Canvas: Bold Moves to Encompass High Yield Strategies

 Course Author: Kelli Kelsoe

E-mail: kelsoek@castleberryisd.net

 Twitter: @kelsoek

Course Description

This professional learning course will be held face-to-face (F2F) and will guide educators beyond the basics of delivering course content through Canvas, a learning management system (LMS). The course is a six-hour course. During the course, teachers will learn how to incorporate high yield strategies such as feedback, collaboration, reflection, formative assessment, and verbal/written discourse through components available in Canvas. Learn how to leverage feedback capabilities through rubrics, commenting, and peer editing; optimize collaboration through groups; maximize reflection and written discourse through discussions; augment verbal discourse through recordings; and enhance formative assessments through online quizzes. 

Environment and Materials

Teachers must have a login to Canvas.

Participant Resources

• Laptop or iPad with Internet Access
• Login to Canvas

Purpose

Based on the BrightBytes survey, teachers struggle to incorporate the 4C’s (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, & creativity) into daily lesson activities. One teaching strategy that nurtures the incorporation of the 4c’s and naturally offers a platform to enhance student engagement and learning is to deliver course content through a learning management system. As teachers begin to transform lessons, they need a portal to share content and resources with students as well as other teachers. Additionally, with the new T-Tess appraisal system, teachers need to be able to make the shift from teacher-centered instruction to student-centered instruction. Through the use of Canvas, teachers are able to provide students with a platform that allows for student-centered learning. 

Format

This course is a face-to-face course, where teachers will experiment with different applications within the Canvas LMS to incorporate high yield strategies such as feedback, collaboration, reflection, verbal/written discourse, and formative assessment. The course will be delivered over a six hour period. The electronic resources will be made available through Canvas. The information in the modules will be available for reference after completion of the course.

Learning Expectations

​This course will allow teachers to learn features that enhance the utilization of high yield strategies within Canvas. As a result, teachers will be encouraged to utilize Canvas for delivery of their lessons and lesson activities. Upon completion of the course, teachers will have an understanding of how to: leverage feedback capabilities through rubrics, commenting, and peer editing; optimize collaboration through groups; maximize reflection and written discourse through discussions; augment verbal discourse through recordings; and enhance formative assessments through online quizzes.

Goals and Objectives

1. Learner will be able to incorporate high yield strategies to teach content through Canvas components.
1. Learner will create collaborative groups.
2. Learner will create an assignment that allows for students to create an audio recording of their answer.
3. Learner will create formative assessments in Canvas Quizzes.
4. Learner will create rubrics to provide effective feedback.
5. Learner will provide comments through Speedgrader to provide timely feedback.
6. Learner will create an assignment that includes peer editing for student-to-student feedback.
7. Learner will create discussions to provide a platform for reflection and/or written discourse.

Assessment

By the end of the course, teachers will have created assignments, discussions, quizzes, scoring rubrics, and collaborative groups in Canvas.

Modules

Course Evaluation

A quick instructor feedback form will be completed at the conclusion of the lesson. If the teachers respond with mostly positive feedback, then the course author and instructor will know the instructional design was effective.  

Timeframe

This course will be completed within a six-hour time-frame.