By J1 Reporter Anna Kidder
After the unfortunate crash and bankruptcy of eBackpack this summer, Marian students have had to adapt to Google Classroom for all of their course needs. “At first I was excited to use Google Classroom, but now I am ready for something new,” sophomore Olivia Hovey said. Students and teachers will be making the switch from Google Classroom to Canvas Learning Management System at the start of the second semester of this school year.
Google Classroom has a lot of the tools Canvas provides and was free, however, Canvas has a single app where you can find your course content, calendar, and grades.
“With losing eBackpack, we still wanted a one-stop-shop for student learning. Canvas will be able to meet that need,” said Mrs. Jennifer Christen, Assistant Principal. “Canvas is also used by several colleges and universities, so as a college prep school, we want our students prepared for their next educational journey.” Some of those colleges include University of Nebraska Lincoln and University of Nebraska Omaha, as well as other high schools in the Omaha area, such as Creighton Prep, Omaha North and Duchesne.
On Oct. 21, teachers had a 4-hour workshop where they learned the basics of Canvas. Later next month, Marian students will be introduced to Canvas and will be trained how to navigate it in homeroom. Students will be able to access Canvas through an app, as well as a browser. Jessica Kozol, a junior from Duchesne, says, “Being able to use the browser on an iPad is extremely useful,” and recommends using the browser over the app.
As Christen said, “The Canvas platform is very user friendly, and I believe our students with their 21st Century skills will adapt to it quickly.”
