Pivot Online

What is it?

We have a new resource to help you prepare your in-person course for a pivot online in the event that there is a COVID-19 exposure in your class. PIVOT ONLINE is an open course with information on using Canvas to temporarily teach online. We’ve gathered all you need to prepare your course for a pivot, but please don’t feel overwhelmed by all that’s included. Pick and choose what you need and what is helpful for how you will teach your course while online.

What’s included?

Pivot Online includes…

information on using Zoom to meet synchronously with students
ways to communicate asynchronously with students in Canvas
options to collect work online and sync it with your Canvas gradebook
how to get help at Mt. SAC, be it self help, tech help, or instructional design help
a sample module to preview and instructions for how to import it into your course

How do I find it?

You can access PIVOT ONLINE directly. No joining required, but joining will add it to your Canvas Dashboard and you’ll receive any announcements that we post. You can also access it from our Remote Teaching page (“Need to Pivot to Remote Teaching?” drop-down) and in the Canvas Faculty Center (home page navigation link).

How do I get the template?

To adopt the pivot template and make it your own, click Mt. SAC Pivot Template, and import it into your course, or follow the steps below. Everything is editable. Keep only what you need, and delete the rest (or leave any unused content unpublished).

Click “Commons” in the left, gray Canvas menu.
Search for “Pivot Online Module Template” in the top search bar.
Click the “Pivot Online Module Template” card to open it.
Click the blue “Import/Download” button.
Select your course from the list, and click “Import into Course.”
Go to your course > Click the Modules tab > UNPUBLISH the module and the content within the module while you adapt it for your course.

FOMAR Training

FOMAR Training stands for Fully Online by Mutual Agreement Readiness Training. This baseline-level training was developed last year to provide an emergency-use training for professors teaching remotely in Canvas due to the pandemic. FOMAR Training consists of three self-paced modules: Canvas Basics, Canvas Gradebook, and Regular & Effective Contact. A few things to note about FOMAR Training:

Accessing these trainings won’t affect your credit if you’ve already completed them previously.
Signing up or opening any of the FOMAR modules does not obligate you to complete them IF you are not required to do so or if you completed SPOT.
You may go through the FOMAR modules in ANY order. Use the Table of Contents in each module to jump around and view any part of it.

Whether you’re new to temporary remote instruction, or you simply want to review what you learned in FOMAR Training that you previously completed, you can access FOMAR Training in POD Connect. If you have trouble accessing the training due to the pesky “Authentication Error,” try signing into POD Connect, then clicking FOMAR Training in POD Connect.

If you’re looking for information on Skills and Pedagogy for Online Teaching (SPOT) and the process for teaching distance learning courses at Mt. SAC, see the Distance Learning website.

Instruction Office

Policies and procedures affecting faculty teaching on campus can be found on the Instruction Office’s website (“Return to Campus Information” drop-down). Check back often for updates.

Did you find what you needed in PIVOT ONLINE? Did you use the template? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

On Your Mark, Get Set, Pivot!