Imagine your favorite shoes. What make them your favorite? Is it that they fit perfectly? Do they go with all of your outfits? Have you broken them in just so? Are they just easy - to put on, to pair with outfits, etc.?
If someone were to say that starting Tuesday, you could no longer wear them. Ever. How would you feel? Would you demand to know why your faves were no longer allowed? Recently, the district where I work mandated which learning management systems (LMS) would be used at each grade level. High Schools were told that they were now going to use Canvas. Since some had struggled to get on board with Google Classroom - and had become comfortable with it - they felt as if their favorite, newly broken in shoes were being ripped off of their feet. They were given a semester "grace" to transition into Canvas, which has a steeper learning curve. Enter, me. I once again offered a Moving to Canvas course designed for teachers that housed much of their content on their websites (think Powerpoint and YouTube videos) as a transition to Canvas. A BIG part of this course is lesson design. Designing for and online class is NOT the same as what you might see in a face-to-face environment. Let me say that again.... Designing for and online class is NOT the same as what you might see in a face-to-face environment. A little history: this course has been offered a few times in recent years, updated after each one to improve, adjust, and keep up with the platform changes. The largest number of folks that completed the course in those previous courses was six. Eleven was was the largest enrollment. This time: 75 teachers enrolled! Over 20 are actively working - it runs through mid July. But this group, despite being somewhat unwilling at the beginning, has gone above and beyond with their transition to Canvas. In the first weeks of this course, I heard, "This is NOT user friendly!" and "In Google Classroom, I could....can I do that in Canvas?" quite a bit. So, I started by validating their feelings - Canvas isn't the most user friendly platform for teachers that are reluctant technology users. I still struggle at times. Just because I am their teacher it doesn't mean I have all the answers - but I know how to find them! I shared my strategies with them. and started to help them remove barriers to using Canvas That second question I heard often: "In Google Classroom, I could....can I do that in Canvas?" was the game changer! They asked in submission comments or in the "Ask Anything" discussion I created - some even emailed me directly. I was able to share how to connect Flipgrid, Google Drive, and EdPuzzle - things they were used to using in Google Classroom. I didn't stop there - I knew that many others might be wondering the same thing. At the end of each week, I emailed the group with those things I had shared privately with a few and started urging them to check the announcements. I also added items to that section to model how they might use this with their students. I've posed questions about "checking in" so students don't "check out" - we saw that happen quite a bit in the spring for a number of reasons. We have to do better in the fall. As June ends, we are halfway through the course. But I have already received many POSITIVE emails about how this course has helped them get ready for fall. The ones that make it all worthwhile are the ones from reluctant adopters who are now excited about the possibilities Canvas provides them - and their learners. With so much uncertainty still looming over what school will look like in August, I am thankful that I could support these teachers as they sacrifice some of their summer to prepare - as best they can - for what is coming.
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AuthorJeannie Timken Archives
March 2023
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