Hello, Canvas Credentials users!
Another month has flown by and August is upon us. In this newsletter, we discuss the multifunctional uses of badges, highlight the credentialing effort at Florida Gulf Coast University, and introduce you to our two newest team members! If you have suggestions for what you’d like to see in upcoming newsletters, please email CredentialsCSMTeam@instructure.com.
Badges to Recruit, Retain, and Recognize
While students are the primary use case for higher education digital credentialing, badges are powerful tools to recruit, retain, and recognize faculty and staff, too.
Recognize: Great professional development for staff and faculty is fundamental to keeping talented professionals satisfied and advancing in their work, and skills-aligned badges are a portable, shareable, verifiable reward for that critical upskilling and cross-skilling.
Retain: When you award badges for professional development, you connect earners with the organization with a powerful visual representation of your commitment to them.
Recruit: Badges shared to social media highlight your commitment to faculty and staff professional development. are actively looking for organizations that will support them throughout their employment, and your badges signal that you are that organization!
Consider that Pathways connect learners with stacks of professional development events. (Click on the image below to see how ASU uses badges along pathways).
How are you using badging for your staff and faculty? We’d love to hear about it. Contact us at credentialscsmteam@instructure.com to share your thoughts and learn more.
Florida Gulf Coast University: Implementing a University-wide Digital Badging Initiative
Florida Gulf Coast University developed a university-wide digital badging initiative to increase the career readiness of its students and the Southwest Florida workforce. The initiative brings employers/industry partners together with FGCU faculty and staff to create innovative credentials designed to prepare students, alumni, employees, and community members for the future of work.
Meet our new teammates!
We are thrilled to welcome two new teammates to the Credentials CSM organization!
Benjie Messinger-Barnes
Benjie was born and raised in New York City, and he now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their mini Goldendoodle Kobe. Before coming to Instructure, Benjie was a math teacher, department chair, and the director of online learning and education technology at his Alma Mater, the Friends Seminary School in New York. He completed his undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Economics at Wesleyan University where he was the captain of the Squash team and active in Wesleyan’s local mentoring program, and he earned an Ed.M in Mathematics Education from Rutgers University. Benjie loves cooking, snowboarding, running, golfing, playing pickleball, and anything else that will keep him outdoors and active!
LoriAyn Stickler
LoriAyn Stickler currently serves as a Customer Success Manager for Canvas Credentials. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Florida Southern College and a Master of Science in Educational Technology Applications from Barry University. She has more than 30 years of experience as an educator working with diverse populations in a variety of public and private settings. LoriAyn has served in several roles in education: as a classroom teacher, National Board of Professional Teaching Standards mentor, instructional designer, educational consultant, district administrator, and her most recent experience includes managing the training and implementation of multiple technology projects and digital applications as the Project Manager, Technology & Instruction with Broward County Public Schools in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Have you checked out the Instructure Community Pages?
Be sure to check out our Instructure Community to connect with other Canvas Credentials users, view our roadmap, and suggest features to be added! Curious about how to get started? Use this guide: Welcome New Members - Instructure Community
While in the community, subscribe to weekly highlights → Instructure Community Weekly Highlights
Consultancy and Training Hours
Our consultants focus on the people side of change. With our educational background and knowledge, we understand the challenges you’ll face with rolling out any new initiative - whether it’s new software like Canvas or launching a credentialing program. Our strategic approach aims to create a deep connection between teaching, learning, engagement, and technology. We have the skills, tools, processes, and education expertise to make change easy for your users and to sustain long-term adoption.
Our Strategic consulting services will help you increase the speed of adoption, deepen and elevate usage, and improve the overall student experience. For more details, please contact CredentialsCSMTeam@instructure.com.
Please reach out to us with any concerns. Have a good day!
- Your Canvas Credentials CSM Team– Ashley, Benjie, LoriAyn, & Annelise
