FIRST YEAR Training Dos and Don'ts HELP!

[MrsLauraMetz]

Hello from Maryland! 

What lessons did you learn in the first year of using Canvas? What would you have changed and done differently so that teachers, students, and parents were better informed? What caused confusion that we could avoid? What would you do again differently? What would you change if you could start from year one again?

Background: Our K-12 staff will begin to use Canvas in SY 24-25 and we are not used to a powerful LMS. We are coming from using teacher "web pages" and drop boxes. So this is a BIG change! We have course templates prepared thanks to our UH-MAZING ID Consultant Brittany with Instructure. We are using C4E at the elementary level and have over 200 courses that will have outlines of their Year At A Glances created in their course template for them. We have started introductory training to Canvas and given everyone access to a Sandbox. The technical implementation is also complete but they are not currently teaching with Canvas- not till the fall. Secondary will have access to grade passback with Synergy.

[masantos · Accepted solution]

Hello, I'm from Maryland too!

Welcome to the world of Canvas. My background is K-12, and I recently helped my district launch Canvas, but I am currently working in HigherEd supporting faculty and staff with Canvas. Coming from a K-12 background to HigherEd has taught me a lot. I have experience using Canvas as a teacher, trainer, and now an Admin and each perspective has given me a better understanding of how Canvas works.

First, if you haven't done so and are able to, I recommend taking the Canvas Educator/Technical Admin training/certification. The educator one is good for getting a basic foundation on how to use Canvas as an educator. The Technical Admin is good if you have some level of Admin access to Canvas and helps you plan out district-wide how you want to implement Canvas in your institution.

What lessons did you learn in the first year of using Canvas? - To make life easier for your teachers, have a really thorough template/blueprint that is easy for them to take and go. This will help lessen the need for teachers to learn EVERYTHING about Canvas. Once the teachers have an understanding of how to edit the content then they can take the next step by creating their own content in a course. Make sure you are not trying to have the teachers learn everything all at once. I would tell my teachers to have a home page and do a low stakes assignment to get a feel of how it works and how it works for their students. Then, try a different kind of assignment or integrate one LTI, and so on.

What would you have changed and done differently so that teachers, students, and parents were better informed? - My K-12 district came from using Google Classroom to Canvas, which was a big learning curve. It helped to use terminology from Google Classroom for teachers to understand how Canvas works. Having a transitioning user cheat sheet would have helped.

What caused confusion that we could avoid? - The ability to create any assignment and page can be accessed anywhere (modules, assignments, quizzes, discussions). A lot of teachers didn't understand the difference between the assignments, quizzes, and discussions page from the modules page. Explaining that each thing has its own house and you can organize it differently within modules and that "deleting" it in modules doesn't delete it; it removes it only in the module page.

These are the things that stood out to me the most, but I am more than happy to discuss more. I hope this helps.

[masantos · Accepted solution]

Hello, I'm from Maryland too!

Welcome to the world of Canvas. My background is K-12, and I recently helped my district launch Canvas, but I am currently working in HigherEd supporting faculty and staff with Canvas. Coming from a K-12 background to HigherEd has taught me a lot. I have experience using Canvas as a teacher, trainer, and now an Admin and each perspective has given me a better understanding of how Canvas works.

First, if you haven't done so and are able to, I recommend taking the Canvas Educator/Technical Admin training/certification. The educator one is good for getting a basic foundation on how to use Canvas as an educator. The Technical Admin is good if you have some level of Admin access to Canvas and helps you plan out district-wide how you want to implement Canvas in your institution.

What lessons did you learn in the first year of using Canvas? - To make life easier for your teachers, have a really thorough template/blueprint that is easy for them to take and go. This will help lessen the need for teachers to learn EVERYTHING about Canvas. Once the teachers have an understanding of how to edit the content then they can take the next step by creating their own content in a course. Make sure you are not trying to have the teachers learn everything all at once. I would tell my teachers to have a home page and do a low stakes assignment to get a feel of how it works and how it works for their students. Then, try a different kind of assignment or integrate one LTI, and so on.

What would you have changed and done differently so that teachers, students, and parents were better informed? - My K-12 district came from using Google Classroom to Canvas, which was a big learning curve. It helped to use terminology from Google Classroom for teachers to understand how Canvas works. Having a transitioning user cheat sheet would have helped.

What caused confusion that we could avoid? - The ability to create any assignment and page can be accessed anywhere (modules, assignments, quizzes, discussions). A lot of teachers didn't understand the difference between the assignments, quizzes, and discussions page from the modules page. Explaining that each thing has its own house and you can organize it differently within modules and that "deleting" it in modules doesn't delete it; it removes it only in the module page.

These are the things that stood out to me the most, but I am more than happy to discuss more. I hope this helps.

[aquiram]

Hello from the PNW!

Congrats on your step into Canvas! I am currently and instructional coach and have been in secondary education for 20 years. I have used Canvas in all roles over the past 10 years. 

First - it's great that you have already implemented training and have given your staff the opportunity to play around in the sandbox. This is VITAL! It's also great that you have pre-loaded templates, because the design should be the same across the district - this makes it easy for students and families. However, find ways to engage and encourage teachers in making it their own -- adding elements that allow their personality to shine through.

It would be great if you could get some teachers to pilot using it in even one or two classes -- people you know are strong in tech skills and willing to take risks, yet make the journey comfortable for students. 

One of the best ways to train teachers -- make them students in a Canvas course. Yes, Canvas provides the opportunity to toggle between instructor and student view, but having to access a course only as a student really helps them visualize and learn how their students will interact with the system. 

Speaking of students -- have a plan for how to train students. Student frustration tolerance with technology can be extremely low and you want to ensure they do not shut down because the tech gets in the way. Revisit student (and teacher) training a few different times during the first year or two. Find students who pick it up easily and can then become student tech ambassadors who help the adults craft effective student training and/or create the training themselves!

Have a list of requirements/expectations for all staff. How often should they and their students be accessing it? What must they include/not include?

Have opportunities for staff to share their best practices and their challenges. 

[AdamDAWSON · Accepted solution]

Hi from Australia. 

I am starting my Canvas journey this week and I must say the Template / Blueprint idea is very good. I will be looking into this ASAP as I have been playing in the sandpit area and in a course I have with the students and, while generally successful, it has been a lot of little learnings! As expected obviously, but it would have been MUCH easier with a template set up and ready to go. 

As for the Assignment / module / quiz area - they are super powerful and I will need some training around how to create them in such a way that the EXCEL file that is produced actually has a use - I need the date of completion on Assessment so I can input it into the school system.  Maybe I can create a certificate and have that on file? Would like a list of participants and the completion date though. Will keep looking, 

One last thing, trying to make the course look interesting - not being a HTML coder it is not easy to create a 'look' for the course - maybe you are supposed to make the first ones boring and go from there. It is all very functional but just very generic.