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Tag: Canvas

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Canvas Update Nov 2026

The focus this month is on Opportunities for All Learners from the pillars of the Jordan School District’s Strategic Plan. One of the ways teachers can support Opportunities for All Learners is by using a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) mindset when creating learning materials in Canvas. The goal of UDL is learner agency that is purposeful & reflective, resourceful & authentic, strategic & action-oriented and by design is universal, for everyone. There are several ways you can embed UDL principles into your Canvas course. Most of these ideas come from this Instructure blog post. Where possible, I’ve added a tutorial from the Canvas Guides to show you how to do that item on the checklist.

UDL checklist for Canvas

Make a positive first impression.

Organize course content and improve navigation

Create opportunities for connection and interaction

Remove learning barriers

As with any resource or teaching practice, we recommend starting small and adding slowly to your repertoire. UDL can be overwhelming, but as you incorporate more flexibility and choice into your teaching practice, you can better support all learners, both in the digital realm and in-person.

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Welcome to October! As part of our ongoing commitment to our district’s strategic plan, this month’s focus is on High-Quality Instruction + Canvas.

pillars of the strategic plan: high quality instruction, culture of belonging, opportunities for all learners, student & staff wellness, and effective communication.

According to John Hattie’s Visible Learning research, any teaching strategy with an effect size over 0.40 accelerates student learning beyond a typical year's growth.

visible learning infographic

Here is how four high-impact, evidence-based strategies from John Hattie's research and modified into these teacher-friendly PDFs from Utah State Board of Education. You can find these and more linked in the USBE PCBL Framework. For our October Update, we are looking to connect some of these Evidence-Based Practices with using Canvas:

High-Impact Teaching Strategies & Canvas Connections

Classroom Discussion (Effect Size: 0.82)

    • The Strategy: Active peer-to-peer discourse deepens understanding through structured interaction.

    • Canvas Connection: Use Discussions to host asynchronous preparation threads or post-lesson debriefs. Teachers can enable the "Users must post before seeing replies" feature to encourage original student thinking, and embed sentence starters directly in the prompt to support clear academic dialogue.

screenshot from Mastery Learning PDF

Mastery Learning (Effect Size: 0.67)

  • The Strategy: Breaking content into distinct units where students receive targeted feedback and multiple opportunities to demonstrate competence.

  • Canvas Connection: Build Modules with Prerequisites and Requirements (e.g., scoring at least 80% on a quiz before moving forward). Pair this with Mastery Paths to automatically route students to customized support, intervention, or enrichment activities based on their score.

screenshot from Flipped Classroom PDF

Flipped Classrooms (Effect Size: 0.56)

    • The Strategy: Moving traditional lecture/background content outside of class time frees up face-to-face hours for interactive practice and small-group support.

    • Canvas Connection: Embed short instructional videos (via MyVideoSpot) directly onto a Canvas Page as pre-class prep. Use embedded video questions (see How to Use Insights in MyVideoSpot) to check for baseline understanding before students step into the classroom.

screenshot from Feedback via Technology PDF

Feedback via Technology (Effect Size: 0.55)

    • The Strategy: Providing timely, actionable, and specific feedback helps students understand where they are going, how they are doing, and what steps to take next.

    • Canvas Connection: Leverage SpeedGrader to leave audio, video, or annotated text comments directly on student submissions (See Feedback tutorial). Use Rubrics linked to learning outcomes so students get clear, immediate data on their progress.

Next Steps for Educators

Pick one strategy above to try or refine in your Canvas courses this month. Small, intentional shifts in how we leverage digital tools directly amplify high-quality classroom instruction!

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School’s out, and it’s time to relax! We’re wishing all our amazing educators a joyful, restful summer. While you recharge, check out what the Big 6 are up to on vacation:

  • Canvas is building castles and memories in the sandbox.
  • Nearpod is roasting marshmallows at Camp Engage.
  • Adobe is creating masterpieces in the art studio.
  • Google is on a cross-country roadtrip with Google Maps.
  • Canva is dazzling everyone at a magic show.
  • SchoolAI is diving into fun in a ball pit with Dot.

Enjoy your well-deserved break—we can’t wait to see you in the new school year!