ParentVUE, Synergy, My MCPS Classroom, Canvas…Are there shortcuts?

[Anonymous]

Teachers hate Synergy and Canvas. Parents hate Synergy and Canvas. My child struggles with navigating the two platforms to find what he needs to know so he is not loving them either. The glitches - thanks to PPs for posting - yep my son has been seeing those as well. It’s hard to know when a child is struggling if a grade goes in as a 4/10 but is actually a 10/10.

Did MCPS get stakeholder input including teachers, parents and students before buying Synergy and Canvas? How long is MCPS locked in with this broken combination of software?

The only people praising Synergy are MCPS administrators who try to spin that parents and students should ignore Canvas because that is not the official grade book. Are they aware of what teachers and families are working with?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is the link to save in your browser:

https://md-mcps-psv.edupoint.com/

This will get you to the ParentVue web interface. From the menu, choose Parent Resources, then myMCPS Classroom.

THANK YOU!! I have 2 HS students (one of whom just graduated) and have never been able to figure out how to get to Canvas. BLESS YOU!! I guess you can tell I don't log in very much but it is great to know how to do so. Much appreciated!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even the way they have multiple names for the same platform irritates me.

Well, that's not their fault. Synergy and Canvas are brand-name s for the platforms that are purchased by many school districts across the country. MyMCPS is the MCPS customization of the Canvas platform, and Parentvue is the MCPS customization of the Synergy platform. That one's really not that hard to grasp.

The problem seems to be that: !) canvas is pretty old and limited technology and doesn't play well with newer platforms including google and studysynch, etc. and 2) Synergy is the new shiny product they bought a couple of years ago that was supposed to integrate everything well, but in fact it's a crap product that doesn't do what was hoped and requires a lot of manual fixes.

They made some customizations. Good for them. Just call them Canvas and Synergy.

They might not be allowed to, under the terms of the use agreement. If dozens or hundreds of school systems across the country are using the same platforms, the providers may well require them to use a district-specific name. Anyway, this strikes me as really the LEAST of the problems. It takes 5 seconds to learn that "Kleenex"="facial tissue". The integration across the various platforms is the real problem, as well as smaller problems like there is not an easy way for the system to reflect an auto-grade versus a real grade. (For example -- for those who have not already encountered the auto-grade problem --- Canvass will automatically grade multiple choice questions, but will mark other types of questions as zero, until the teacher does it manually. So it may appear that your child has a 4/10 on a test, when in fact the child got 4/4 multiple choice questions correct, and the other 6 questions are waiting for the teacher to grade them. You can *usually* see this by clicking on the link and opening the test itself, but it may not be open for viewing if not all children have taken the test.) I think the integration problem became significantly worse with the pandemic because the teachers and MCPS were coming up with a lot of online alternatives (like the music classes with the online submissions) on the fly. However, the fact that Canvas and Synergy do not play well together does not appear to be a pandemic problem, but rather a problem in either selecting Synergy or in how they customized it.

I think a lot of the frustrated people posting must have 6th graders. Last year I had a 6th grader and 9th grader and spent about an hour a day, initially, trying to figure this all out and track it. I eventually had to go down to just checking in once a week, because I have other things in my life. Thankfully, the teachers were mostly pretty forgiving about deadlines and confusion with the various platforms last year. If your kid has an IEP, I think they are trying to give assistance on this stuff in the resource classes. In theory, they should do it for 504 kids as well, but I don't think they do.

This is a HUGE problem. I've learned over time to ask questions or be circumspect when I see a new grade that is different from how the kid thought they did on a test. But my husband would go CRAZY if he saw a 4/10 and wouldn't believe the kid who said it was a computer glitch. (So I've convinced him not to sign up for Parentvue and leave these things to me). The system needs to either hide or clearly mark these grades until they are final or a lot of kids face parents' wrath undeservedly.

Yeah, I ended up with a huge fight with my spouse last week. He wanted me to show him how to check the kids' assignments and I tried to walk him through all the steps, and he kept getting mad about things he thought the kids hadn't done, and I kept trying to explain that you couldn't draw that conclusion just from the computer, and you had to check in a few places and then talk with the kid....he was super frustrated and though I was explaining it poorly, or rationalizing the kids' not doing their work or something. I was like "WTF do you think I was spending all that time on all last year and did you not listen to me the three thousand times I complained about it???" He decided we should all complain to our elected reps and I was like "You do that. Let me know when they've got it fixed." The truth is that MCPS is not getting the best of the best in tech support -- but even the top companies are having trouble getting good tech support at this point. Demand > Supply.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for all the replies. I got the Canvas app so I can see the To Do list and don’t have to go through ParentVUE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for all the replies. I got the Canvas app so I can see the To Do list and don’t have to go through ParentVUE.

Yes that is the best way to access. You can turn on notifications and it will alert you when an assignment is created and when it is graded.

[Anonymous]

How do you limit the notifications that come in email? I get notifications each time a grade is enter, changed or an assignment updated. The emails don't share the actual information and are clogging up my inbox. I'd rather just login once a week, check on assignments and be done with it.

I also can't see the teacher comments on assignments unless I login with my son on his chromebook. very annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for all the replies. I got the Canvas app so I can see the To Do list and don’t have to go through ParentVUE.

Yes that is the best way to access. You can turn on notifications and it will alert you when an assignment is created and when it is graded.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Ultimately, students need a clear and concise way to monitor what are the assignments in each class, when are they due, what is the weight of the assignments, and what was the actual performance on assignments (different than the MCPS report card grade). Students need the constant and current feedback so they can learn from mistakes and improve.

The fact that MCPS has two confusing platforms in which there is no consistent setup is another example of how student needs are not part of the decision making process. “Students first” is just propaganda jargon from Central Office with no action in reality.

[Anonymous]

new to MCPS - this canvas etc system is so confusing to me. I don't understand it at all and no-one has told me how it works. I had to ask a few times before our school principal sent me some kind of explanation.

Can you guys enlighten me please?
So who uses Canvas? Is it the teacher and the kids? What are parents supposed to do? I can only log into my kids' chrome books with their passwords, and I do not know what those are. I know how to use Parentvue; I don't know what Synergy is though....I feel so dumb, even though at work we use all different kind of platforms and technologies....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:new to MCPS - this canvas etc system is so confusing to me. I don't understand it at all and no-one has told me how it works. I had to ask a few times before our school principal sent me some kind of explanation.

Can you guys enlighten me please?
So who uses Canvas? Is it the teacher and the kids? What are parents supposed to do? I can only log into my kids' chrome books with their passwords, and I do not know what those are. I know how to use Parentvue; I don't know what Synergy is though....I feel so dumb, even though at work we use all different kind of platforms and technologies....

Synergy is the name of the student information system. It has three interfaces, for different types of users: StudentVue, ParentVue, and TeacherVue. These "vues" can be accessed either via a web site or an app. This is where final grades are entered, plus attendance records, course history, graduation requirements, SSL hours, etc.

Canvas is the name of the course management system. MCPS has branded their version as myMCPS Classroom. It has the content of each class. Teachers will post assignments, syllabi, contact info, etc on their class pages. Parents are added to Canvas classes as observers, so when a parent logs in, they are seeing slightly different things than when a student enrolled in the class logs in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:new to MCPS - this canvas etc system is so confusing to me. I don't understand it at all and no-one has told me how it works. I had to ask a few times before our school principal sent me some kind of explanation.

Can you guys enlighten me please?
So who uses Canvas? Is it the teacher and the kids? What are parents supposed to do? I can only log into my kids' chrome books with their passwords, and I do not know what those are. I know how to use Parentvue; I don't know what Synergy is though....I feel so dumb, even though at work we use all different kind of platforms and technologies....

Synergy is the name of the student information system. It has three interfaces, for different types of users: StudentVue, ParentVue, and TeacherVue. These "vues" can be accessed either via a web site or an app. This is where final grades are entered, plus attendance records, course history, graduation requirements, SSL hours, etc.

Canvas is the name of the course management system. MCPS has branded their version as myMCPS Classroom. It has the content of each class. Teachers will post assignments, syllabi, contact info, etc on their class pages. Parents are added to Canvas classes as observers, so when a parent logs in, they are seeing slightly different things than when a student enrolled in the class logs in.

DP. That’s a great explanation. It should be a sticky note in this forum. PP, get your kids’ logins and passwords if you want to see everything in Canvas (MyMCPS Classroom).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:new to MCPS - this canvas etc system is so confusing to me. I don't understand it at all and no-one has told me how it works. I had to ask a few times before our school principal sent me some kind of explanation.

Can you guys enlighten me please?
So who uses Canvas? Is it the teacher and the kids? What are parents supposed to do? I can only log into my kids' chrome books with their passwords, and I do not know what those are. I know how to use Parentvue; I don't know what Synergy is though....I feel so dumb, even though at work we use all different kind of platforms and technologies....

Synergy is the name of the student information system. It has three interfaces, for different types of users: StudentVue, ParentVue, and TeacherVue. These "vues" can be accessed either via a web site or an app. This is where final grades are entered, plus attendance records, course history, graduation requirements, SSL hours, etc.

Canvas is the name of the course management system. MCPS has branded their version as myMCPS Classroom. It has the content of each class. Teachers will post assignments, syllabi, contact info, etc on their class pages. Parents are added to Canvas classes as observers, so when a parent logs in, they are seeing slightly different things than when a student enrolled in the class logs in.

DP. That’s a great explanation. It should be a sticky note in this forum. PP, get your kids’ logins and passwords if you want to see everything in Canvas (MyMCPS Classroom).

PP here - thank you both PPs - wow, why would our school not explain this as well as you did?! I asked them multiple times and there was zero explanation. Thanks so much!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:new to MCPS - this canvas etc system is so confusing to me. I don't understand it at all and no-one has told me how it works. I had to ask a few times before our school principal sent me some kind of explanation.

Can you guys enlighten me please?
So who uses Canvas? Is it the teacher and the kids? What are parents supposed to do? I can only log into my kids' chrome books with their passwords, and I do not know what those are. I know how to use Parentvue; I don't know what Synergy is though....I feel so dumb, even though at work we use all different kind of platforms and technologies....

Synergy is the name of the student information system. It has three interfaces, for different types of users: StudentVue, ParentVue, and TeacherVue. These "vues" can be accessed either via a web site or an app. This is where final grades are entered, plus attendance records, course history, graduation requirements, SSL hours, etc.

Canvas is the name of the course management system. MCPS has branded their version as myMCPS Classroom. It has the content of each class. Teachers will post assignments, syllabi, contact info, etc on their class pages. Parents are added to Canvas classes as observers, so when a parent logs in, they are seeing slightly different things than when a student enrolled in the class logs in.

DP. That’s a great explanation. It should be a sticky note in this forum. PP, get your kids’ logins and passwords if you want to see everything in Canvas (MyMCPS Classroom).

PP here - thank you both PPs - wow, why would our school not explain this as well as you did?! I asked them multiple times and there was zero explanation. Thanks so much!!!

The same reason geeks can't explain tech or mechanics can't explain driving. They're too deep in the weeds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:new to MCPS - this canvas etc system is so confusing to me. I don't understand it at all and no-one has told me how it works. I had to ask a few times before our school principal sent me some kind of explanation.

Can you guys enlighten me please?
So who uses Canvas? Is it the teacher and the kids? What are parents supposed to do? I can only log into my kids' chrome books with their passwords, and I do not know what those are. I know how to use Parentvue; I don't know what Synergy is though....I feel so dumb, even though at work we use all different kind of platforms and technologies....

Synergy is the name of the student information system. It has three interfaces, for different types of users: StudentVue, ParentVue, and TeacherVue. These "vues" can be accessed either via a web site or an app. This is where final grades are entered, plus attendance records, course history, graduation requirements, SSL hours, etc.

Canvas is the name of the course management system. MCPS has branded their version as myMCPS Classroom. It has the content of each class. Teachers will post assignments, syllabi, contact info, etc on their class pages. Parents are added to Canvas classes as observers, so when a parent logs in, they are seeing slightly different things than when a student enrolled in the class logs in.

DP. That’s a great explanation. It should be a sticky note in this forum. PP, get your kids’ logins and passwords if you want to see everything in Canvas (MyMCPS Classroom).

PP here - thank you both PPs - wow, why would our school not explain this as well as you did?! I asked them multiple times and there was zero explanation. Thanks so much!!!

The same reason geeks can't explain tech or mechanics can't explain driving. They're too deep in the weeds.

There’s a lie in the PP’s explanation. The verbiage and the omission makes me think PP is an MCPS administrator, my guess, someone in Central Office.

All parents - realize EVERYTHING in Canvas is an educational record. You have a right to inspect the Canvas record regardless if MCPS gives you login access to everything in Canvas or not.

Synergy is the official grade book. However, most teachers post a child’s original grade in Canvas. Most teachers hide their Canvas grade book, but if you ask to see it, your school has a legal obligation to show you the Canvas record. Tell your Principal that you are making a FERPA request for the information.

By comparing the Canvas to the Synergy grade book, you will see discrepancies that are hidden by just looking at Synergy alone. Students receive 100% for completion in Synergy but the true performance is in Canvas. Same for missing assignments. Ttt he e default grade is 50% in Canvas.

The use of Synergy is smoke and mirrors to hide the grade inflation. That’s why Canvas grade books are hidden from parents and why students have access to information that parents can’t see. MCPS wants you to think that you have information but it’s worth while asking for your child’s Canvas grade book data. It take a school staff member about 10 seconds to pull it up.

[Anonymous]

^ lie of omission