New Semester- New Updates and Features in Canvas!

This Friday Five includes 1 reminder, 1 new feature you may want to try now, and 3 new features that I am looking for some teachers to test out with me!

Reminder!

1. Semester Switch:  Semester teachers please remember that you must publish your new courses for students to gain access. If you taught the same course in semester 1 you can easily copy your content from last semester’s course shell into this semester’s. Here are directions. If you need help stop by room 307 any period and I can help you! It only takes a few minutes to save yourself HOURS of work

New Feature!

2.  Announcements can now appear on your Course Home Page if Front Page is set as your Course Home Page. If you would like to see a live example of this check out the Professional Learning course shared with all teachers. Directions on how to do this can be found here.

Testers Needed!

3. Mastery Paths is a new feature available through Canvas that allows a teacher to create customized learning experiences based on student performance and student interest. For example, in a math classroom, the teacher can give her class a pre-test on a new skill utilizing Canvas Quizzes. Each student will then be directed to assignments or activities within Canvas based upon his/her individual performance on the pre-test. If Sally Student scores 100% on the pre-test, she will be directed to an enrichment activity. If Charles Child earns a 70%, he will be directed to instructional content. Finally, if Kim Kid scores below 60% she will be directed to remediation materials. Students can even be given choices in which type of additional assignment they want: video, worksheet, conference with the teacher, etc.

Check out this video for more details



542 - Mastery Paths from Canvas LMS on Vimeo.

Please contact me if you are interested in testing out this feature in one of your classes. This new feature is a great way to further personalize students’ learning experiences.


4. New, Improved Google Integration Canvas has worked with Google to improve the integration between the two platforms. Google Classroom lovers will enjoy the new Canvas features that allow a Google Doc to be distributed to each student through Canvas. Students can work on that Google Doc within Canvas and submit with one simple button. The submission is then rendered to SpeedGrader so it can be graded simply and pushed to PowerSchool.

Please contact me if you are interested in testing out this feature in one of your classes. Canvas and Google...doesn’t get much better.

5. New, Improved 365 Integration If you know me you know that I am a Google Girl, but I have to admit 365 is pretty awesome. Canvas and Microsoft have teamed up to improve the integration between these two systems. Just like with Google, the integration now allows for Cloud based assignments so PowerPoint, Word Docs, or Excel Files can be distributed to students and collected all through Canvas.

Please contact me if you are interested in testing out this feature in one of your classes. Canvas and 365...providing more options for the 21st century teacher and learner.

Thanks for reading and please contact me via email, phone (ext 3070), or in person in room 307 with any Canvas or other tech integration questions.

Using Twitter to fight the Winter Blues!

Friday Five 12/9/16

With the rush of the holidays, the reality that arctic air will soon be visiting, and the excitement of the students over the coming break, it can be easy to get into a December funk. I was feeling this way as I was trying to plan this Friday Five. Instead of skipping this week, I decided to search for some inspiration!  

My go-to source for inspiration from edu-rock stars is Twitter. So I sent out the following Tweet:

On Fridays I send out 5 @CanvasLMS tips to my faculty. Need some new ones. Pls share your favorites here! #canvaschat

— Cara Gurysh (@clg311) December 8, 2016

Of course, there are dangers in venturing onto social media. Once you log-in you can quickly find yourself lost in a series of clicks and end up on some inane PopSugar article like this one. Fortunately, I use Twitter only as a Professional Learning Community, so I was safe!  

Low and behold...I got some advice…. I got some inspiration….I was reminded that great reward comes from connecting with inspiring educators from across the globe.

So thank you Twittersphere for helping me get back in the groove!  

Friday Five Tips and the Tweets that Inspired Them!

1. It is all about the Badges

.@MrsTMercer Badges can B awarded 4 many things. Module completion=most common. Ts could submit evidence (inc. Canvas course) #canvas4elem

— Jared Ward (@wardjhs) September 28, 2016

Gamification is a trend being implemented in and outside of the classroom. Those of you who completed the Canvas Beginners and Canvas Intermediate Courses were awarded badges. Consider adding Badges to your courses. Here is an overview article of how you can use badges. I am working on a PD course on how to build badges into your Canvas Courses. More information to follow!


2. You can earn a Microsoft Badge and Act 48!

A3: Microsoft offers free professional development over its products and awards badges for completion. #badgechatk12 pic.twitter.com/Jn4k3uXaa0

— Christopher Tucker (@ChrisTuckerEdu) November 21, 2016

Chris B. sent out an email last Friday alerting all faculty of this opportunity being offered for PSD Teachers. Here is what he wrote: “In order to help teachers satisfy their Act 48 requirements, an internet course through the Microsoft Education Community entitled “Microsoft in Education” has been posted to OTS.  This course reviews the basic operation of Office 365 and how it can be utilized in the classroom.  Following completion of this course 3 hours of Act 48 will be awarded.  Please use this link ,which directs you to the in district OTS system, if you are interested in this opportunity.”

3. More on Discussions!

@clg311 @CanvasLMS See you next week Cara! How about 'focused' vs 'threaded' discussions? https://t.co/qRlU2McCEZ

— Jonathan Kasica (@JonKas82) December 9, 2016

We have explored Discussions in the past. But what does “focused” vs “threaded” mean exactly? Focused discussions ask students to reflect upon a single idea. For example, “Who is to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s deaths?”.  A threaded discussion is used to explore more complex ideas that may naturally break into sub-topics. For example, if the question is “Was the South’s secession justified?”, the discussion could quickly become threaded based upon political, economic, or cultural distinctions. This threaded discussion could be revisited throughout the course of a unit, while the focused example may be used a single assignment.  


4. Video may have killed the radio star, but video enlivens learning!  

We've learned a few things about the use of video that can help you use it for maximum impact. Here are 3 tips: https://t.co/q5nMpmySHX pic.twitter.com/vxQh7yqYAZ

— Canvas LMS (@CanvasLMS) November 3, 2016

Embedding videos into your Canvas Course is easy thanks to the integration of YouTube and the ease to upload your own video creations! But there are some important things to keep in mind. Here are some great tips on incorporating video into your classes.


5. Fast Track Videos 

@clg311 @CanvasLMS Have you checked out the Canvas FastTrack Video Series? Great tips and ready to share right away. https://t.co/wdmfcuxg0W

— Andrew Gooch (@AndrewJGooch) December 8, 2016

Want to learn more about Canvas? Canvas has a series of videos designed to quickly give you key information or skills to utilize some of Canvas’ most popular features. We used a few in our training courses. The complete list of videos can be found here.