Canvas in the Non 1:1 Elementary Classroom

[courtney_cohron]

Currently our district has seen great success with Canvas in our 1:1 classrooms (Grades 5-12 and a few K-4 pilot classrooms). We have been working on roll-out with our non 1:1 classrooms but it has not taken off as well as I would have hoped. We initially started with a small group of teachers from all buildings and grade levels to create a "Canvas Ambassador Group". The goal was to provide an overview and small group training with this group to begin to build capacity in our non 1:1 classrooms. From there we opened up an invitation to any teacher who was interested in Canvas to begin our district wide Canvas Challenge, an online self-paced Canvas Course, walking participants through training modules. For some reason, if with effective training of the "why" behind Canvas, non 1:1 teachers in our district can not see past Canvas as an element in only our 1:1 environments.

This year our Learning Department has regrouped to approach Canvas with more and continuous modeling of Canvas at a district level with administration, more in-depth training with support staff (instructional coaches and media specialists), and continuation of sharing effective examples of Canvas integration across the district.

My biggest question is, how do I help my non 1:1 teachers see the positives of using a Learning Management System with only a small group of iPads? Has anyone else struggled to implement Canvas into non 1:1 classrooms? Is anyone willing to share some effective examples of how non 1:1 teachers are using Canvas?

I am really open to any and all suggestions as I can see the power and value in Canvas in all layers of the classroom (1:1 and not)!

Thanks!

Courtney Cohron

[tmercer]

Hi Courtney,

I'm not 1 to 1 yet.   I get a cart of 30 IPads for Maybe 2.5 hours per week.  Not a lot.  But here is how I think about using Canvas during that time.  I teach basics of reading how to head papers in anticipation of how teachers in older grades want things.  Years ago we implemented a school wide format for heading a paper.  It streamlined things for upper grades.  That's one reason I think it's important.  They need to know how to log in import assignments because they will be doing it in their future.  Even in just 2.5 hours a week.  I feel like Canvas helps me kind of clone myself.  Gives me more time.  If kids record themselves reading I can check for fluency later also kids can read and reread and submit their best versions.  You know they are going to practice more if it's recorded.  I do a word sort every Thursday Morning using the Post It Note app that they submit through Canvas.  I love using it for FOSS Science.  I've had them make a book in Book Creator about the Life Cycle of a butterfly and submitting that.  If you don't have the iPads all the time you can take pics on your phone of the process and air drop them to students then they use pics to document and write about what they saw and then submit through Canvas.  Book reports using green screen apps.  Kids can plan and work on them before they get devices then do their recordings then submitting.  Do they just have a few devices in a class at a time?

[Bobby2]

Hi  @courtney_cohron  I totally understand where you are coming from. The struggle is real. 

Once the idea of rotations, or  group work enabling differentiation gets through then people tend to be more accepting of giving Canvas a go.