As most folks know the Alamo Colleges have implemented a new Learning Management System – Canvas – to replace Blackboard Vista.
Northwest Vista faculty has been completing the online Canvas training in record numbers. As of the end of November, all of our 700-plus faculty members have enrolled in the Canvas training, and 368 have completed it. Kudos to our faculty members who have gone out of their comfort zones to take on this new product.
Special recognition goes to the faculty members who are leading the way as innovators, trainers, and adjunct faculty liaisons. Below are just a few of the faculty who have created discipline-specific training or templates to help everyone learn the new tools.
- Math – Kelli Bradshaw, Debbie Rosenthal and Robert DiGiovanni
- Accounting – Ralph Mendez and Robert McWhorter
- English – Caroline Kuyumcuoglu and June Pedraza
Other faculty members who are featured in the training videos and who are helping colleagues learn their way around Canvas are: Mike Munoz, Brian Stout, Michael Goeken, Mellissa Marlowe and Cynthia Franklin.
Feedback on both the training and on Canvas itself has been overwhelmingly positive. Here are a few of the comments we have heard.
“Although I had never considered using an online tool in my course, I now plan to use the amazing communication features,” wrote one faculty member.
Another said, “I previously thought this is only for online courses, but it can be very useful for regular face-to-face courses.”
NVC is hoping to be the first of the Alamo Colleges with all faculty trained and using Canvas in the spring semester.