Do you want to start using your iPad to give students grades and provide them with feedback? Want to send and reply to messages in Canvas?
Today’s Tip
The Canvas Teacher app can be very useful for grading and communicating with your students. Using Canvas to grade course assignments provides students with regular feedback on their work. Regular feedback allows learners to recognize where they are struggling and adjust their strategies more quickly to ensure success. While the app cannot support all functions of Canvas that you see on your computer, the app excels in its SpeedGrader and Inbox functions.
Getting Started
First off, it’s important that you’re working out of the Canvas Teacher app and not Canvas Student. All devices are preloaded with Canvas Student for ease of access on the student end later. If you have not yet done so, add Canvas Teacher to your device using the Self-Service app. Review the steps outlined in a previous post about Self-Service vs. Pushed Apps.
Canvas Teacher App Orientation
When you open the Canvas Teacher app, you will see three tabs along the bottom:
- Courses: This is where you can access all of your courses and edit your Dashboard.
- To Do: This is where any assignments that students have submitted to will appear in a list. When you open an assignment, you can then access SpeedGrader options.
- Inbox: This is where you are able to send and respond to messages students send you in Canvas.
To Do List and SpeedGrader Functionality
After selecting the To Do tab in Canvas Teacher, you will see a list of all assignments that have ungraded submissions in any course you are a Teacher for. Tap the assignment to open the SpeedGrader menus. Some of the features you’ll encounter include:
- Annotation Options: Add comments, textboxes, or handwritten annotations using your Apple Pencil to student work. Note: This will only be an option for file submissions and not things like Text Entry Boxes or Discussions.
- Grades: Use the slider to assign a whole-number grade to students and use attached assignment rubrics. Tap the score (indicated as XX/XX) to assign non-whole-number grades. Note: You must interact with the slider or type in a 0 if you want to assign that score to a student.
- Comments: Leave feedback to students in this section. Consider using the Text Replacement options to give feedback consistently to students.
- Files: Check multiple files students may have submitted to the assignment.
Inbox Functionality
After selecting the Inbox tab in Canvas Teacher, you will have access to your Canvas messages. While there are a number of features in Inbox, common actions include:
- Read and respond to messages: Select the message from your inbox list along the left hand side of the screen. Select the Reply button in the message to respond using your keyboard.
- Send messages: Select the + button from the top of the screen. Choose the course and student from the list and compose your message as needed.
Additional Support
Check out some of the resources we’ve curated on this topic for more support:
