Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is new this year to MCPS middle school and he’s struggling lately with missed assignments. He says he’s having a hard time compared to his prior school because there are several platforms (Canvas, StudentVue, plus one teacher uses a Google doc with links to presentations/assignments, another teacher uses Google Classroom) and when he goes to the MCPS dashboard it says he has no missing assignments but it’s not always drawing information from the different platforms and sometimes it’s not updated.

Any tips that could help my kid? Would it be too much to ask the guidance counselor for advice to help my kid? I don’t want to be a pain, but my kid is really feeling discouraged.

I have a background in Human Factors. The number of different systems and platforms required to be a student in MCPS is vulgar. Technology has become a hurdle to learning instead of a support- especially for kids with ADHD.

You should ask that he have a central assignment list updated daily by his teachers.

I agree with the Human Factors expert. I have some background in web design market research.

My kid had three problems with Canvas.

1) Teacher comments showed up randomly through the semester when the teachers had time for grading papers. A comment was indicated on the assignment list by presence of a " (quote character) in about 7 point font in the Canvas interface. He missed the teacher's feedback several times because of this and lost points. These " symbols were so small they were barely noticeable.

2) Uploading the wrong document. Kids (my son included) had trouble with the default upload folders from their school Chromebooks. And also made mistakes with file versions. Mainly reuploading original files with blanks rather than completed work. With teachers commonly grading at the end of the grading period a couple times file loading mistakes cost my kid a grade (A- went to B+). This also tied into the 7 point font " symbol issue above.

3) If there are assignment and grading issues with the portal, it's hard to capture and display and describe to the teacher. Miscommunication about the nature and meaning of graded and ungraded items in the portal were common.

TL; DR Canvas creates logistical messes due to poor user interface design.

Are you in MCPS? There are no +/- grades here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is new this year to MCPS middle school and he’s struggling lately with missed assignments. He says he’s having a hard time compared to his prior school because there are several platforms (Canvas, StudentVue, plus one teacher uses a Google doc with links to presentations/assignments, another teacher uses Google Classroom) and when he goes to the MCPS dashboard it says he has no missing assignments but it’s not always drawing information from the different platforms and sometimes it’s not updated.

Any tips that could help my kid? Would it be too much to ask the guidance counselor for advice to help my kid? I don’t want to be a pain, but my kid is really feeling discouraged.

MCPS teachers are not allowed to use Google Classroom in MCPS anymore.

StudentVue and Google Docs are both accessible from Canvas. He will pick it up quickly, I promise, even the elementary Students use Google docs.

He won't. Just when he picks up how one teacher is adding assignments, the semester will change and he will have to learn another method. And each teacher will have their own special place to put assignments. Some will have a link called Assignments. Others will call it something else. Some will even make you go to their unique home page and then get to a calendar , requiring 3 clicks. Sometimes the calendar will have links to the assignments. Sometimes they won't.

It's a nightmare.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is new this year to MCPS middle school and he’s struggling lately with missed assignments. He says he’s having a hard time compared to his prior school because there are several platforms (Canvas, StudentVue, plus one teacher uses a Google doc with links to presentations/assignments, another teacher uses Google Classroom) and when he goes to the MCPS dashboard it says he has no missing assignments but it’s not always drawing information from the different platforms and sometimes it’s not updated.

Any tips that could help my kid? Would it be too much to ask the guidance counselor for advice to help my kid? I don’t want to be a pain, but my kid is really feeling discouraged.

MCPS teachers are not allowed to use Google Classroom in MCPS anymore.

StudentVue and Google Docs are both accessible from Canvas. He will pick it up quickly, I promise, even the elementary Students use Google docs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is new this year to MCPS middle school and he’s struggling lately with missed assignments. He says he’s having a hard time compared to his prior school because there are several platforms (Canvas, StudentVue, plus one teacher uses a Google doc with links to presentations/assignments, another teacher uses Google Classroom) and when he goes to the MCPS dashboard it says he has no missing assignments but it’s not always drawing information from the different platforms and sometimes it’s not updated.

Any tips that could help my kid? Would it be too much to ask the guidance counselor for advice to help my kid? I don’t want to be a pain, but my kid is really feeling discouraged.

I have a background in Human Factors. The number of different systems and platforms required to be a student in MCPS is vulgar. Technology has become a hurdle to learning instead of a support- especially for kids with ADHD.

You should ask that he have a central assignment list updated daily by his teachers.

I agree with the Human Factors expert. I have some background in web design market research.

My kid had three problems with Canvas.

1) Teacher comments showed up randomly through the semester when the teachers had time for grading papers. A comment was indicated on the assignment list by presence of a " (quote character) in about 7 point font in the Canvas interface. He missed the teacher's feedback several times because of this and lost points. These " symbols were so small they were barely noticeable.

2) Uploading the wrong document. Kids (my son included) had trouble with the default upload folders from their school Chromebooks. And also made mistakes with file versions. Mainly reuploading original files with blanks rather than completed work. With teachers commonly grading at the end of the grading period a couple times file loading mistakes cost my kid a grade (A- went to B+). This also tied into the 7 point font " symbol issue above.

3) If there are assignment and grading issues with the portal, it's hard to capture and display and describe to the teacher. Miscommunication about the nature and meaning of graded and ungraded items in the portal were common.

TL; DR Canvas creates logistical messes due to poor user interface design.

Anonymous wrote:I understand MCPS is huge, but is it really that difficult to standardize on one platform, given proper planning and a generous schedule?

Anonymous wrote:I understand MCPS is huge, but is it really that difficult to standardize on one platform, given proper planning and a generous schedule?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is new this year to MCPS middle school and he’s struggling lately with missed assignments. He says he’s having a hard time compared to his prior school because there are several platforms (Canvas, StudentVue, plus one teacher uses a Google doc with links to presentations/assignments, another teacher uses Google Classroom) and when he goes to the MCPS dashboard it says he has no missing assignments but it’s not always drawing information from the different platforms and sometimes it’s not updated.

Any tips that could help my kid? Would it be too much to ask the guidance counselor for advice to help my kid? I don’t want to be a pain, but my kid is really feeling discouraged.

I have a background in Human Factors. The number of different systems and platforms required to be a student in MCPS is vulgar. Technology has become a hurdle to learning instead of a support- especially for kids with ADHD.

You should ask that he have a central assignment list updated daily by his teachers.

Anonymous wrote:The platforms are incredibly difficult to use. Your child doesn’t have a disability if they’re having difficulty with them. Contact central office and tell them to stop using cheap vendors. You’ll be directed to “contact your local school for support” but at least maybe your voice will resonate a little.

Anonymous wrote:The platforms are incredibly difficult to use. Your child doesn’t have a disability if they’re having difficulty with them. Contact central office and tell them to stop using cheap vendors. You’ll be directed to “contact your local school for support” but at least maybe your voice will resonate a little.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember when MCPS emailed everyone and instructed them to stop using Google Classroom. It has been years, now. The teacher should not be using that platform, clearly.

You're being pedantic. It doesn't matter if it's google classroom or not. The number of different systems that kids have to navigate is outrageous- so much so that technology is a barrier to education as it stands now.
It's bad enough for all students but an absolute detriment to students with organization problems

Anonymous wrote:I remember when MCPS emailed everyone and instructed them to stop using Google Classroom. It has been years, now. The teacher should not be using that platform, clearly.