Anyone have “Best Practices” of implementing Canvas in K-8?

[cwolf]

The lack of a classroom dashboard and navigation is challenging to K-8 Teachers.  This concept of being in multiple courses for, say, first grade, is foreign, and the interface makes classroom management tedious. Given that we’re not the first K-8 school to use Canvas, we’re looking for ideas to help guide our Schools to a better experience.

[Chris_Hofer]

Hi  @cwolf ​...

Would you mind if I moved this question over to the K-12 group here in the Canvas Community?  I think you'll be able to get a better response from people over there.  The group has 470 members in it.  If you're not part of that group yet, you might want to consider joining.  Please let me know...thanks!

[cwolf]

That's fine. I didn't realize that there was a specific community as it was my first post.

Thank you

Sent from my iPhone

[tankovpa]

One thing that we are working to do at our elementary grades is to create Homepage templates. We try to help teachers be building a 'template page' that has kid friendly images that are links to the different content pages (math, sight words, science). We upload the template page and linked pages to Commons. The teachers can then download the base into their class and personalize it.

[kwoolley]

To add to Paul's response there great resources in the community for sample templates and examples from current K-12 clients. Here are a few of those pages:

Tips and Tricks for Adoption K-12

Sample Course Templates

[brueckert]

This is an older thread I'm bumping, but I'd love feedback on the document we're currently vetting at our school. It was the focus of some PD this morning so it's on my mind. Here's the link:

Feedback on Best Practices Course Audit Form

[ehills]

In our school district, we are split Elementary (K-5) and then Secondary (6-12). Below 6th grade, I could see it being pretty puzzling for students to recognize they are in multiple courses, especially since they have the same teacher for most of the day. That being said, my 6th grade students had no problem working through 7 different courses in Canvas, learning to turn things in, track assignment due dates, etc. It definitely took some pre-teaching and practice but they got the hang of it!

We have yet to open Canvas to Elementary staff. One thing that I have done with Special Education students at the secondary level (which would likely work for Elementary staff) is that we created a home page that has images and words to direct students to Modules for Reading, Writing, Math, etc. That can be a way for students to navigate Canvas. There is also a link in that home page to a folder of buttons that include pictures for pre-reading students.

https://shakopee.instructure.com/accounts/1/external_tools/271?launch_type=global_navigation

[kmeeusen · Accepted solution]

Hi Courtney!

Glad you found your way in here, and warm welcome to the Canvas Community! It might not be Disney, but it is definitely high on my list of Happiest places on Earth.

Besides welcoming you to the Community, I just wanted to point out that there is a similar discussion going on in the K-12 Group with a lot of great suggestions. You can find it @How to use canvas with 5-7 year old children?

I hope you find it useful, and enjoy your stay!

Agent K