[ARCHIVED] Turning on Grading Periods feature for account - looking for your support :)

[rpsimon]

Hello Fellow Admins,

This is my second year working at my current school, my second year using Canvas and my second year using Canvas as an admin.  So I'm still sort of a newbie here.  🙂  I am looking for your insight, advice, and support on the following.  Vent and rant ahead - you are forewarned! lol

When viewing the various Admin settings, Terms, and everything else that is available to Canvas admins, I noticed there was a Grading Periods feature.  I read about it and thought it might be something that would really benefit my teachers here.  Some teachers were appreciative here, but there was one teacher who did not like it.  He wanted Canvas (specifically the Canvas gradebook) to appear the way it was before.  He complained to the principal and my principal told immediately to turn off the feature.  It's obvious to me that this teacher did not read any of my emails with information about the Grading Periods and its impact on the current gradebook - specifically its appearance.  This happened back in November when we finished the first quarter and when we started the second quarter.  

We are now nearing the end of our first semester and will be starting the second semester.  Therefore, it seems like the perfect time to try this again.  However, this time I want to make sure that I present all of this to my principal and that teachers receive some type of training with it so they will fully understand how to use it.  

Below is an except from the original email that I sent out to teachers back in November. 

The purpose of using the Grading Periods feature in Canvas is to help faculty, students, and parents keep their gradebook and assignments organized.  

How to View Your Gradebook in Canvas According to Grading Periods

Please remember that you must have a due date for each assignment in order for it to be placed into the correct Grading Period.  Any assignments without due dates can be viewed by selecting "All Grading Periods" in your grade book viewing options.

I am also including additional information that might be helpful to you as well.  

• Updating Assignment Due Dates
• How to bulk update due dates for an assignment  (Step by Step Word Document)
• Interactive Tutorial on Bulk Editing Assignment Due Dates  (Two minute tutorial)
• Using Grading Periods in a Course 
• How to Use Grading Periods in a Course   
• How Do I View Grading Periods in a Course?

What is your advice?  This really seems like a no brainer to me.  The goal is to get teachers more organized and help them get their work done more efficiently.  Do your teachers use it?  If so, do they find it helpful?  Any advice on how to present this as a beneficial tool would be extremely appreciated.

Thanks so much.