As our comfort using Canvas increases, we might be ready to explore some of the integrations available either at the district level or school level. You may want to bookmark this post for future reference as it will give you the ABCs of Canvas apps that are available (district or school) and how best to use them!
Actively Learn
Currently district funded, this app is available to all secondary users and integrates into Canvas as an external tool assignment. You can create assignments in Actively Learn and then add them to Canvas. Grades can be passed back from Actively Learn to Canvas by assignment and by section. It can also be added to Course Navigation for direct access.
Next year, Actively Learn will be available in the free version, we will monitor how it integrates at that point and provide updates. Expectations are that it will function more as a pass-through to assignments and you will not be able to sync grades from Actively Learn to Canvas.
Adobe Express
A district-supported app, this is available as both an external tool embedded in the Rich Content Editor* or as an external tool assignment. When using it as an assignment, you can attach a template for students to use. You might also allow them to access it and then share their product with you as a link or file attachment (depending on the product). Adobe Express is a great option for collaboration among students as they can easily share projects with one another.
BrainPOP
A school-funded option, BrainPOP is available at several of our middle schools. While it appears in the external tools assignment options, it is really a pass-through to the BrainPOP platform. There is no speedgrader functionality or grade synching available. It can also be added to Course Navigation for direct access.
Canva
Canva is a district-supported app and is an embed as a template option within the Rich Content Editor for any page or assignment. It does not act as a true external tool assignment option, instead, teachers add it as a template link (if preferred) and students can submit it as an online assignment type (file or link). They will also have access to seeing their Canva projects to easily upload them! Please make sure to use Microsoft to log into district accounts. It can also be added to Course Navigation for direct access. Learn more about using Canva Templates in our previous post.
Flip(grid)
Flip is district supported and a part of the Microsoft suite of tools. Integrations in Canvas are teacher-based, so you can choose to add it as an integration to your course or not. There are pros and cons to having it directly in Canvas. The pro, easy to integrate into an assignment. The con, it sees all sections of a course as 1 group! You may choose to use it outside of Canvas to create a group for each class period and then link to assignments if you want to maintain your classes by period/section. It can also be added to Course Navigation for direct access. For more on integrating it in Canvas, read our Canvas Guide.
Gale eBooks
Purchased by the district secondary librarians, the Gale eBooks can be added to any course through Course Navigation. It is page-in-page access to a library of eBooks and reference material. Resources may vary by school. Ask your librarian more about using it in your course and how you can use it with NoodleTools (housed in ClassLink).
GradeCam
District-supported, GradeCam is often used on paper in classrooms, but there is a digital option as well and it integrates into Canvas! Teachers can choose GradeCam as an external tool assignment, create or find an assignment in GradeCam and then sync the grades into Canvas. It can also be added to Course Navigation for direct access. Find out more on Canvas 101 Guides.
LockDown Browser
LockDown Browser is supported for secondary Canvas users. It works specifically as an add-on to Canvas quizzes (both new and classic). It essentially acts as a testing browser for the quizzes and helps keep kids on the quiz. For more on using LockDown Browser, please refer to our user guides.
Microsoft Office 365
Office 365 integration works with your current Microsoft account and gives you access to any One Drive files you have available. When creating an external tool assignment, it will create a template or version of Word, PowerPoint, or Excel for each student to edit and submit. You can also add One Drive documents from the Rich Content Editor. One tip is to insert the doc and click it for more editing options. You can then have it preview automatically on the page! There are pros/cons to using the external version of Office assignments versus providing a download/upload option, so use which one works best for you and your students. Please make sure it is available in Course Navigation for easy access if using it in your course.
Nearpod
Nearpod is a school-based option and can be integrated into Canvas for each school’s sub-account as needed. Once you have it as an integrated tool, you can link to lessons from external tool assignments. You will then be able to grade from speedgrader directly in Canvas. Note, that it is a little small! For those of you using the free version, you can create access links to the assignment, you just won’t see the work in speedgrader the same way. It can also be added to Course Navigation for direct access.
OneNote Class Notebook
Yes, you can integrate Class Notebook in Canvas. It will show as an external tool and in your Course Navigation, but it is ultimately a pass-through to the Notebook and not a true integration in Canvas. For those of you looking for a place for students to have a digital journal that you can have access to, you might consider Class Notebook. For more information, please read information about this from Microsoft and ask your TOSA for help.
Microsoft Teams
One we have not shared too much about is the ability to integrate Teams and Canvas. We have enabled teachers to create Teams from their Canvas courses. Note, this provides all the access and functionality of Teams and then requires management of the Teams collaboration space as well. If you loved features of Teams such as having more collaboration, channels and file management, the embedded Class Notebook, etc. it might be an option you could explore. Please contact your Ed Tech TOSA if you are interested in setting this up or learning more.
TurnItIn
Turnitin is a school-provided option. When purchased by your school for either content teams or your whole school, you can easily create external tool assignments that link directly to Turnitin. This is the only way it is accessible in your course. When students submit in Canvas, it submits to Turnitin at the same time. Teachers can provide feedback in both spaces and it will generate access in Speedgrader and a similarity report icon will show in the gradebook.
We encourage users to access it from Canvas rather than Turnitin directly as it creates courses for you and will roster your students. For more info on using Turnitin in Canvas, please refer to our Canvas Guide.
Course-specific Integrations
The following are course-specific integrations, which often include textbooks. Each team should receive information on using these integrations from our Online Curriculum team or from their Instructional Specialist TOSA.
ConnectEd
ConnectEd is a pass-through from Canvas to textbook content. Available as an external tool assignment link and from Course Navigation.
i-Ready
i-Ready is used for middle school diagnostic testing in ELA and will be used for the middle school math curriculum. For easy access to the i-Ready platform, teachers can add i-Ready to their Course Navigation. It will launch students to the i-Ready platform. It does not integrate as an external tool for assignments though content can be added as files or annotated online assignments.
McGraw Hill (CTE)
This is a pass-through to content that can look embedded into Canvas. If you use it as an external tool assignment, you might consider having it open in a new tab to provide more workspace. It is also available from Course Navigation.
NoRedInk
This app is used primarily for secondary ELA courses but is a tool that anyone could access to provide more writing support to students. It works as an external tool assignment and allows teachers and students to see NoRedInk embedded directly within the Canvas interface. It can also be accessed from the Course Navigation.
Savvas
Available for some of our social studies, math, and science courses teachers can add it to their Canvas course as an external tool assignment. Once selected, it launches and allows for integration within the Canvas platform. It is also available from the Rich Content Editor for access without creating an assignment.
Science Carolina
Acts as more of a pass-through to online science content for integrated units when using the external tool assignment option.
Teach TCI
Teachers primarily create assignments in the TCI platform and can send the assignments back to Canvas. Once set up this way, grades can be synced back as well.
Vista (VHL)
For world language courses, this offers a pass-through to online content but does not have a true integration or grade pass-back to Canvas.
*What is the Rich Content Editor? The Rich Content Editor or RCE is the editing box with tools available on pages, assignments, quizzes, discussions, etc. within Canvas.
For more on apps and integrations in Canvas, please chat with your Ed Tech Lead or TOSA. We can support using these tools in your classroom. For more on Canvas please check out our past posts.
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