Canvas Corner Volume 1 (Season 3): Finding Canvas Update Notifications
Canvas is constantly changing in small, and sometimes large, ways. While many of these updates are minor, or only affect students or admins, it can be tricky to figure out which tweaks will actually impact your day-to-day teaching. While the Ed Tech department will always send an email or host a training session for major Canvas updates and changes, we won’t fill up your inbox with the consistent roll-out of minor tweaks. But, just because Ed Tech isn’t going to announce every small change doesn’t mean you don’t have access to them!
Staying informed of every Canvas change and update takes less than a minute right from your Canvas dashboard. If you look all the way at the bottom left of your screen next to the Help menu, you will spot a little notification bubble with a number inside it. That bubble tracks official Canvas release notes, which are usually published on Sundays and Wednesdays.
When you see a number next to “Help,” click it and do a quick scroll through the latest release notes. You don’t need to spend a ton of time studying them, as most of the technical changes won’t apply to you anyway. However, taking a few seconds to skim the summary is the easiest way to preview upcoming features before they officially roll out to our live system. And, if you have questions about any new release, reach out to your favorite NMC Ed Tech team member. You might just stump us!
RELEVANT LINKS FOR TODAY'S CANVAS CORNER:
Training Portal Links:
- Training Portal Home Page (First time? Click “Authorize” to enter)
- Opening Canvas Training (240 minutes – to enter, you must first authorize your Training Services account)
Relevant Knowledgebase Articles:
NMC Canvas Resources:
- Canvas Corner Season 3 Playlist
- Canvas Corner Season 2 Playlist
- Canvas Corner Season 1 Playlist
- Ed Tech Knowledgebase
- Growing with Canvas at Northwestern Michigan College (Instructor Training)
- Passport to Canvas (Student Training)
ABOUT CANVAS CORNERS
Canvas Corners will come out each week during the fall and spring NMC academic calendar. Each will begin with a short video where Ben will walk viewers through a straightforward, yet essential, Canvas feature or function. Below the video will be a description of that same feature or function, and then each post will conclude with pertinent knowledgebase links, relevant Training Services Portal courses, and other relevant links to assist you on your Canvas journey. If you have any suggestions for improvements to the Canvas Corner, please email me at bpost@nmc.edu.