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Join us for a stimulating marvel of fantastic fun as  @travis_thurston ‌ and  @ewander  defy gravity with their digital power-ups! Date: Wednesday, July 25, 2018 Time: 4:20 - 5:00 pm (we know it's late in the day, but you will not be disappointed!) Place: Crestone Peak 1-2 Have you ever wanted to immerse your students in online discussion topics, make them dive deep into their brains to access previous knowledge or utilize higher-order thinking? Well, this is the show for you! We use Canvas Discussions (yes, the very one you already have access to, you need nothing extra) to create an architecture of engagement using "Digital #Power-ups." Let us help you help yourselves implement this evidence-based approach in your online courses.   Who wouldn't want to see these two present together? ... View more

[Session Name] No Need to Blame Canvas  @kona ‌ [NEED-TO-KNOW] The major takeaways from this session were: Don't assume your instructors and students know how to do anything in Canvas. Give your instructors and students the information they need to focus on the content of the course and not the technology. Use the Canvas guides! [ADDITIONAL INTEL] Listening to Kona discribe a number of issues students and instructors have on a daily basis in Canvas, I was reminded of my customer service interactions in the office. Many of the troubles mentioned have been brought up a number of times - almost every time I answer the phone. From not being able to access Canvas to not understanding how to get the gradebook in order - it was all deja vu.  My favorite lesson from Kona's session was her brilliant 'Wait ten minutes, try to figure it out, if you can't give me a call,' mantra. I don't know how that will go over in our customer service model, as some people tend to get red-faced and escalate things way to fast, but I am encouraged to give it a try. I am a proponent of jumping in and figuring things out as you go. I also feel that some, instructors especially, don't give themselves enough credit. They're intelligent and fully capable of figuring out Canvas. Kona is also willing to share trainings for students and instructors (to be added soon) and I know I'm going to put those to good use. Let's take a look at the biggest issues we have at our instritutions and plan ahead with workshops or Canvas modules that center around how to use Canvas. Sometimes it's user error and we need to give Canvas users the tools they need to troubleshoot simple problems that can pop up. This sessions was for beginners and long-time Canvas users. I've been using Canvas as a student, instructional designer and instructor for four year now and I enjoyed hearing Kona's preemptive solutions to these simple fixes that can cause major panic. Enjoy the remainder of your InstructureCon experience!  Erin instcon‌ instcon 2017‌ ... View more

A new semester is upon us and this provides a great opportunity to get moving on your health goals. This summer my husband and I started juicing! I had the crap scared out of me while watching two documentaries (currently available on Netflix), Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead and Fed Up. After that traumatic experience I decided to avoid sugar and get juicing. It may seem a bit daunting to get started, but I am here to tell you that it's totally worth it! My husband has lost about 15 pounds since we began this adventure, and I'm down 12 pounds. I have found it really interesting the way my body has handled this change, I have more energy and I don't have the need to eat as much as I used to. Just to give you an idea, we juice for two meals a day and eat a high protein meal for the third. We are loving grilled chicken, turkey burgers and, my husband's favorite, turkey tacos. I steam broccoli ALL the time - hooray for Tupperware! We are also avoiding processed and fast food. So, here we are, a few pounds lighter but also more secure in our cooking abilities (and cleaning abilities since we have to wash the juicer one to two times a day). Watch those documentaries and give this a try. It's a little tough at the start, but you can do it. Promise. Erin ... View more

We're excited to announce that we have worked with the Canvas Community Team (CCT) to create a sneakyselfieswithkenneth​ badge with points that you can earn! Just take your sneaky selfie with  @kenneth_larsen ​ and post to Twitter with the hashtag sneakyselfieswithkenneth​, you can also post to the instcon​ Photo Album with your Twitter URL. We will let the CCT know when we see those selfies and they will help get your badge awarded. Also, check out the sneakyselfieswithkenneth​ Twitter feed. So, get those selfies and we hope you are having a wonderful time in Park City, Utah at instcon​ 2015. Some of our favorite sneakyselfieswithkenneth​ Related blog posts: How to take successful #sneakyselfieswithkenneth Pre-Conference Happenings: Phantom of the API The Best Session at #Instcon (isn't on the schedule) What is Kennethware? ... View more

Gathering in the Grand Summit for pre-conference fun, InstructureCon first-timers and returners alike had the chance to hear from  @kenneth_larsen ​ and  @travis_thurston ​ about how we at the Center for Innovative Design and Instruction at Utah State University use the Canvas API. Those in in attendance were able to view examples of the API uses and how USU utilizes this powerful tool daily. Kenneth and Travis started out with an introduction to the API by asking who has put it to use and how it has helped their processes. From there the discussion moved to the instances of Canvas (test, beta & production) that can be utilized in congruence with the API. There are two more sessions of this workshop today and if you're set to attend be prepared for some hands-on work and a great conversation about what makes the API so powerful when used with the amazingness that is Canvas! Come knowing your Canvas domain URL information and your JSON converter added to your Firefox or Chrome browser. Don't forget to snap your sneakyselfieswithkenneth​ while you're here! Also, once the pre-conference sessions are over the page dedicated to those workshops will be available to all conference goers. See you soon! Erin instcon​ instcon 2015​ sneakyselfieswithkenneth​ ... View more

For those of you who have been paying attention to Twitter in the recent months you have noticed a new trend to compliment instcon​ , that is sneakyselfieswithkenneth​ ! Those of use working in Academic and Instructional Services at Utah State University were looking for a way to recognize our amazing co-worker, Kenneth Larsen, and I think we found the best way to do that! Kenneth is awesome to work with and as soon as you meet him you will wish you were the one sitting next to him every day. Not only is he the creator of USU Design Tools, aka Kennethware, but he is so generous with his knowledge - he is always willing to help! So, here we are at InstructureCon and we want you to get to know Kenneth! So, go say hi and take a selfie, sneakily or otherwise. You will be met with a big smile and a 'Hello!' from Kenneth. To get a successful sneaky selfie with Kenneth you want to make sure Kenneth is in the photo. Then make sure you're in the photo - we want to see you, too! Then head to Twitter and use the hashtag sneakyselfieswithkenneth​ - and don't forget to also tag InstructureCon by using instcon​ ! Kenneth will be all over this conference, so say, 'Hi!' and get to know Kenneth! Happy InstructureCon!! Erin  @kenneth_larsen ​  @travis_thurston ​      ... View more