Get the Blackboard analysis the release notes leave out.
The Blackboard Guru is a practitioner’s read on the Blackboard ecosystem, written for the people who have to run it. Subscribe and every new post lands in your inbox the day it goes live.
One email per new post. No vendor spin, no list sharing, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
What you’ll get
Release and roadmap analysis. What shipped, what it means for your institution, and what is still a slide in someone’s deck.
Admin action items. The deadlines and decisions that land on your desk, like the LTI 1.1 retirement, with a plain read on what to do about them.
Conference coverage. What was actually said at the sessions, and how it holds up against what was promised.
Vendor accountability. When something breaks or a commitment slips, what you need to know and what you should do next.
Automation and tooling. Practical ways to use the REST API, scripting, and AI to take repetitive work off your plate.
Who’s writing this
I’m Terry Patterson. I’ve administered Blackboard for more than 20 years, I’m a certified Blackboard trainer and server administrator, and I wrote Blackboard Learn Administration for Packt. I run learning technologies at a university, so I read every announcement as someone who has to implement it and explain it afterward.
This blog exists because the official channels tell you what’s new but rarely tell you what it means. I try to fill that gap.
Who this is for
Blackboard administrators, instructional designers, IT staff, and the decision-makers who sign off on upgrades and migrations. If you own or influence how your institution uses Blackboard, this is written for you.
Quick answers
How often will I hear from you? Whenever a new post goes up. There’s no filler schedule.
What does it cost? Nothing.
Will you share my email address? No.
Can I leave? Any time. Every email has an unsubscribe link.
Do I have to be a Blackboard admin? No. If Blackboard affects your work, you’ll get something out of it.
Ready when you are
Next time Blackboard announces something, you’ll know what it means for you.
Technically Yours,
The Blackboard Guru