Canvas for Teaching
In my new job at Emerson College, I am using the learning management system called CANVAS. This truly is the way of future education, at any level. Whether you are teaching grammar school, middle or high school, or higher education — it works so well that you'll wonder why no one has ever told you about it before.
It simplifies, annotates, allows instructors to share, students to communicate and syllabi to be defiantly present. On the Canvas website they say, "It's a breath of fresh air. It’s an educational revolution. It’s a powerful new way to—pardon our optimism—change the world. It’s a rapidly growing start-up with an industry-pushing platform . . . and millions of passionate students and teachers. And, sure, there’s also a pretty incredible product ... there too."
I was a little daunted when I was hired and just given a 20 minute overview about the program, but that's how easy it is to use. If you've ever used the onerous BlackBoard, you will think you've died and went to heaven with Canvas.
The other thing is that the Emerson student body, not unlike any other student body in this world, loves it too. They snap to attention when they realize that their peers are using it and so there are no more excuses. You will never hear again, (substitute my name for yours): "I sent it to you Mr. Griffin, didn't you get it?" " I tried to take the quiz and it wouldn't let me." "You never told us to do that." "I sent you an email, didn't you get it?"
Nope. All you have to do on DAY ONE is show them the usage reports you get for every student, whether they went into Canvas or not and what they were doing, and the sober stares you get are exhilarating.
Alleluia! Amen.
It simplifies, annotates, allows instructors to share, students to communicate and syllabi to be defiantly present. On the Canvas website they say, "It's a breath of fresh air. It’s an educational revolution. It’s a powerful new way to—pardon our optimism—change the world. It’s a rapidly growing start-up with an industry-pushing platform . . . and millions of passionate students and teachers. And, sure, there’s also a pretty incredible product ... there too."
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| Here's a screen shot of a grading page . . . |
I was a little daunted when I was hired and just given a 20 minute overview about the program, but that's how easy it is to use. If you've ever used the onerous BlackBoard, you will think you've died and went to heaven with Canvas.
The other thing is that the Emerson student body, not unlike any other student body in this world, loves it too. They snap to attention when they realize that their peers are using it and so there are no more excuses. You will never hear again, (substitute my name for yours): "I sent it to you Mr. Griffin, didn't you get it?" " I tried to take the quiz and it wouldn't let me." "You never told us to do that." "I sent you an email, didn't you get it?"
Nope. All you have to do on DAY ONE is show them the usage reports you get for every student, whether they went into Canvas or not and what they were doing, and the sober stares you get are exhilarating.
Alleluia! Amen.
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