How to Take a Screenshot
Ever find yourself trying to describe what’s on your screen with words alone? Knowing how to take a screenshot makes it easy to share exactly what you’re seeing, whether you’re guiding students through the LMS, highlighting feedback, or answering a common question. Screenshots are also a big help when reaching out for support, since they show the issue at a glance. It’s a skill that can make communication clearer and save time for both you and your students.
Learn how to take a screenshot in by watching this Tech Tip. For more tech tips, check out the Tech Tips Playlist.
Have You Tried New Content Experience Yet?
The New Content Experience in D2L Brightspace offers a modern, flexible way to organize your course materials. You can build content using Lessons and Activities that are easier to rearrange, reuse, and manage over time. It also features a cleaner layout and an improved workflow when adding files, links, discussions, assignments, and other course items.
This experience also helps create a more consistent, student-friendly structure across courses. If you’re curious, consider trying it in one course to see how it fits your teaching style. You can explore at your own pace and decide what works best for you.
Learn more in this Brightspace Community article on the New Content Experience.
Lunch and Learn Spring 2026: Small Tools, Big Impact in Brightspace
This spring’s Lunch and Learn series highlights practical Brightspace tools that support clear communication, meaningful instructor presence, and efficient teaching. Through stand-alone sessions, faculty explore announcements, automation, surveys, course data, and reusable sandbox resources that can be applied immediately to support student success.
Visit the CCIT Lunch and Learn webpage to view session descriptions and dates.
Learn More About Padlet
Looking for an easy way to boost engagement and collaboration in your courses? Padlet lets instructors and students share ideas, links, images, and reflections in a simple, visual space that works well for brainstorming, discussions, and group activities. Check out this Lunch and Learn session from last semester where you’ll get a quick tour of Padlet features and ideas for using it in face-to-face, online, or hybrid classes.
The video is available anytime on our YouTube channel. Previous recordings from the current semester are also linked on the Lunch and Learn page for easy access.
Engagement and Retention Strategies to use with Your Students
Portland Community College’s 110 Teaching Tips emphasize creating a welcoming, interactive, and supportive learning environment that actively engages students and strengthens their sense of belonging. The strategies focus on building strong instructor/student relationships, promoting active learning, and offering timely support that together help students stay motivated and persist in their educational goals.
- Learn and use students’ names early in the term
Knowing and correctly using students’ names conveys respect and personal recognition, which helps students feel valued and connected to the class community. This is a key factor in fostering belonging and persistence. - Provide frequent, low-stakes opportunities for students to check their understanding
Short activities such as quick writes, reflections, or practice questions allow students to assess their learning without the pressure of high-stakes grading. These checkpoints build confidence, surface misunderstandings early, and reinforce a growth-oriented learning environment that supports retention. These do not need to be graded. - Make connections between course content and students’ real-life experiences or goals
When students see how course material applies to their lives, careers, or communities, learning feels more relevant and meaningful. Relevance increases motivation and helps students view the course as worthwhile, which is a strong predictor of persistence.
To explore all 110 strategies for bolstering student engagement and retention, visit Portland Community College’s full teaching tips resource online.
Anatomy of a CCIT Help Ticket
Did you know that CCIT has a team of Educational Technologists (Ed Techs) that work alongside the LMS Administrator to answer all of your questions about D2L Brightspace? Whether you’re having an issue with your quiz, your gradebook didn’t copy over correctly, or maybe you need to submit a VR request, CCIT is here to help! You can submit a help ticket through the DTCC IT Support and one of the Ed Techs will answer your questions. Submitting a ticket to CCIT is easy.
Check out our “Anatomy of a CCIT Help Ticket” Thinglink to learn more.