Teacher Tools Release Notes (Android 1.0)

[erinhmcmillan]

With the release of the Canvas Teacher app, the Teacher Tools app has been discontinued. Existing users may continue to use the app though it will no longer be supported. For more details about the Canvas Teacher app, please see Canvas Teacher Release Notes (iOS, Android 1.0).

Canvas introduces Teacher Tools, a new app that helps teachers do the awesome things they already do and make their jobs easier.

Teacher Tools requires a Canvas account. If your school is not yet using Canvas by Instructure, create a free account and leave your notecards and popsicle sticks at home.

Download Teacher Tools in the Play store. Version 1.0 requires Android 4.0.3 or later.

Because of the simplicity of this app, documentation is not currently available in the Canvas Guides.

  Main Features

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Randomly Select Students

The Hot Seat option helps teachers randomly choose a student in the class; no longer do they have to mentally remember who they’ve already called on. Just tap the icon, select a course, and the app selects a student for class participation activities. In the Settings menu, teachers can choose to have the app remove a student’s name after the name has been selected.

Study Student Names

If an institution allows profile pictures (avatars), the Guess Who option helps teachers learn names and faces for students in their courses. The app first shows the photo of the student and includes a link to flip the card and see the student’s name.

Make Student Notes

The Student Notes option lets teachers make notes about a student. Notes automatically transfer to the Canvas Gradebook.

[dhulsey]

This looks spiffy! I am downloading it now. Does it have a way to view a student's grades? Of all the things I can do with the Canvas apps, I have not yet found a quick and easy way to access the grade book on mobile devices, but students, coaches, etc. will often stop me and ask about grades, especially the current average.

[robin_galloway]

Can we look forward to an iOS version?

[Chris_Hofer]

I'd also be interested to know if this will be available for iOS.

[franke]

This looks very cool for teachers!  Great add:)  I agree with  @dhulsey ​ above--we need a way for students and/or faculty to be able to view and edit the Canvas Gradebook!

[dhulsey]

After playing with this for a bit, this could be a neat little app. One thing makes this super difficult to use though: I have to pick a course each time I want to do something, and right now every course shows up. It would be good if only my favorited courses showed up in the list because this would make the app much quicker and easier to navigate.

[erinhmcmillan]

Dallas,

I mentioned your comment to the lead Android developer last night and he can see how that would be a problem. I'm sure they would look at making that workflow a little bit smoother.

Erin

[erinhmcmillan]

 @dhulsey ​ and  @franke ​, no this app is not built for grading functionality. I'll try to see if they have plans to address that in the future.

 @robin_galloway  and  @Chris_Hofer ​, this app was built by one of the Android developers during the last Canvas hack week, where engineers are given time to build whatever they want, which may or may not end up being part of Canvas. Currently it's considered experimental to see if it gains any traction and if people like it and use it. If the team sees that there is a demand for it, they could possibly create an iOS version, but for now there are no plans to do so.

[rseilham]

To follow up with erinhallmark,  I asked a developer specifically about iOS. He said "we'll see". I assume we'll see how well this hack day project takes off on Android first. Essentially if people don't use the tools in this app, then it will probably not be developed on. If the tools in this app are used, they will be rolled into other Canvas apps. This was echoed by Deactivated user​ in her mobile SOTU session.

[erinhmcmillan]

Exactly said, Ryan.

I happen to know the mobile team started a list of all the things they were asked about at Instcon. The list is kind of long, but the fact they have a list is a very good thing.

Erin

[rseilham]

Yup. I think I gave them my own list, which was pretty long. It should be another great year of development for the mobile team. 

[Beth_Young]

Love the randomly select student tool!

[rseilham]

If you use it at UCF, let me know! We can look at it together.

[stephanie_pope]

This is super great tool and I look forward to the updates.

[dhulsey]

Awesome! Thanks, Erin.

[emily_beckman]

We at DeLaSalle would love to see an iOS version, only a handful would be able to use this as they have android phones. We don't need it for grading as that's within the Canvas App. We love the three features. One other item that would be nice is if you can have some function like Class Charts.  A lot of the teachers like the +/- points based on class participation and behavior. It would be nice to add this item so it's all in one.

[Beth_Young]

Will do! It will depend on what kind of phone I am using in the fall.

[KristinL]

I am excited to see hownthis app advances! ...I now have a few more reasons to help my high school students add a brife bio and a clear profile picture at the beginning of the semester. This will be great! im happy I have an android phone.

[ssimpso4]

Not having had time to play with it firsthand, can anyone describe where the 'student notes' appear in the gradebook?  Thanks!

[rseilham]

Check this out: How do I use the Notes column in the Gradebook?

[lfrazier]

Great tool. I didn't see a speech to text option to write Student Notes. It may be just my phone. This would make note taking super quick!

[dhulsey]

I am loving this app! In addition to my earlier comment about only displaying favorited courses in the course list, I am finding cross listed classes to be an issue. Now, each section in a cross listed class is a separate list for the hot seat. I teach an ITV class where everyone is in class at once, and I need a hot seat list with all of the sections in it. An option to create a single or separate list for cross listed sections would be snazzy; another way to go would be to leave the current separate lists and add a global list with all of the sections for the cross listed class in an omnibus list.

I hope that makes sense; it is early, and I need more coffee!

[Beth_Young]

I started using the Guess Who? tool this week and I really like it!

I agree with what Dallas said about displaying only favorited courses. Also, I am now wishing that more students uploaded photos to their profile, because so many of them just have the grey silhouette, which makes it kind of hard to guess names. I asked students to put pictures on their profile; we'll see if they do.

If there were an option for me to add/view my notes, or even to add a picture to my notes, that would make the Guess Who more useful regardless of what students add to their profile. If I could add my own pictures, I'd try to add the student ID photo which I can view elsewhere.  Or someone could even take pictures during class and add those, I guess.

[dhulsey]

Hey, Beth! Consider having the students set up their Canvas profile as an assignment for a few points at the start of the  term. I do get some abstract profile pics, but the majority of students use a selfie. The profile pics make this app! Before this app, I used a flashcard app and had to take pictures of students with my phone.

[KristinL]

 @dhulsey ​, that's exactly what I'm doing. The profile picture is going to be part of a small assignment, and I'm going to use Teacher Tools to learn my high school students' names. Before this app, I also made flashcards. This is so much easier. I am excited to work with my buildings' other Canvas admins as we complete a SIS import of all of the students' school photos (and then lock the profile picture so they can't change it back to their favorite celebrity).

[Beth_Young]

Good idea! I'm going to do that right now, for extra credit.

[dhulsey]

Boom! My teacher tools just updated on my phone. The release notes says it has everything I asked for:

1. The ability to list only Favorited classes
2. The ability to grab a list of all sections in a course for the Hot Seat feature

Thanks, Instructure, and thanks especially to the Android developers!

[KristinL]

Oh, that's awesome! It's time to play around with the app some more!!

[samantha]

We are so glad you are excited about the features in Teacher Tools! Just for your information, we decided not to put out official notes highlighting the new features because of the nature of the app. Please let us know if you have questions!

[kunikb]

Thank you so much for this app! I've used similar app, but had to enter all the information into my phone.  This will be so much easier.   I can't wait to try it out tomorrow. 

[udelhsar]

I think a great and useful addition would be being able to take attendance on the Teacher Tools App.  Any options for doing this?

[rseilham]

I think the https://community.canvaslms.com/community/ideas/canvas-teacher-app?sr=search&searchId=abcf5e5f-4752-... will be a great place to add this functionality. My suggestion at this point is to wait for the Teacher App to be available publicly and then suggest this as a Feature Idea through the community. I bet it will get a lot of votes! 

[rseilham]

For those who are curious about the future of this app with the pending Teacher App‌, read the following from the Canvas Mobile Product Manager:

https://community.canvaslms.com/thread/17138#comment-73932 

[erinhmcmillan]

Hi, everyone,

The Canvas Teacher app has been published and you can find out more information here: Canvas Teacher Release Notes (iOS, Android 1.0). Regarding the future of Teacher Tools functionality,   @rseilham  previously posted a link to some comments from our product mobile manager.

Thanks!

Erin