This school year has brought a lot of new technology to the classroom for everyone in the Cedar Rapids School District. Schools across the district introduced a new way for students to be updated with classroom assignments.

Canvas is a website that allows teachers to put assignments online for students to view. Every student in the district was given a user account for Canvas, so that when they log in they will have all of their classes listed for them in a schedule.

One of the many features of this website is a calendar where students can view their assignments teachers can fill in with homework and other important information for their students to view at anytime. When students miss a day of class they can log in to their account on Canvas and see what they missed in all of their classes.

There has been quite an adjustment not only for the students but for the teachers as well. About 7 trainers were selected to help teach the rest of the staff about Canvas. One of the trainers at Kennedy, Melissa Osborn said, “Canvas is going to be very beneficial in the long run for students and teachers.” The trainers had to go through an online course before they were able to assist the rest of the staff.

The Technology Facilitator at Kennedy, Deb Baber said, “Canvas will prepare students for the future because a lot of colleges use websites like Canvas.” There are still some glitches that are being worked out.