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Blackboard Bootcamp Retreat

July 09, 2026
Submitted By: Office of Academic Technology & Digital Innovation

Are you ready to get your courses in peak shape for the upcoming semester? Welcome to the Blackboard Bootcamp Retreat! Whether you are a brand-new instructor setting up your very first course shell or a seasoned veteran looking to streamline your workflow, this flexible retreat is designed to meet you exactly where you are. 

How it works: 

  • Mix and Match: You can sign up for just one specific session, a handful of topics, or join us for the entire bootcamp. 
  • Choose Your Format: We are offering the exact same lineup across two days in different formats to fit your schedule. Come see us in person on Wednesday, or join us on Teams on Thursday. Mix and match formats however you like! 

Ready to reserve your spot? Please RSVP using our sign-up form to select the sessions and formats that work best for you! RSVP Here & Select Your Sessions

The Bootcamp Lineup & Daily Schedule

Day 1: Face-to-Face on Wednesday, Aug. 12 

Day 2: Virtual via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, Aug. 13 

The hourly schedule is identical for both days: 

  • 9 a.m.–10 a.m. | Session 1: The Blackboard One-Hour Quick Start 
  • 10:15 a.m.–11:15 a.m. | Session 2: The Syllabus Makeover 
  • 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Session 3: The Blackboard Course Blueprint & Tune-Up 
  • 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. | Lunch Break 
  • 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. | Session 4: Mission: Accessible 
  • 2:45 p.m.–3:45 p.m. | Session 5: The Blackboard Video Playbook 
  • 4 p.m.–5 p.m. | Session 6: Connected Classrooms 

Session Descriptions 

1. The Blackboard One-Hour Quick Start: Getting Your Course Up & Running 

Everything you need to know to get your class on Blackboard and ready for day one. If you just want to get your Blackboard site live, look professional, and welcome your students without getting lost in the weeds, this fast-paced hour is for you. We will walk through the absolute essentials together: navigating the interface, posting your first announcement, and sharing your accessible course materials.  

2. The Syllabus Makeover: First Impressions for Every Student 

Transform your course’s most important document into an accessible, easy-to-read roadmap. Your syllabus is your first connection with your students. Bring your current Word document or PDF to this hands-on workshop, and we’ll give it a clean, modern face-lift. You will learn simple tricks using headings, clear layouts, and accessible design principles that make your syllabus look great on any screen, easier for students to navigate, and fully compatible with screen readers and modern digital tools. 

3. The Blackboard Course Blueprint & Tune-Up: Building & Polishing Your Blackboard Course 

Whether you are starting from scratch or refreshing a copied course, learn how to organize your learning space to save time and keep students on track. A well-structured Blackboard site means fewer panicked emails from confused students and a much smoother semester for you. This comprehensive session is designed for both instructors building a new course environment and seasoned faculty auditing reused materials. We will focus on mapping out your weeks or units logically using modules and Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant, setting up assignments clearly, and organizing your gradebook. You will also learn how to instantly update all your due dates at once, fix broken links, and spot legacy formatting traps so your content is fully updated, clean, and accessible for every learner before the first day of class. 

4. Mission: Accessible – Simple Steps to a Modern Blackboard Course 

A quick-hit checklist to ensure your course materials work beautifully for everyone. Now that your Blackboard course is built, let's make sure all your students can access it without a hitch. This low-stress session cuts through the compliance talk to give you a straightforward, high-impact checklist you can apply directly to your site. You will learn how to spot and fix the most common hidden formatting traps in your files, add quick descriptions to images, and ensure your links are clear, leaving you with a bulletproof, fully accessible Blackboard environment. 

5. The Blackboard Video & Audio Playbook: Engaging Learners with Kaltura 

Create, share, and enhance classroom media directly inside your course site. Multimedia is a powerful way to connect, but only if students can easily listen, view, and engage with it. In this session, we will introduce you to Kaltura, our video and audio platform that is integrated directly into Blackboard. You’ll learn how to record quick webcam messages, share screen tutorials, or distribute podcast episodes and audio files through your "My Media" library. Video and audio files that are created or uploaded directly to Kaltura are automatically captioned, making them more accessible to learners of all abilities. 

6. Connected Classrooms: Integrating Microsoft Education, Teams, & Blackboard 

Bring the power of real-time communication, virtual meetings, and collaborative tools directly into your course. Streamline your digital workflow by connecting Blackboard with the broader Microsoft Education ecosystem. This session will show you how to seamlessly bridge your Blackboard course with Microsoft Teams and interactive tools to create a dynamic, connected classroom environment. Discover how convenient it is to schedule virtual classes and office hours directly within your course site while automatically syncing your student roster from Blackboard to Teams. Beyond simple meeting setup, you will discover how to design collaborative group workspaces, build interactive assignments, and create a central, efficient hub where collaboration and student engagement meet.