Getting Started

Here are a few useful things to know about using our LMS, Canvas:

• all faculty, staff, students, and managers have accounts in Canvas
• all courses automatically have course shells that can be used in Canvas.
• If you do not see your course shell:

1.  scroll down to see unpublished items.
2. Look in Courses > All courses
3. Check that your department has assigned you in the Banner registration system.
4. Submit a ticket to IT Online Help Desk. or call 909-274-4357.

If you have never accessed Canvas, this video shows you how:

Requesting a Canvas Sandbox

A sandbox is an empty course shell that has no students enrolled in it. It does not expire. Sandboxes are useful when you want to

• practice using tools
• try out functionality
• share materials with other professors
• set up a course before the active course shells have been released for a future term
• set up a a template
• preview materials from the Commons (a library of shared materials you can use)

Click the link below for more information, and to request one. Please allow 24-48 hours for your request to be processed.

Canvas Sandbox Request Form

Get Started with the Remote Teaching Canvas Template

So now that you know how to access Canvas and have a sandbox or 2 to work with, what do you do next? The next video shows you how to access the Remote Instruction Canvas template in the Commons and use it to set up any of your Mt. SAC courses. This template contains a document called Convert Your Course to Canvas that walks you through a sequence of useful steps for setting up courses in Canvas.

It is important to communicate you plans to your students. Like you, students are receiving official communications and messages from other professors, so take a moment and organize your message in a way that helps students get the most important takeaways. Here's an example:

Students are probably receiving lots of messages, and everyone is experiencing some uncertainty and changes to routines. If you use Announcements in Canvas and turn on the option to see announcements at the top of the page, it can help students find relevant information for our class when they look in your class in Canvas.

Post current conditions on one prominent location in Canvas, so that your students can find changed information such as due dates, how they are going to submit assignments, and where to find virtual conference meetings. Be clear if there will be any synchronous time (meeting online together at a specific time).

Another way to stay organized and track student questions is to create an "Ask a Question" discussion in your course in Canvas. Students can then post their question rather than emailing you directly. You or other students can then answer the question in the forum, thereby, allowing all students in the course to view the answer.

Tutorials:

Remember: Canvas does not send out messages until a course is published!

• Learn how to post an Announcement in Canvas
• Learn how to create a new Discussion in Canvas
• Learn how to setup a virtual meeting using Conferences in Canvas

Mt. SAC Canvas Resources

• Mt. SAC FAQ on Remote Temporary Instruction
• Canvas Community page has added sections on Contingency planning.
• Contributors from other schools within the Canvas Community have created a page about moving a course from on ground to online
• @ONE: Preparing to Teach in an Emergency
• See our Learning Canvas page for existing training, guides and resources to learn how to use the LMS
• NEED CAPTIONS? Mt. SAC offers free captioning of videos for any college employee using video as a part of work for the college. make you're request here Video Captioning Services You can also find the Captioning request form under the Help button in Canvas.

Commons Templates

Teachers can click on the Commons in Canvas to see a shared repository of information. We have added a course template that you can use to start. You can apply this template to any of your courses, but it is recommended to first apply it to a Canvas sandbox, which is a Canvas course with no enrollment attached. If you don't have a sandbox, you can request a Canvas sandbox here. Watch the video below to learn how to access the Remote Instruction Course template in Canvas.

Local Guides and Resources in Canvas

• Mt. SAC Faculty Center in Canvas
• Request a Canvas Sandbox
• Faculty Accessibility Center in Canvas
• UDOIT Accessibility Checker in Canvas
• Using the Proctoring Software in Canvas
• Listening and Speaking in Canvas (Coming soon!)
• @ONE online self-paced Intro to Canvas
• Example Course in Canvas-coming soon
• Formatting a Word doc for Respondus
  • FCLT uses Respondus for importing a quiz or exam into Canvas
  • Email fclt@mtsac.edu with your properly formatted Word file. Include your course CRN in your email. We will complete your request as soon as possible.
  • We are working on getting Respondus licenses for departments since our small FCLT team is overloaded.

Workshops

On the Mt. SAC POD Connect Calendar, you can find many local and external workshops on topics related to managing your course in Canvas, using conferencing tools, and other topics on effective online teaching and available tools at Mt. SAC. POD also offers free self-paced online training options on may online teaching topics from LinkedIn/Lynda and Skillsoft. Skim or complete these trainings at your convenience.

FCLT Workshop Recordings

Workshop recordings for FCLT workshops are not provided publicly due to confusion related to whether watching videos counted for the same credit as attending workshops. 

Activities that cannot be tracked cannot count for any type of POD/PGI/SPOT/SPOT Recert/FOMAR credit since there is not any way to validate completion. There has also been a shift in the management of Zoom recordings that delayed our ability to provide to videos to attendees.

Below are some videos we have curated to support your learning. We will return to the workshop videos as we are able to see if there's a clearer way to make those available. Thanks for your understanding. 

Other Useful Videos

• FCLT Youtube Channel Playlists (click on Playlists tab):
  • Basics in Canvas
  • Using ConferZoom & Conferences (including Student Tutorials on ConferZoom)
  • Using Specific Canvas Tools
  • Remote Teaching Thoughts & Tips
  • Comic Relief
• CCC Accessibility Center: Canvas Accessibility Best Practices in Canvas videos
• CVC-OEI Vision Resource Center (this is POD's new POD Connect system)
  • Working Remotely
  • Canvas Vimeo Videos
• Byte-sized Canvas

Managing Stress

If you need some support from the stress, please remember that the college has EASE available to call for all employees and their families. This is a call-in phone line offering counseling services to let you talk to a friendly someone in these times of stress.

 

Mountie Student Hub in Canvas

The Mountie Student Hub is a new resource to connect students with the information and Mt. SAC services they need from where they are: in Canvas! In the Hub you will find:

• Useful Canvas info for students
• What to know about taking online courses at Mt. SAC
• Links to many helpful campus services & resources for students
• Videos about cool locations and people at Mt. SAC
• Connections to Mt. SAC news and social media

Visit the Mountie Student Hub in Canvas

Canvas Student Support Center

The Canvas Student Support Center is a course shell in Canvas that Mt. SAC students can self-enroll into, where they can get support on learning how to use Canvas. In addition to static resources in this shell, Mt. SAC students can also receive support from our Mt. SAC Canvasadors, student employees whose job is to support other students in the use of Canvas at Mt. SAC

Visit the Canvas Student Support Center