Vista USD Ed Tech Newsletter

August 2021

Canvas Startup Info

Hey there!

Canvas will continue to be the Learning Management System (LMS) utilized by VUSD. This year, we can build on our foundation and continue to grow! All of the work you did in Canvas last year is saved and can be copied to this year's courses. Please read this newsletter for important updates and details for startup! We would also like to introduce you to our two TOSAs in the Education Excellence Department, Taresa McSpadden and Kirsten Turner. They are available to support with your EdTech questions and PD needs! To request support, fill out a VUSD Technology Help Form.

New Canvas Course Info

How do I find my old course so I can copy for this year?

Your archived course will appear under “Past Enrollments.” Once the course has gone past it’s end date, it will show up here and no longer appear in your dashboard. You will still have access to all of it’s content, and can copy content to new/future courses

How to View Past Courses

When will my official course shell appear in my dashboard?

Your Canvas course shell will be activated in Canvas when your school site has finalized school rosters. Remember: All courses are automatically unpublished. You must publish the course on the first day of school. Students will not have access to courses until the first day of school.

How do I copy my old course to this year's course shell?

Copy Course Content into a New Sandbox: We recommend that you first copy your old course into a sandbox. This will keep your course content handy in your dashboard. Make a Sandbox and give it an appropriate title. Example: “2020-21 5th Grade Archived.” Then Import Your Content to the new sandbox course. Once you have done this, you can "pick and choose" the content to copy into your official course shell. We DO NOT recommend copying your entire course into your official course shell, as this may result in a lot of content you do not use and can slow your Canvas.

How do I import a template from Commons?

Directions to import from Commons

**Note: An import may override certain customizations you have already made in a Canvas course. To avoid this, you may first want to import into an empty course, then add your customizations

I teach more than one section, or a combo class. How do I combine them into one Canvas course?

A course shell is created for each section that a teacher teaches. For elementary combo teachers, a shell is created for each grade level. Cross-listing courses allows a teacher to take multiple courses, and house them as “sections” in one course. This may allow a teacher who teaches multiple periods of the same subject, to work within one course and push out the same lessons across sections. However--there are important things to consider before cross-listing. If you would like to cross-list, read the cross-listing guide. NOTE: The decision to cross-list should be made BEFORE a course is published to students. This will ensure a correct sync to Aeries.

Cross-Listing Guide

Cross-Listing Video

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Transition from Google Docs Cloud Assignments to Google Assignments (LTI 1.3)

Currently, VUSD users have access to both the Google Docs Cloud Assignments and the Google Assignments (LTI 1.3). They both serve similar purposes, which allow the teacher to share google docs and slides using the “make a copy” feature for each student. Please note the following:

The Google Docs Cloud Assignments is officially being retired on Sept. 1, 2021. (This integration was developed by Canvas)
Users should shift to using the Google Assignments (LTI 1.3) (This integration was developed by Google)
For more information about the Google Assignments (LTI 1.3):

Canvas Help for Teachers

VUSD Technology Help Form- Get timely support from a VUSD TOSA
How to Access Canvas Training Portal: All teachers have FREE unlimited access to the Canvas Training Portal, which includes self-paced and LIVE training sessions with Canvas trainers. These trainings are free and voluntary.
How to Access Canvas Help: Need help with your Canvas course? Select the “Help” menu to utilize the 24/7 chat or phone support.
VUSD HELP RESOURCES