Canvas for Elementary, also known as Homeroom View, was originally released in 2021. This feature was designed to meet a need we’d long heard from K12 customers: Canvas needs a structure that better reflects the elementary classroom experience while retaining all the useful Canvas features that meet the needs of the youngest learners. The initial Canvas for Elementary release did just that by focusing on three main goals: orienting the learner, providing focus, and promoting student success.
Since that time, many of our K12 districts have happily embraced the Canvas for Elementary/Homeroom View. Don’t let the name fool you; we’ve heard lots of success stories from schools who have seen the benefits and chose to enable the Homeroom View in grade levels beyond Elementary. Features have been added to core Canvas over the years that serve to benefit learners of all ages, whether using Homeroom View or Traditional View. Below, I’ll highlight a few that elementary educators have found particularly beneficial.
Orienting the Learner
Teachers can designate a homeroom class within Canvas for Elementary, to serve as a central hub for communication between students and families. This fosters a sense of community and ensures that important information is easily accessible.
Below the latest Homeroom announcement, learners can easily access their Subjects. Each Subject card surfaces the most relevant information: assignments due today, missing assignments, and subject-specific announcements.
Important Dates from the homeroom or any of the subjects are easily visible directly on the Home page.
Providing Focus
Within Subjects, navigation is simplified, allowing easy access and preventing distraction. Teachers can organize subject-specific content and activities using modules, mirroring the structure that best fits their content. Whether it's by week, topic, or unit of study, modules provide a clear roadmap for young learners, making the learning experience more cohesive and manageable.
Promoting Student Success
In addition to what is noted above, making the most relevant information easy to access, Canvas has a variety of features that encourage student success at any grade level.
Canvas Assignments allow for a variety of submission types. One that teachers and students alike have found beneficial is Student Annotation Assignments, allowing learners to write directly on a PDF using a touchscreen device. Annotation Assignments can be leveraged for tasks that must be completed manually, such as practicing letter and number formation.
Personalized feedback is a hallmark of Canvas. When students submit work, educators have a variety of feedback tools at their fingertips: submission annotations, rubrics, text-based feedback, media-based feedback, the upcoming Screen Record in Speedgrader, and additional “Message Students Who” functionality. Teachers can also efficiently leverage “Message Students Who…” with a grouping of students who have met certain criteria for a given assignment. These messages will reach students and their observers about their work.
Parent observers can easily stay connected to the learning experience in Canvas. Observers benefit from the homeroom view with easy access to timely announcements and relevant class events. The Canvas Parent App provides easy access to their child’s grades, class events and assignments, with the ability to customize alerts based on student activity.
Interested in learning more?
We’re proud to share this new Canvas for Elementary video, showcasing the benefits noted above. Please check it out and share it with your colleagues!
If you’re considering Canvas for Elementary in your district, the summer is a great time to enable the setting and start the new school year in Homeroom View. Our community has a designated space for Canvas for Elementary Guides that will help you get started. As always, your CSM is another excellent resource if you’re curious how Canvas for Elementary could align and amplify your district’s vision and goals.
If you’ve already embraced Canvas for Elementary/Homeroom View, please share your experience in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
