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Teaching Remotely in Canvas

In the event of emergency, campus closure, or COVID-19 exposure in a specific
in-person class, it is important that Mt. SAC faculty are able to continue to provide
a high quality educational experience for Mt. SAC students. Below are some steps that
Mt. SAC professors can take to ensure the continuity of instruction during an
emergency, campus closure. or in the case of a classroom exposure. 

See the Instruction Office's web page for faculty updates on the latest procedures for Return-to-Campus and responding to COVID-19 conditions. For Mt. SAC's response to COVID-19 more generally, see the  Mt. SAC Health Alert page.
    • Need to Pivot to Remote Teaching?

      PIVOT ONLINE

      If you need to PIVOT your course from in person to online this term, PIVOT ONLINE is for you! This new, open course includes everything you'll need to temporarily teach online:

      • Get useful info and resources for setting up synchronous Zoom meetings, communicating asynchronously (not in real-time) with students, using tools in Canvas, collecting classwork online, and getting help.
      • Our two-week PIVOT template is available to preview in the course. Adopt it from the Canvas Commons to quickly convert your class to online; edit, duplicate, and remove content to fits your needs!

      Visit PIVOT ONLINE now!

    • From the Instruction Office

      Related to Resolution 21-05

      Pages 9-10 of Information for Managers Related to Resolution 21-05... (August 17. 2021) state the following information.

      Note

      Planning for Secondary Effects from an Exposure

      Classroom Assignments

      Class Exposure
      •  A class is considered directly affected when a student, staff, or professor have
        tested positive for COVID and the HR contact tracer has confirmed the case.
      • Affected classes will transition to an emergency distance learning to maintain
        instructional continuity. Directly affected class(es) (where the exposure
        occurred) will be shifted to an online course for a 10-calendar day quarantine
        period (from the date of exposure). Deans will work with faculty in classes which
        are hard to convert to online on a case-by-case basis.
      • Individual students in affected class(es) or other instructional spaces will be
        notified by HR Contact Tracing as to the level of their individual isolation or
        quarantine requirements based on their vaccination status. Students who are
        vaccinated and do not present any symptoms may return to other classes on
        campus.
      • HR Contact Tracing will follow the exposure flowchart to notify appropriate
        administrator and Vice President/Provost.
      Alternate Classroom or Other Instructional Space Assignment
      • Alternate classroom(s) or other instructional space will be identified by the
        appropriate administrator to move any class(es) affected by the room closure for
        at least a 24-hour period (from the date and time of exposure).
      • Any classroom(s) or other instructional space affected by an exposure will be
        deep cleaned prior to reoccupation.
      • If there is an alternate room assignment, the division office will post a sign on the
        door notifying students of the alternate location.
      Temporary Emergency Distance Learning
      • Class(es) that are quarantined due to an exposure will continue in an online
        synchronous method for the quarantine period.
      • Vaccinated faculty, without symptoms, teaching a quarantined class moved to an
        online synchronous method may continue teaching other face-to-face classes
        when the contact tracers have cleared them. Vaccinated employees do not have
        to quarantine when exposed and they do not have symptoms.
      • Faculty will need to be SPOT certified, FOMAR certified, or will be required to
        complete FOMAR as soon as possible, but no later than two weeks, of the move
        to temporary emergency distance learning.
      • Temporary emergency distance learning will only be initiated as a result of a
        confirmed exposure by HR Contact Tracing.
      • Faculty will coordinate with deans prior to the move to temporary emergency
        distance learning.
      • The Office of Instruction will work on standardized templates for notifications to
        faculty.
      • A side letter with the Faculty Association with additional details is forthcoming.

      Please check the Instruction Office website for additional updates being made daily.

    • Mt. SAC Canvas: The Basics

      Getting Started in Canvas

      Useful basics to know about Mt. SAC's learning management system (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:
      Find your Course Shell in Canvas

      Scroll down to see unpublished items. In the gray global navigation menu, look in Courses > All courses. Click the star to "favorite" so it appears on your dashboard view. Check that your department has assigned you to the class in the Banner registration system. Submit a ticket to IT Online Help Desk. or call 909-274-4357.

      Never accessed Canvas?

      This video shows you how:

      Need 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 access from the gray, global navigation bar in Canvas--only those with a teacher role in Canvas have access)

      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

    • Communicating with your Students

      It is important to communicate plans to your students. Take a moment to organize your message in a way that helps students get the most important takeaways.

      Example Student Message

      Greetings:

      Once class begins, it is important that you log in during the first week of class and complete the course activities to remain enrolled in the class. Please note that there are multiple resources to support you in Canvas.

      • The Mountie Student Hub can be accessed from the gray global navigation bar or from your dashboard. This resource contains guides to help you use Canvas, info on distance learning, and links to many student services including counseling, tutoring, and online access to the library.
      • Questions or concerns about COVID-19 or about resuming classes online? You can find resources to help and inform students at mtsac.edu/covid19.
      • You can contact me if you have concerns about equipment, internet access, or other questions about this transition.
      • If you need to request accommodations, please go to the ACCESS website soon to give the ACCESS staff and I the best opportunity to arrange content that meets your needs.

      Until you are notified otherwise, please do not come to Mt. SAC campus. Following guidelines to stay home, especially if you do not feel well. Practice good hygiene: wash your hands thoroughly. Avoid touching your face. Maintain a reasonable distance from others. Thanks, and I look forward to seeing all online soon!

      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.

      Message Tutorials:

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

    • Resources: Remote Teaching in Canvas

      Mt. SAC Resources

      Canvas Guides and Resources

      • Mt. SAC Faculty Center in Canvas this professor resource offers information on how to use Canvas and lists all tools & apps available in Mt. SAC's Canvas, including where to find each tool and how to get started in using it. 
      • Request a Canvas Sandbox a sandbox is an empty course that never has enrolled students and never expires. It is a safe place to try out tools and store content.
      • Faculty Accessibility Center in Canvas this is the place for your accessibility questions including where to find accessibility services that support professors and how to use accessibility tools in Canvas. 
      • Introduction to Teaching with Canvas: this free course is offered through the CCC system's professional learning resource, Online Network of Educators. Note that self-paced resources do not count for PGI or other forms of credit available locally at Mt. SAC. 
      • Transferring Quizzes from Paper to Canvas with Respondus You do not need to manually enter questions for quizzes, tests, or exams that you'd like to give online in Canvas. Mt. SAC has a program called Respondus 4.0 that you can download and use (PC only) or you can prepare the exam in the right "answer key" format and send it in to be converted to Canvas format for you! 

      Other Useful Videos

      FCLT Workshops & Vision Resource Center

      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 through the Vision Resource Center "Learning" tab. 

    • Resources for Managing Stress

      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.

Student Resources

    • Canvas Resources for Students

      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

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