News / Tips for Teaching and Learning

Content tailored for Amarillo College faculty which explores, promotes, and supports excellence in teaching, with diverse technologies.

Volume 2, Issue 7

Time to spring forward, refresh, and renew

March is certainly coming in like a lamb - little wind, warmer temperatures, more daylight hours, and our beautiful Texas Bluebonnets starting to blossom. All are a refreshing change coming out of the winter doldrums. Spring is a time of renewal and a time to try something new. Are you looking to try a new engagement strategy in your courses? Or maybe, you are looking for a different path to grow professionally through our Hire to Retire plan?  This month's edition of the CTL newsletter contains lots of additional information to renew and refresh. 

Highlights in this issue:

1. Finding upcoming courses in Blackboard: With the change to base navigation, finding courses has changed. Learn how to find your upcoming courses. 
2. Ultra Developmental Shells: More changes to Blackboard are coming in August 2023. Get your Ultra Developmental Shell below to start preparing now. This transition is a great time to update and renew your courses. 
3. Forwarding your AC Google Email: We have learned Aviso is using our AC Google Email. Need a refresher on how to forward your Google email to your actx.edu email - find a pdf and video below. 
4. Become a faculty mentor: Are you looking for a new way to earn Professional Development stipend credits? Explore the option of becoming a faculty mentor below. 

Enjoy your spring break! We will see you back for Spring II,

The CTL Team 

Finding upcoming courses in Blackboard

With the transition to Blackboard Base Navigation, we have all had to find new pathways for the things we use in Blackboard. One of those things is to find where our upcoming courses are. Remember upcoming courses open 45 days before the first day of class, click Faculty Course Availability and Start Dates for a refresher. 

However, once the courses open, where do you find them so that you will be able to prepare for the upcoming term. Ariana has created a short pdf "How to: Access Your Courses."

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ariana Tiroff for additional assistance. 

Blackboard Ultra Developmental Shells

By now you have seen the new Base Navigation page for Blackboard (formerly known as our institution page). There are a lot of new tools and features for both you and your students. To find out more about these click on one of the following resources.

• Instructor Resources Index
• Student Resource Index

The student resource guide is on the students' Base Navigation page, but please feel free to put a link to it in your course as well. 

The move to Blackboard Base Navigation was the first step in our transition to Blackboard Ultra. Change is always an uneasy feeling, but with technology, we know change and updates are a constant.  The next phase of our transition is to move to Ultra Course View. We will move to Ultra Course View in August 2023. The change to Ultra Course View will be more dramatic and intensive, but the good news is we have a little bit of time and are encouraging everyone to start the change over now. To help everyone prepare for the change, we are offering faculty a developmental course shell to get familiar with the Ultra Course View changes and to see how your course will transition over into the new platform. Click this link to request your Blackboard Ultra Developmental Shell. Stay tuned to this newsletter and the CTL website for more updates and assistance with the changeover. Also, the instructional designers will be available during Blackboard ER to help with course design and your courses move to Ultra. No need to register, just come over to Ware 205V or log in to Zoom during the Blackboard ER Fridays.

If you have questions or need any other information please email Ariana Tiroff 

Forwarding your AC Google Email

Many of the faculty have already received training in our new retention system, Aviso. If you have not received the training, you will soon. If you have questions or need additional information about Aviso, please contact Pam Madden.

In the Aviso training, Pam talks about forwarding your Amarillo College Google email (username@amarillocollege.com) to your actx.edu email. The process is fairly simple and we have created a pdf for "How to: Forward Email" we also have a short video tutorial. If you have questions about forwarding your Google email account, please contact Kristin Barker. 

Become a faculty mentor

One thing I hear over and over from both new and veteran faculty is about needing a faculty mentoring program. GOOD NEWS - we already have one! We have had a slow start because of COVID and remote teaching, however, I am ready to get the program going to its full potential.

Faculty mentoring is a great way for mid-career faculty to take their professional learning in a new direction, gain instructional leadership skills, and meet faculty from across all of our campuses and disciplines. The faculty mentoring is through our Teaching for Transformation program for new faculty. If you are interested in learning more about the program or are interested in becoming a mentor, contact Lori Petty.  

Save the Date

Balckboard ER

Friday, March 11, 2022

8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Ware 205V or

Zoom Link in Blackboard

ACES 2023
January 11, 2023
Location: TBA

Time: TBA

Professional Learning Cohorts

Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)

Center for Teaching and Learning (WARE) Room 205
Web Page: www.actx.edu/ctl | Email: ctl@actx.edu
Phone:  806-371-5920 

CTL Mission Statement: 
The Center for Teaching and Learning promotes transformative, evidence-based, and engaging professional learning for the enrichment of faculty and administrators to ensure academic success of all students at Amarillo College.