Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) whose strength lies in its ability
- to link students to online resources from one centralized place
- to collect student work submitted online
- to automatically grade quizzes for instant student feedback
- to allow the teacher grading access for other work
- to bring even more teaching and learning transparency to our families
- to facilitate online discussion between students and teachers in a private, learning neighborhood
- to send communication automatically to students and families according to what students and families decide what and when and how they want to be notified putting the control in the user's hands.
Canvas does not replace PowerSchool. PowerSchool is still the end-all, be-all grade-reporting student information system for QCSD. Canvas can be used for the following additional features about student submissions:
- viewing the quantity of student work submitted to Canvas
- viewing the quality of student work submitted to Canvas
- viewing the actual student work submitted to Canvas
- viewing the timeliness of the student work submitted to Canvas
- viewing the timeliness of the teacher's grading of the student work submitted to Canvas
- viewing the teacher's feedback either in
- granting the student any re-attempts of the submission
- notifying students and families about the student submission
- viewing the grade received
- accessing this all by computer, tablet, or mobile device.
In addition to viewing details about student work, Canvas is a post-office delivery service for school communication. As you register your child/ren under a single Canvas Observer account that you signup for (more information on Observer accounts click here) you can decide how often and in what format you want to receive updates or Notifications. Do you prefer them
- in email format?
- in text message format?
- in tweet format posted to your Twitter account?
- using the Canvas Mobile Device App and its push notifications?
- right-away?
- weekly?
- in a daily summary for you to scan through at night?
- or on your computer by logging into Canvas to check the Canvas Dashboard for updates?
Canvas will not replace the Connect calls or district website communication systems. These services will continue to send you important district-wide information on demand. You will still receive Connect call updates pending your annual InfoSnap account updates, and you can access our website as before; however, the Canvas Observer account grants you access to any of your child's work submitted to Canvas, teacher feedback on that student's work, class information, all while aggregating communication from each of your child's teachers using Canvas in their classes delivered to you on your schedule.
As more QCSD staff use Canvas for their communication, Canvas collects all of their activity and sends all of their updates to YOU so you don't have to search around for homework updates from different websites or blogs. Even though the teachers post their information in Canvas when it's convenient for them, Canvas routes this to you when and how you want it when and how it's convenient for you.
Say goodbye to emails or texts from your child's teacher(s) you accidentally deleted. If you accidentally delete or misplace a Canvas Notification your child's teacher posted about an upcoming field trip announcement, for example, simply login to your Canvas Observer account and check that teacher's Announcement board for the message s/he posted there originally.
No need to sign-up for additional texting services. With Canvas, you decide if you want communication in text or email format. Observers can add additional emails to the same account for another family member to receive Notification updates in email or text format.