Originally published December 17, 2018 Hello, Brightspace Community! My name is Dana Knarr, and I run the Brightspace Teaching and Learning Certificate Program (BTLCP). The BTLCP is a trio of self-paced training courses that include the latest updates to Brightspace Learning Environment. To stay on top of product and resource changes, I use a set of resources to keep the course content current. I want to share some of the resources I rely on since they may be helpful to you, too. Do you… Need to stay on top of what is changing with the monthly releases of new features and changes to Brightspace products?Develop Brightspace training and onboarding materials, and need to know what is available?Need to keep track of the most up-to-date Brightspace videos and documentation?Want to stay in the loop when articles on Brightspace Community are updated? If any of these statements apply to you, read on! Keeping Content Fresh: Resource Digest What it is: A consolidated summary of new and updated video tutorials, help guides, and other resources for the latest release. Why I use it: To save time tracking down new resources published by D2L’s Knowledge team, and to ensure the content I have included in my course reflects the most up-to-date resources available. How I use it: I simply head on over to the Resource Digest, review the list of resources that have been added, and replace any content that has been updated. If there are any new resources, I review them to see how they can support the goals of the BTLCP. Since all updates are consolidated in one place, I can feel confident I haven’t missed out on any new resources. Where to find it: In the [BROKEN LINK]documentation area of Brightspace Community. Interested? Check out the most recent version of the [BROKEN LINK]Resource Digest. Understanding Product Changes: Release Notes What it is: No surprise here: it is a summary of the product updates included in a release. Why I use it: It helps me write content for the BTLCP, and guides updates to system variables I need to turn on. How I use it: Each month, I sit down with the release notes and highlight changes that will impact the courses in the BTLCP; from here I start writing or editing course content. Another benefit: because the release notes include the config variables I need to turn on, I use them as a cheat sheet to know what I need to do to turn on new features. Note: If you (or your organization) opt not to turn on a feature for the time being, you can always review past release notes and find the information you need when you are ready.Where to find it: In the [BROKEN LINK]documentation area of Brightspace Community. Interested? Check out the most recent version of the [BROKEN LINK]Release Notes. Planning: Product and Services Preview What is it: A look ahead at what is being planned over (approximately) the next 90 days. Why I use it: It helps me stay organized and prepare for future changes. How I use it: Although I know product changes occur monthly, the scope of change varies from one release to the next. That is where the Product and Services Preview comes in: it lets me plan for the size of the release and plan my time accordingly. I also use the Product and Services Preview to make better use of Brightspace Community. For example: when I read about the recent changes to the Assignment tool, I searched the Community for relevant information and came across some very [BROKEN LINK]helpful blog posts about the [BROKEN LINK]changes to Assignments. Where to find it: In the [BROKEN LINK]documentation area of Brightspace Community. Interested? Check out the most recent version of the Product and Services Preview. Tracking Changes to Community Content: The Follow Feature What is it: An email notification that lets me know when an item on the Community has been updated. Why I use it: It saves me time and keeps me in the loop with what’s new! Instead of actively searching for changes, I now take advantage of the follow feature to keep track of the content I use in the BTLCP courses. How I use it: If I receive a notification that an article I use has changed, I quickly review it to ensure it still fits the context I was using it in. If an article is no longer available, I update the content to avoid broken links. Where to find it: The follow feature is available on any article in Brightspace Community.