New learning management system aims to simplify students’ lives

With the start of the new school year, teachers are making the transition to a new system called Canvas, which functions as a learning management tool for students and teachers alike.

Since Canvas displays enrolled courses, assignments, grades and a school calendar, most teachers are making the transition from their own personal websites to Canvas.

When all teachers are using Canvas in the future, students will have an online home for information about all their classes. Students have usually had to check the different websites of all their teachers, and there is no common calendar that shows what is due in each of their classes.

With Canvas, teachers can easily update and post assignments as well as moderate discussions among students. Though not every teacher has decided to use Canvas this year, the school is going through a three-year transition period where teachers are learning about Canvas and its capabilities.

According to English teacher Ken Nguyen, Canvas can allow teachers to know quieter students better through online class discussions.

“What the online discussion forum allows these students is an avenue to participate in a way that they don’t feel like they’re being watched by 28 of their classmates,” Nguyen said.

Principal Paul Robinson thinks Canvas can be revolutionary.

“Communication is always the key element of learning new material,” Robinson said. “Canvas helps with the communication of ideas from teacher to student, student to teacher and student to student.”

Robinson said that Canvas is the only learning management tool that fits the specific needs of the school and allows for growth and changes in the future. Canvas differs from Aeries since it offers seamlessly intertwined calendars, discussion forums, a gradebook and many other features while Aeries traditionally records only grades and personal information of each student.

He said Canvas is a major step forward in blending online tools into the classroom.

“By 2016, if all has gone well, we hope that everyone will be very comfortable with Canvas and it will be a strong tool for learning for many years to come,” Robinson said.