A Guardian’s Guide to VTVLC’s Learning Ecosystem
Online learning offers a flexible, customizable, technologically forward-thinking approach to learning, but it can be an adjustment to consider the details. With no physical classrooms, teachers, and peers, where does learning, one-on-one support, and collaboration take place? The key to all of this lies in Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative’s (VTVLC’s) learning ecosystem: a host of web-based tools that organize and support online learning.
VTVLC’s Learning Ecosystem
VTVLC’s learning ecosystem comprises two main tools: Genius, a student information system (SIS), and Canvas, a learning management system (LMS). Genius houses attendance information, some grading data, and messaging systems that students, teachers, and learning coaches can use to communicate, while Canvas houses all the assignments, lessons, and learning content (as well as a more comprehensive assignment-by-assignment gradebook). We often say that Canvas is the online classroom, while Genius is like an online attendance book. Many brick-and-mortar schools use their own SIS to manage student records, and LMSs are becoming increasingly popular in traditional school environments for organizing supplemental learning content as well.
LMSs, like Canvas, allow students to experience the benefits of the classroom with the flexibility of online learning. Interactive, high-quality content designed specifically for the online learning modality is housed seamlessly in an easy-to-use user interface. Discussion boards allow students to collaborate with peers and model effective, professional, 21st-century communications. Additional features, like the Canvas calendar or to-do list, create additional ways for students to coordinate with teachers and plan out their pace through the course.
But what does this mean for guardians and caregivers? Online learning allows guardians to take a front-row seat in their child’s learning and keep up with their pace, progress, and grades with accounts designed specifically for guardians in both Genius and Canvas. Genius provides a high-level view of student performance, while Canvas offers more granular insights into student learning.
A Guardian’s Guide to Genius
Genius offers guardians the ability to check in with their students’ learning simply and efficiently. Genius will display a student’s progress and current grade in a course right from the main dashboard. Plus, having an active Genius account will allow teachers, learning coaches, and other support personnel to effortlessly loop guardians in on key communications with students, where necessary.
Additional resources:
A Guardian’s Guide to Canvas
Canvas offers a much more in-depth understanding of student progress via observer accounts. This allows guardians to dive deeper into the learning content, even reviewing a student’s lessons and assessments. For guardians looking for that extra insight into their student’s learning, observer accounts can offer a wealth of information.
Additional resources:
- Signing up for an observer account
- Checking grades in Canvas
- Reviewing your student’s assignments in Canvas
- More guides from Canvas
Whether a Genius account, a Canvas observer account, or both is right for your family, our learning ecosystem ensures that your interactions with your student’s learning are accessible and organized in a simple, central location.