Canvas grant program recognizes innovation and openness in education
As part of an awards program, Canvas learning management system parent company Instructure has given out more than $100,000 in grants supporting innovative educators in both K-12 and higher education. This year the grants were centered on the theme of “Lossless Learning.”
“We launched the Canvas Grants program two years ago to show our support for innovation in education,” said Jared Stein, vice president of research and education at Instructure. “This year’s theme, ‘Lossless Learning,’ encouraged educators to find new ways to connect technology to the face-to-face classroom, to improve learning and enhance the critical feedback loop.”
Since its inception, Instructure has aimed to grow a community of educational innovators who try new things and discover the best ways to help students learn. One of this year’s winning projects challenged seventh and eighth graders to learn about and determine the possibility of life on Mars. The project used gamification to engage learners and increase motivation while reducing cost, time, and technology barriers.
Next page: Winning teachers and innovative projects
Canvas Grants winners in the K-12 category [1] (scroll down on link) are:
“First Flight Alaska” by Mark Woodward, teacher at Alaska Digital Academy
“Bike Your Way to Safety” by Kasey Cope, second grade teacher at Pleasant View Elementary, Zionsville Community Schools
“Smartphone Photography: Leveraging the power of social media and smartphone technology to create and collaborate” by Sterling Worrell, visual arts teacher at Hopkinton Public Schools
“Is There Life on Mars?” by Brian McDowell, STEM teacher at Mason County Middle School, Mason County Schools
“Steamboat Makerspace” by Nicole DeCrette, library media specialist at Steamboat Springs High School, Steamboat Springs School District
“Virtual Student Collaboration Zone” by Ashley Turrell, technology director at Indianapolis Academy of Excellence CFA
“Ridley C-A-N-V-A-S” by Jim McCusker, biology teacher at Ridley School District
“Students Learn STEM Through Game Design” by Vanessa Smith, technology teacher at Bret Harte Middle School, Hayward Unified School District
“Digital Citizenship/Literacy Through the Science Classroom” by Tim Smay, science teacher at University High School, Irvine Unified School District
“Losing Less Learning by Making Knowledge Matter in a Maker Lab” by Douglas Ferguson, elementary specialist at Martin Sortun Elementary, Kent School District
Canvas Grants winners in the higher education category are [1]:
“Data Cultures” by Oliver Heyer, associate director of educational technology services at UC Berkeley
“Project Delphinium” by Jared Chapman from Utah Valley University
“Tracing Learning Interaction Paths As A Guide to Design Lossless Learning” at Georgia Tech Research Corporation
“Optimizing Groups for Active Learning” by Andrew Reynolds, instructional designer at Boston College Center for Teaching Excellence
“Learning Paths Tool” by Kenneth Larson and Travis Thurston at Utah State University
“M.O.L.I.E. Meets Canvas and the Open Web” by Mary Kayler at the University of Mary Washington
Material from a press release was used in this report.