[ARCHIVED] Canvas as an Aid in Student Organization

[jomontuori]

In what ways can K-12 students use Canvas to help them stay organized? Let's face it. Many of today's students are busier than ever. "Over-scheduled" seems to be the normal state of affairs in many districts.

And other students don't yet have the skills and strategies they need to stay on top of tasks, prioritize them, break them down into action steps, and get stuff done.

For students and schools that use Canvas, the paper "agenda" or pocket calendar seems redundant. Please use this discussion as a place to share ideas, practices, and student training that can help the over-scheduled, the as-yet unorganized, and those students with executive function issues to use Canvas to organize and stay on top of their work.

Perhaps the best place to begin is with student uses of Canvas tools that promote and aid productivity and organization. So, in what ways does your school train and/or encourage K-12 students to stay organized with Canvas?

[john_williamson]

In one of my classes I have set up modules the student must complete in order to progress from one topic to another.  Each module has a assessment at the end which the student must score a certain percent in order to progress to the next topic.

[jomontuori]

Thanks, John! So it sounds like you're using the "Prerequisite" setting for modules. Is that correct?

Do you also use "Requirements" within your modules?

I used both Prerequisites and Requirements this semester for the first time in a face-to-face class. I LOVE that this compels students to follow the learning path you've established.

In the third week of classes, however, a new student entered the course and couldn't access current activities. Not a biggie. I went in and removed the Prereqs and Requirements necessary to "catch her up," choosing just a few essentials and exempting her from other scored work.

It was an issue I hadn't considered when I chose those settings, and the inconvenience led me to refrain from their use for this course. Has anyone else had experience to share with Prereqs and Requirements in helping students stay organized?

[john_williamson]

Joe,

I do use the "Prerequisite" setting in  one of my courses.  I haven't had the issue you described mainly because my course is self paced there is no due dates for the course content.  Students join this course at different times throughout the school year.   I haven't tried  this feature in my face-to-face classes, but I  may experiment later this year. 

John