Alternative Education programs

[tenders]

Good morning to all of our Canvas | Instructure family!

I am a former teacher (12 yrs in the classroom, 3 years inst tech), Canvas Solutions Engineer (4 years), now Sr. Acct Executive at Instructure.

I have had the fortunate opportunity to work with a small charter school that has a focus on alternative learning. They are highly focused on supporting students that just have not thrived in a traditional school setting. I would really love to hear stories from schools and teachers that work in similar settings/schools and just how Canvas has played a role in impacting the achievement of these students. Whether these students are searching for an expedited path to graduation, recovering credits, or in need of an atmosphere that focuses more on Social-Emotional Learning, they need to be supported with equitable access to high quality curriculum as well as the tools needed to show what they know and receive timely and effective feedback.

What are some of your best practices? Please share these amazing stories!

[ryan_corris]

Hey @tenders! Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but one of our high school math teachers is teaching a Mathematical Modeling and Reasoning (MMR) course. Here is a link to some information on the Ohio Dept. of Education's website.  This course is an alternative for students to receive an Algebra II credit.  The intent is to use real world applications to teach math through projects.  Some of the projects have included exploring buying a house and learning about mortgage options, designing a miniature golf course, and budgeting for a Thanksgiving meal.  Many of these projects have also introduced the use of spreadsheets to the students in ways that they are learning how to use the spreadsheet through the process of completing the project.  The learning of both the content and the spreadsheet skills are taught within the same spreadsheet.

Canvas enters this scenario as the tool to easily deliver certain content, access to the spreadsheet files, easily submitting final projects, and the ability to give students meaningful feedback.  I know, most people would say isn't that what Canvas does?  Yes, it is.  However, the use of Canvas in this class allows for a smooth process for the teachers and these students for a productive learning environment.  If students are late to class, absent for several days, or working remotely, Canvas allows for these students to work at a personalized pace and progress forward when they are ready. While this class could be taught without Canvas, it definitely streamlines the approach for the teachers and students in this Personalized Learning environment. 

If this is not what you are looking for, hopefully it helps in one way or another.  If it was what you are looking for and you would like more information, don't hesitate to reach out to me.