Greetings Colleagues:

I imagine that many of you, like me, are working through the transition to Canvas in some way this summer: whether it is moving a course or two, starting a new course, or refining sections you have already experimented with before. This image is of an old scratch sheet I used to think about how I wanted to “bend canvas to my will” by making sure that my pedagogical strategies drove my use of Canvas (rather than the the other way around!).

Wherever you are in this process and however you approach it, PDP can connect you to a range of helpful resources and professional development activities.

Flex Week and The Office of Online Education / TIC Canvas Resources Page

​While many of the official canvas workshops for flex week are full, some still have openings:

Friday 8/11

Canvas Course Design and Organization Basics
Canvas Communication Tool Basics

Monday 8/14​

​Accessible Screencasting for Canvas
It’s Time to Learn Canvas: What Are the Options?

Tuesday 8/15

​Canvas: Use Canva to Enhance Visual Course Design
Using Turnitin in Canvas​​

​Faculty Director of Online Education Jim Julius reminds me that folks are welcome to crash the flex workshop and that any open seats from no shows will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.

Our Online Ed folks also have a fantastic Canvas Information and Resources page, which is also filled with cool tips and examples and from these amazing faculty colleagues. I have found their working incredibly helpful.

Billy Gunn
Robert Kelly
Leola McClure
Gail Meinhold
Curry Mitchell

Be sure to scroll all the way down the Canvas Information and Resources page because it is filled with very useful resources — videos, links, support options, etc.

Remember, time you spend exploring these resources can be counted toward your flex hours by using the pre-approved activities option in myflex.

“Canvas Hacks” on Joyful Teaching

Our Joyful Teaching blog features a new “Canvas Hacks” category that we hope will become another collection point for cool strategies for making the most of Canvas.

​Appropriately, the first “hack” we are sharing comes from Lisa Lane the fearless leader of our now retired Program for Online Teaching. We cheated a bit by leading off with Lisa because her one post actually includes 12 hacks! Lisa’s Dozen Tips for Canvas. Thanks Lisa!

Looking for Other Canvas Hackers:

​We are also looking for “Canvas Hacks” authors — folks who have discovered cool ways bend Canvas to their will or maximize the options Canvas offers. If you are interested in posting one or more ideas to the blog, just reply to this message, and I will help you share your Canvas Hacks with your colleagues!

I expect the transition to Canvas to be a major focus for all of us over the coming year, and PDP will keep working to identify and share resources with you as you make your way through that transition.

​Prepostero
PDP Coordinator