Teachers and students have been welcomed with learning curves this school year as they not only face working from home, but also navigating a whole new learning management system (LMS), Canvas. 

TTSD decided Canvas was the best learning platform to allow integration of Florida Virtual Online School’s (FVLS) curriculum. For TTSD teachers who chose to use FLVS’s curriculum in some capacity, Canvas has made the transition easier. 

Tigard High School chemistry, physics and IB physics teacher Brad Cable expressed that the FLVS curriculum syncs perfectly with Canvas and has allowed him more peace of mind and time with his young kids, as they are also learning from home.

“In my particular usage, I could have gone either way [Google Classroom or Canvas]. However, I like Canvas better because it is my understanding that it was the only LMS that Florida Virtual would take,” Cable said.

Cable explained that his in-person curriculum is very hands-on for his science classes and if he attempted to replicate it to fit online it would be like “forcing a square into a circle.” Cable decided that Florida Online would provide his students with the best understanding, so he wanted Canvas to facilitate Florida Online’s curriculum. 

Sophomore Sophia Stoeber attested to the learning curve of Canvas, but has gained knowledge about navigating the app over the past weeks. 

“The options for the dashboard, either ‘Card View’ or ‘List View,’ have their own helpful uses. Like being able to see your classes laid out and the day-by-day list of things to complete,” Stoeber said. 

Stoeber added that she finds the “To-Do” list on each of her teachers’ homepages really helpful. However, she finds the loading time and scrolling through the modules to be frustrating.