When I taught kindergarten, I found Canvas to be a great way to communicate with parents. I was able to share out classroom newsletters and photos so parents could feel like they truly understood what was happening in our classroom day to day. I was able to post resources for parents to use at home and links to various websites that students could use. There were also times where I had students post videos of some of the work they had been completing in class. However, these occasions were very much supported by myself and the TIS available.
While teaching second grade, I was able to modify the way I was using Canvas in the classroom. I would still post newsletters, photos, and resources for parents to feel connected to our classroom. However, I was able to have students become more involved and independent in the way they utilized Canvas. Students were able to participate in group discussions, post their work, and comment on their classmates posts. They became more comfortable with independently using the site and uploading content. The Canvas page began to belong more to the students than the parents.
This year I am teaching fourth grade and am so excited about the way that my class is utilizing Canvas. Between the combination of being 1:1 with the Chromebooks, and the independence and technological ability of this grade level, Canvas has become an integral part of our classroom. Students are accessing Canvas throughout the day. This can be as basic as using the Student Resource page to access other sites, such as Dreambox or StoryWorks, or more complex lessons. I have created pages on our Canvas site for specific lessons that allow students to link to copies of different Google Docs, had students collaborate in classroom discussion, and share content on the site. However, I am most proud of the Canvas Modules I have worked with my team to create this year.
This year, as my grade level team began planning for our math intervention block, we struggled to determine what would be a beneficial independent activity for our students were were performing at level 3 or 4 on the skill we would be focusing on. We worked together to create a Canvas Module that students could work on at their own pace, focused on the identified skill, but that they could expand on. Using Khan Academy and FrontRow resources, created a multi-step module. Students would have to watch instruction videos, complete sample problems, complete assignments on Front Row, and finally create their own instructional videos. This module allowed students to work at their own pace, to engage with the topic, and then to show their mastery through their own videos posted on the discussion board. Students were engaged and excited to participate in the module and were able to show their understanding in the videos. Our team is looking forward to creating similar modules for different topics as we change our focus during this time.
I have found the ways that I have used Canvas in my classroom has been very dependent on my grade level and the technology available. How do you use Canvas at the grade level you teach? What Canvas activities are you most proud of?
Erin,
ReplyDeleteYou appear to be a very skilled Canvas user. I need to learn some of these skills to incorporate into my Canvas at the high school level. When you used Canvas while teaching kindergarten you mentioned you used it mainly as a way to connect with parents. Where would you post pictures and newsletters? In modules? Discussions?
At the 4th grade level it sounds like your use of Canvas was expansive, detailed and very resourceful. I'm curious as to how you set it up and what it looked like.
I teach 10th grade and I feel that I use Canvas at its most basic level. I have modules where I post documents (handouts), I have some discussions and announcements, but mainly it is a tool used for work submission. I think I need to use it a bit more like the way it is used for our EEND classes. Is your Canvas used in a similar manner as our EEND class?
Jason,
DeleteThank you for the compliment. I feel that I have been lucky to work with some amazing Canvas experts who have certainly helped me to better utilize this resource.
While teaching Kindergarten I would create weekly newsletters using Publisher. These newsletters would include a review of the week's activities, a preview of the upcoming week's learning targets, as well as a few photographs from the week. I create a page that linked from the homepage. On this page I created buttons so that parents could open a PDF version of these documents. In kindergarten, most of my use of Canvas was different pages that linked back to the homepage. These pages would contain different buttons that either linked to a different site or opened a specific file or resource.
This year in fourth grade, I have expanded the different functions I am using. I am still using some pages that house links to different resources. My student resource page links out to different sites that we use in class or during independent time on a regular basis. It often includes class codes or login and password reminders to help students access these sites more independently. I have also used pages as a way to introduce the content of a lesson and link out to some google docs that students will use for the lesson. Additionally I am using discussion boards as both a place to encourage collaborative conversation, as well as a location for students to upload content. Finally, my team and I have worked together to create some modules. These modules often contain links and directions of what activities we want students to perform on different sites.
I am still not using Canvas as frequently as we do for EEND class. It is most often used as a resource for students during independent work time. I have created assignments for them to work on their or links to access other resources.
Thanks for your questions.
Erin,
ReplyDeleteI love reading about how you have used Canvas. I really think I needed to figure out my own organizational system when setting up Canvas. Last year I really liked how it was working for me. But, then this year we were kind of forced to change our front page on Canvas and that really threw me off. It wasn't working for me and I really didn't like it. I understand it helps parents and students if they don't have to relearn the layout each year. The new layout had buttons for newsletter and photos and I didn't want to post photos or my newsletter on Canvas. I prefer the ease of Seesaw for photos and I just email the weekly newsletter. In the past I would use Canvas for the modules or discussions. But, this year the more I explored Seesaw I soon discovered that their activities section is similar to modules and assignments. We are implementing so many new programs this year and I just don't have the time and energy that I feel I need to get Canvas set up in an organized way. I will feel better after this year and I'm sure I can easily go back and use Canvas they way I did in the past. It will be much easier to use Canvas on a daily basis now that we have Chrome books one to one. I don't want my students on Chrome books all day long though and honestly my students prefer to have a break from them as well.
Stephanie,
DeleteI can understand your frustration with the new Canvas layouts. I also choose not to upload photos or our classroom newsletters. I have learned through past experience that the parents prefer to have the newsletters emailed to them and are not using Canvas as frequently as I had hoped. I feel that this year I am really using Canvas as a student resource, and am including less items that are aimed for parents. I loved hearing about your Seesaw experience and the parent involvement in that. I am interested in exploring that next year. I know that right now Canvas is not reaching my parents as it was originally intended. Maybe a combination of Seesaw and Canvas next year will meet the needs of both parents and students.