changes
Big changes come in small packages! Many of the recent updates to Canvas have been tiny tweaks to functionality that will make your life and the learning of your students better and better! Review all the recent changes from the 9/6/2014 release.
Canvas Course List All-Stars
The Canvas Course list functionality has been changed to allow all users (students and faculty) to more easily manage their Canvas courses. The previous customize option (to control what courses appeared in the ‘quick list’ drop-down course menu) has been combined with the My Courses page. Now users can view all their courses and select which courses to display (using the new star icons to mark favorites) in the drop-down menu all within the same location.
Your course(s) marked as a ‘favorite’ will correspond to your Courses drop-down menu, Canvas Conversations Inbox menu and Calendar menus so it is worth taking the time to customize your course list each semester!
Additionally the My Courses page includes more information about the status of a course including whether it is published or not. Note: Unpublished courses are listed in gray and include a tag which is visible to faculty and students. When students hover over an unpublished course they will see a message stating – “This course had not been published. Students should contact the course instructor for access.”
Mark Your Calendar & Join the Conversation
Please plan to join us for the 3rd Annual Canvas Conversations event on Friday, November 7, 2014 from 9 am to 3 pm at Scottsdale Community College. This event is open to all Maricopa faculty and staff. 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
- Dialog with colleagues
Registration will open soon! Check the MCLI web site for details!
Submit a Proposal to Present at the Conference
We know you are doing awesome work in Canvas; please consider sharing your ideas and expertise by submitting a proposal today! Proposals are due by 11:59 pm Sunday, October 19, 2014.
