Ideas and Uses for Canvas Commons

[Renee_Carney]

This one page handout is designed to help teachers or professors who are wondering exactly how and why they should use Commons and what the best or shared practice is for it. Keep in mind that what you upload to Commons is exactly how it will import into your future courses, currently there is not an editing option.

Personal Learning Object Repository (virtual filing cabinet)

“My Private Resources”

• At the end of a Quarter, Semester or Year upload your entire Course, a few Assignments, or some Files for quick easy access in future Years, Semesters or Quarters. The Repository allows you to quickly upload materials from your course and easily import it into another.
• When imported into the new course, Canvas will automatically reassign your links to the new course address and bring in all those images and files you had previously attached to your Content Page.  It is a quick upload from the old course and an extra fast import to the new course!
• Share courses for Vertical or Horizontal alignment of curriculum within your Institution
• Share summative assessments among all grade level or departments with Commons.
• Did you create an amazing course or assessment? Share it with everyone, help improve teaching and learning around the world by sharing these great resources.
• This is the true definition of collaboration the ability to share with others and give to others great things that are working well in your classroom.

Share with your Department, School, College or University

Share with the Public

Professional Development and Sharing Consistency

Templates

• Homepage Templates
  • Create a standard homepage for your courses and share with all instructors via Commons
• Course Formatting
  • Share out Course templates with instructors to help guide them through best practice of design and delivery of Content for their learners I
• Introductory Modules
  • Specifically designed programs may have a common student introduction Module; share this via commons so everyone is on the same page of expectations and requirements.

Professional Development

• Onboarding Courses for New Hires (adjuncts, substitutes, new teachers)
  • Share courses for new hires to help them better understand the in’s and out’s of Canvas. Leverage Commons to distribute you own Professional development programs throughout the institution.
• New Instructor Basic Curriculum
  • Utilize Commons to share what previously designed courses look like for new hires and the framework of their Curriculum and Content.
• Orientation to Institution Programs/Initiatives
  • Organize and share Programs, Professional Development, or Professional Growth Plans through Commons to others throughout your Institution.

[macaulayl]

I love all of these ideas and am trying to wrap my head around how I can make this work as an ADMIN.  I want to place a syllabus page that I use as a course home page template in Commons and then get it in EVERY course that we have.  How can I do this EASILY and QUICKLY as an ADMIN.  Last I tried (months ago), I had to become each instructor, then add the content from commons...too many clicks and too time consuming.  But I also know that individual faculty will not do it themselves.  So, what is the best work flow to get this done?

Oh, and in addition to the Syllabus as the Home Page, I also have a "Canvas Introduction" module that contains a page with resources to get oriented to Canvas.  I would want that to copy in each course as well.  So, I assume I make the "template" as a course with the Syllabus and Pages and Module designed and then share that to Commons to import, yes?  Or is there a better way??

[idefeo]

I plan to create a repository in Canvas for new and current adjuncts with shared materials including complete units and ancillary materials to help them with creating courses. Although Commons is useful, and I use it a lot, my plan is to have a master resource that faculty can pull in part as a whole into their own courses. Has anyone here done this? Our prototype went well, so we are going to expand it.