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Upcoming OTAN Activities - Week of October 20
Posted on 10/20/2025
OTAN Digest – October 2025
Is your agency using Canvas? Reach out at aecanvas@scoe.net to schedule a one-on-one Zoom support session, request staff training, or host a one-day regional Canvas Summit.
New! OTAN Subject Matter Expert Dana Thompson is offering Canvas Office Hours. Sign up here: Dana's Office Hours.
This Week’s Upcoming Activities
Saturday, October 25, 9:00 - 10:30 am | Accessible by Design: Building Inclusive Canvas Courses | Dana Thompson, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | In this session, you’ll learn how to apply accessibility best practices in Canvas to ensure your content is inclusive, usable, and welcoming to every student. Explore practical strategies for formatting content, using alternative text, designing with color contrast in mind, and structuring pages for screen reader compatibility. You’ll also learn how to use Canvas’s built-in accessibility checker and ensure your multimedia, links, and assessments are fully accessible.
Coming soon!
Wednesday, November 5, 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Edpuzzle Disco Party! Session 1: Step Into the Edpuzzle Groove | Super Manny Curiel, Edpuzzle and Yecsenia Castro, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | Hello Hello Hello, party people! The disco floor is open, and we’re starting with the basics—what Edpuzzle is, why it is perfect for adult learning, and how it keeps your learners engaged. You’ll see it in action with videos from OTAN, all while I DJ the Edpuzzle vibes live. Think of this as your first dance—no pressure, just fun moves and lots of sparkle. By the end, you’ll be saying, “Yaaas!”
Wednesday, November 12, 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Edpuzzle Disco Party! Session 2: Remix & Create – Building Together | Super Manny Curiel, Edpuzzle and Yecsenia Castro, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | Time to hit the dance floor for real! In this session, we’ll build lessons together like we’re mixing tracks at the disco. We’ll dig through video and lesson libraries, remix lessons, and scratch in your own creative flair. No solo acts here—we’re doing this as a dance crew, step by step, question by question. You’ll leave with your own funky fresh Edpuzzle lesson that’s ready to spin in your classroom.
Thursday, November 13, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm | Federal Program Monitoring Program (FPM) Adult Education Office Instrument Training 2025-26 (Part 2: Live Question and Answer Webinar) | Abygail Medina Lewis and David Stang (CDE, Education Program Consultants) | This interactive three-hour session provides participants with the opportunity to discuss topics covered in Part 1 (Federal Program Monitoring Program (FPM) Adult Education Instrument Training 2025-26 Pre-recorded video). During this webinar, all inquiries related to instrument items, individual evidence requests, agency responsibilities during the review, and the review process will be addressed. Webinar participants will also have an opportunity to hear from an agency that was reviewed last year. Guest presenters will share their FPM experience as well as share strategies for a successful review. Note: Only agencies selected for this year’s review (2025-26) can participate and must have viewed the pre-recorded video before attending this Q&A webinar.
Saturday, November 15, 9:00 - 10:30 am | Canvas Mastery Paths: A Step Toward Student Agency | Dana Thompson, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | Canvas Mastery Paths allow instructors to customize learning experiences for students based on choice or performance. Mastery Paths allow differentiation of assignments, access to customized learning resources based on student choice or level, and activities that are tailored to student performance. This feature aligns with Universal Design for Learning's "firm goals flexible means" guidelines as well as can be accessed in a small, blended learning group. Learn how to set up a Mastery Path and tap into best design practices for creating everything from enrichment to practice learning for your adult learners.
Wednesday, November 19, 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Edpuzzle Disco Party! Session 3: Disco Inferno – Shine & Share | Super Manny Curiel, Edpuzzle and Yecsenia Castro, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | The spotlight is ON YOU, Yaaas! This final session is all about sharing your shine. Bring your Edpuzzle lessons to the disco floor, show off your creativity, and cheer each other on. This is your time to shine bright, learn from your fellow educators. Think of it as an educator talent show where everyone wins and the confetti never stops...because the best parties (and learning) happen together. #BetterTogether
