This post was created to help supplement our weekly Zoom professional learning sessions.
Canvas Communications
In this post, we will focus on four different ways you can use Canvas to communicate with your students.
Inbox
Think of Inbox as Gmail but inside Canvas. You can use it to send messages to some/all of your students.
Why use Inbox vs Gmail?
How many ways are you communicating with your kids now? Gmail, SIS, Zoom, etc? It is nice to consolidate all of it in one place. Make it easier for you and them.
Resources
Canvas offers an extensive guide for Inbox on this page. There are maybe six different topics to choose from.
Quick Tips
Using Inbox is very similar to Gmail, you will quickly recognize most of the features once you start using it.
Chat
A very quick way for everyone to openly talk within a course.
Why use Canvas Chat?
Chat will allow you and the kids to talk within a Canvas course. The chat is limited to within a course and does not extend to all of your courses. This might not be a good option for office hours unless it is for all of your English 1 kids, for example.
Resources
Canvas offers these pages in their guides to help assist you with Chat.
Quick Tips
Chat may become too much, refer to this post about turning them off.
Grade Book
This might be the one spot you can go to find a ton of information about your course. With a click, you can mass very specific kids in your course in the most efficient way ever created.
Why use Gradebook to communicate?
You can directly communicate with the kids who have not turned something in, scored a certain number of points or have not been graded yet.
Resources
There are a ton of pages on the Guides when it comes to Grades. Scroll down to find what you are looking for.
Quick Tips
Announcements
One way to tell everyone something in a flash!
Why use Canvas Announcements?
If you email, it only shows up in that one specific app. If you use announcements it will show as a notification on mobile devices, it tends to show in email and for some kids, it will also send them a text message. This is a very effective way to notify your whole class in a flash.
Resources
Check out the announcement section in the guides.
Quick Tips
--
Discussion
A targeted way to talk about something in one of your courses.
Why use Canvas Announcements?
I am sure you used to have all types of discussion in your class everyday. Without being able to see your kids every day there is a way to keep these takes of conversations ongoing through discussion posts on Canvas.
Resources
There are a number of posts on the guides, you can find them here.
Quick Tips
Canvas Communications
In this post, we will focus on four different ways you can use Canvas to communicate with your students.
Inbox
Think of Inbox as Gmail but inside Canvas. You can use it to send messages to some/all of your students.
Why use Inbox vs Gmail?
How many ways are you communicating with your kids now? Gmail, SIS, Zoom, etc? It is nice to consolidate all of it in one place. Make it easier for you and them.
Resources
Canvas offers an extensive guide for Inbox on this page. There are maybe six different topics to choose from.
Quick Tips
Protip - Right-click on Inbox and select Open link in a new tab.
Now you can toggle between your Inbox and your Canvas course.
1. Click All Courses in the upper left.
2. Select the course to enter a specific Inbox.
Alternative method - see below
You can keep your Inbox on All Courses to see all communication in one spot.
Using Inbox is very similar to Gmail, you will quickly recognize most of the features once you start using it.
Chat
A very quick way for everyone to openly talk within a course.
Why use Canvas Chat?
Chat will allow you and the kids to talk within a Canvas course. The chat is limited to within a course and does not extend to all of your courses. This might not be a good option for office hours unless it is for all of your English 1 kids, for example.
Resources
Canvas offers these pages in their guides to help assist you with Chat.
Quick Tips
Chat may become too much, refer to this post about turning them off.
note: I logged into Aidan's account and chatted for him
To start chatting, enter your course and click Chat in the lower right.
Grade Book
This might be the one spot you can go to find a ton of information about your course. With a click, you can mass very specific kids in your course in the most efficient way ever created.
Why use Gradebook to communicate?
You can directly communicate with the kids who have not turned something in, scored a certain number of points or have not been graded yet.
Resources
There are a ton of pages on the Guides when it comes to Grades. Scroll down to find what you are looking for.
Quick Tips
Open the grade book.
1. Click the small ice cream cone, three dots, at the top of any assignment.
2. Click Message Students Who.
Select the category.
Type a message.
Send!
Announcements
One way to tell everyone something in a flash!
Why use Canvas Announcements?
If you email, it only shows up in that one specific app. If you use announcements it will show as a notification on mobile devices, it tends to show in email and for some kids, it will also send them a text message. This is a very effective way to notify your whole class in a flash.
Resources
Check out the announcement section in the guides.
Quick Tips
1. Make sure the subject of the announcements is super clear.
2. I clicked on Assignments on the far right side, then click on the assignment that is due this week. It automatically linked to it, kids just need to click to access.
3. I also added a link to something outside Canvas.
4. I could send this announcement to all sections or just the ones I think need this announcement.
5. I could create the announcement now and then have it sent tomorrow morning. You know your kids best, send it when you think they might need it.
6. You can allow kids to reply to the announcement, but you need to enable it first.
--
Discussion
A targeted way to talk about something in one of your courses.
Why use Canvas Announcements?
I am sure you used to have all types of discussion in your class everyday. Without being able to see your kids every day there is a way to keep these takes of conversations ongoing through discussion posts on Canvas.
Resources
There are a number of posts on the guides, you can find them here.
Quick Tips
1. Add a specific title, one that at a glance would allow me to know what the discussion is about.
2. This is simply the most important part ever. You will not see these kids face to face, how can you write a set of directions that are short and super clear?
3. You can post the discussion to all sections or just to one particular hour.
4. I would recommend allowing replies, so they can respond to each other.
5. I do like clicking this if you are looking for original thought.
6. To grade or not to grade?
Comments
Post a Comment