Canvas Differentiation
This microcredential represents educators' effective and consistent use of Canvas to differentiate for learners. Canvas provides various features and built-in supports that allow teachers to design and differentiate instruction in order to provide personalized learning experiences for students. Through Canvas, teachers have the ability to design and implement a variety of formative and summative assessments, integrate various intervention strategies, extend due dates, create learning pathways that can accommodate individual student needs.
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Utah Effective Teaching Standards > Standard 1: Learners and Learning
Element 1: Personalizing Learning - Designing learning that builds on background knowledge while providing opportunities for each student to access, practice and refine new learning. -
Utah Effective Teaching Standards > Standard 1: Learners and Learning
Element 3: Respecting Learner Backgrounds and - Demonstrating respect for each learner and exhibiting actions consistent with recognizing learners’ diverse backgrounds and perspectives as assets to the classroom community. -
Utah Effective Teaching Standards > Standard 2: Instructional Design Clarity
Element 3: Instructional Planning - Planning high quality, personalized instructional activities that are informed by student progress data, provide multiple opportunities for students to reflect upon and assess their own growth and allow multiple opportunities and means for demonstration of competency. -
Utah Effective Teaching Standards > Standard 4: Classroom Climate
Element 1: Respectful Learning Environment - Modeling and fostering respectful communication with students while appreciating differences of opinion and facilitating respectful classroom discussion.
To earn this 0.5 credit microcredential you will submit two types of evidence from the list of options to demonstrate your effective use of Canvas tools to differentiate instruction for learners. You will also complete a short written or video reflective analysis. Click Earn This Microcredential to learn more!
Educators completing this microcredential will demonstrate their understanding of how to create personalized learning experiences and/or differentiate instruction for students using the various Canvas features and supports.
A built-in Canvas feature that allows teachers to create learning pathways for students based on student performance and/or student choice.
Differentiating Instruction:A way of teaching that requires teachers to know each of their students and their various learning levels. When a teacher differentiates instruction they provide learning experiences and opportunities that best fit each student’s needs.
Personalized Learning:Refers to instruction in which the pace of learning and the instructional approach are optimized for the needs of each learner. Learning objectives, instructional approaches, and instructional content (and its sequencing) may vary based on learner needs. The learning activities are meaningful and relevant to learners, driven by their interests, and often self-initiated.
Intervention Strategies:Tasks or activities that target specific content skills or topics and are designed to help students make improvements in their academic performance.
Modules :Used to organize and deliver content in Canvas. Modules can be organized by week, content, units, and more. Modules create a linear flow to what students should do in a course. Each module can contain content, files, links, assignments, discussions, and other learning materials.
Canvas is a big part of Mr. Clark’s class. He is looking for a way to use Canvas to differentiate the content and how it is delivered to his students. He would also like to adjust or extend the due dates on assignments, excuse students from assignments that they don’t need, and even assign remediation or extension activities to specific groups of students. Since Mr. Clark uses Canvas with his students, what Canvas features and/or supports can he use to create personalized learning experiences for his students or differentiate assessments in Canvas? What suggestions or recommendations would you have for Mr. Clark?
Category: Preparation and Planning
Select ONE of the evidence options below to demonstrate your effective use of Canvas to differentiate for learners.
Submit a lesson plan you have developed and used in your instruction. This lesson plan must use Canvas to create a personalized learning experience, or differentiate instruction for your learners. Your lesson plan must include: (1) Learning intentions (objectives) and success criteria (how will students know they have met the learning intentions.) (2) Description of Canvas tools that will be used to support the personalized or differentiated learning experience. (3) Description of the learning activities. (4) Assessment You may use the lesson plan template provided in the Resources section or any other effective lesson plan format.
Submit a unit plan you have developed and used in your instruction. This unit plan must outline and describe your personalized and/or differentiated learning experiences for learners in Canvas. Your unit plan must include: (1) Your unit's big idea and overall learning intention (objective) and success criteria (how will students know they have met the learning intentions). (2) A clear outline and description of the personalized/differentiated learning activities. (3) Description of Canvas resources and supports that will be used. (4) Assessment (5) Description of how data collected in this unit will be used.
Category: Implementation
Select ONE of the evidence options below to demonstrate your effective implementation of Canvas tools to differentiate for learners.
Submit a 10 - 15 minute video demonstrating your use of Canvas to create personalized learning experiences or differentiate instruction. You video must contain the following: (1) You (the instructor) describing/providing directions. Your directions can be shared/embedded within Canvas. Just make sure that your video shares how the students know how to work through the Canvas course/module(s). (2) Learners working in Canvas. Video submissions should follow all relevant LEA (district/charter) guidelines. Be sure to follow your district/charter guidelines for student privacy. Be sure to follow your district/charter guidelines for student privacy.
Submit learner work samples and Canvas course screenshots for each of the items listed below. Screenshots must accompany each of the learner work samples. These screenshots allow you to share how the content/assessments are set up in Canvas. Make sure that student names and any other identifiable information is not provided or shared. The learner work samples provided must demonstrate your understanding of the Canvas feature or resource. (1) Mastery Paths (2) Canvas Groups (3) Student Choice (4) Intervention Strategies (5) Individualization in An Assignment Be sure to follow your district/charter guidelines for student privacy.
Review Criteria
Criterion 1: The evidence demonstrates proficient use of Canvas features and resources to personalize and/or differentiate learning.
Criterion 2: The evidence demonstrates that the educator uses advanced features of Canvas effectively to optimize workflow, analyze and interpret data, and/or organize course and school materials more efficiently to personalize and/or differentiate learning for learners.
Criterion 3: The evidence demonstrates that the educator has used Canvas consistently over time to optimize workflow, analyze and interpret data, and/or organize course and school materials more effectively to personalize and/or differentiate learning for learners.
Describe how you use Canvas as a consistent part of your instruction to differentiate instruction.
Discuss how your students benefit from your (and their) use of Canvas.
How do you plan to develop your use of Canvas in the future?
Review Criteria
Criterion 1: Reflection demonstrates competency in using at least two of the Canvas features and resources to differentiate instruction in Canvas.
Criterion 2: Reflection demonstrates understanding of how using Canvas to personalize and/or differentiate instruction benefits learners.
Criterion 3: Reflection demonstrates a clear plan for how to strengthen use Canvas in the future to personalize and/or differentiate for learners.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1365.html
In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, RAND Corporation researchers obtained and analyzed data from the 2013-14 school year — including student performance data, teacher logs, student surveys, and teacher surveys — to create a broad picture of schools’ efforts to implement personalized learning and understand the outcomes.
Google Advanced: Lesson Plan Template
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p6uROeWIgOD214mH2NAT8jS38UJwdNBp6H-Ts2vtSuo/template/preview
You may use this template to submit your lesson plan for personalized learning.
Canvas Community - How Do I Use Mastery Paths in Course Modules?
https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10442-4152668299
This resource was created and shared by Canvas. It provides an explanation of what MasteryPaths are and how to set them up within a Canvas course.
Differentiating Assignments (K-12) in Canvas: Helping All Learners Be Successful
https://community.canvaslms.com/groups/k12/blog/2016/02/11/differentiating-assignments-k-12-in-canvas-helping-all-learners-be-successful
This is a blog post written by Amber Hainline and provides information on differentiating instruction within Canvas. This blog post covers: ● Individualization in Assignments ● Exempting Students ● Extended Due Dates ● Extra Quiz Attempts ● Student Choice ● Intervention Strateges ● MasteryPaths
Canvas Basics: Getting Started - Self-Paced Course
https://dsd.instructure.com/enroll/E4GAFF
Use the self-enroll link to get started on this self-paced, asynchronous course.
This course is designed to help you become familiar with Canvas Course Navigation, Course Settings, Inbox and Calendar. This course will help you with your course set up. To get started click on the Course Overview button below.
Student Engagement in Canvas
https://dsd.instructure.com/enroll/M9RDC4
Student Engagement in Canvas is designed for K-12 teachers with beginner to intermediate technology skills to design and create engaging course material. Participants will learn how to design and deliver different online engagement course concepts using Canvas LMS. This course will guide participants in creating clear objectives, multiple modes of learning, clear flow of tasks, external tools (LTI), collaboration, mastery paths, and much more to engage learners.
Use the self-enroll link to get started on this asynchronous, self-paced course.
Canvas Assignments - Self-Paced Course
https://dsd.instructure.com/enroll/X8CHWL
Use the self-enroll link to get started on this asynchronous, self-paced course.
In this course, you will find information on all elements of assignment creation. Each module is designed to provide examples of each element that can be utilized in an assignment. Remember to create assignments with students in mind. Consider click paths as you create your assignments. The fewer clicks required to complete an assignment, the more likely they will engage and complete tasks.
Valerie Burgoyne
Jessica George
Lorena Lesue
Carly Maloney
Katie Moss
Christopher Thomas
Kayla Towner
Anthony Wilson
250 East 500 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111-3204
Phone: 801.538.7807