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 2

Welcome to Fall 

Welcome to football, fires, and frost. As the temperatures cool down outside, we cozy up with a warm blanket, a fire, hot chocolate, our laptops, and ponder - how do I make my students ready for the world that awaits them? What does that look like in my course? How can I help my students be career-ready? Take a look at the home page of the CTL website, AC Career-ready student is an infographic about the skills and characteristics an AC student should have when they graduate. In her blog post, Building Employable Students, Instructional Designer Michaela Dodson discusses how instruction should be changing to meet the demands of stronger employability skills in our students. This is no easy feat given the content we are already teaching. However, think about small changes: tweak an assignment? Incorporate more collaborative work/projects? Add more/different real-world applications to assignments? These changes don't need to be major, just intentionally include teamwork, planning and organizing, decision making, project/problem-based, or any of the other characteristics of a great employee. In the blog, she has many great ideas to enhance your course materials with employability skills. 

Highlights in this Issue:

1. Blackboard ER: Blackboard ER will be held all day on Friday, October 15. 
2. Blackboard Changes and CTLHelp: There have been changes to Blackboard, but the help you get and CTLHelp has not. 
3. How to link your Pearson materials to Blackboard: As with any technology, changes are bound to happen. Both Blackboard and Pearson have done just that, therefore your Pearson materials may not link to Blackboard correctly. Find out how to relink your materials before Fall 2 starts. 
4. ACES 2022: Mark your calendars and save the date - January 12, 2022

As we move into fall break next week, please take some downtime and get a little rest, before we move into Fall II and a busy holiday season.   

The CTL Team

Blackboard ER

Blackboard ER will be this Friday, October 15th from 8 am - 5 pm. We will be available in CTL all day for help with your grade book, submitting grades, and setting up your Blackboard course for Fall II. 

In addition for those applying for Tenure, we will be available to help your link documents to the Tenure application Google Sites.

Please come see us in Ware 205V or virtually through Zoom. The Zoom link can be found in Blackboard on your institution page.  

READ MORE >> 

Blackboard changes and CTLHelp

As many of you know Richard Stephenson has left Amarillo College. While we are hiring a new Blackboard Administrator, Kristin Barker our Instructional Technologist has taken on Blackboard issues. However, please still email CTLHelp@actx.edu if you are having problems. This email is seen by several different individuals and is the fastest way to get a response. 

When you are emailing CTLHelp, please be sure to use CTLHelp@actx.edu. We have heard about a few other CTLHelp emails out there, however, in the other email addresses, the extension is not @actx.edu. Please be sure you are using the correct email address. 

How to link your Pearson course to the new Blackboard 

Recently, Pearson has undergone an update to their products and how they link to Blackboard. If you are experiencing issues with your Pearson links, please follow the following steps on How to Pair Your Pearson Course or come see us at Blackboard ER this Friday.  

ACES 2022 - Coming Soon!

Be sure you save the date - January 12, 2022. We will once again be offering ACES - live and in-person, so far. There have been many great breakout session proposals submitted by your colleagues and we have found a great keynote speaker. Finally, we have had many donations for prizes and giveaways from businesses throughout Amarillo and Canyon.  

READ MORE >> 

Save the Date

Blackboard ER
10/15/2021

8am - 5pm
Ware 205V or Zoom
Zoom link located in Blackboard

ACES 2022
01/12/2022
Location: TBA

See ACES webpage for more info

Faculty Spotlight - Professional Learning

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.