Lesson 3: Basics of Using Canvas
- Due No due date
- Points 5
- Questions 5
- Time Limit None
Instructions
This lesson will cover some of the basics of using the WriteAtHome/Canvas platform.
Fixing Technical Issues
Your Browser
A browser is a software application that allows you to view pages on the internet. You are using one now to read this page. There are several popular browsers that Canvas supports including Safari, Firefox, Edge, and Chrome. Most of our users have found that Chrome works best, so we recommend using Chrome. If the browser you are using is working well, however, keep using it! If, on the other hand, you run into problems—slow loading, links that don't work, or other glitches that you don't understand, the first thing to try is switching your browser. If that doesn't work, check for security software.
Security Software
In rare situations, software designed to protect your computer from viruses or spam can interfere with some Canvas functionality. If you have antivirus software or ad blockers and you experience unexpected problems, try disabling them or adjusting the security level.
Be sure to white list all email coming from WriteAtHome. Some spam filters will send your WriteAtHome email to spam folders. Check your email program to make sure they won't block emails from us. We don't send them that often, but when we do it's important.
Inbox
If you need to contact your coach, you can message him or her using the Canvas Inbox tool. You can access this on the teal tool bar on the left side of your screen (see Lesson 2). Your coaches are here to support and help you, so don't hesitate to reach out to them. Watch the short video below to get a better look at how your inbox works.
Lessons and Quizzes
The course syllabus is where you will find your lessons and quizzes. You can get to it from your course home page. The first link contains your lesson and quiz for the week. Click that first, read your lesson, and take your short quiz.
The second link leads to your weekly writing assignment. From here, you can also submit your assignment when you are ready to turn it in. Remember not to turn in any assignments until you are completely ready.
Grades
You can access your grades several ways. The grades tab is on the right side of the page when you are viewing your dashboard and on the left side of the page when viewing your course homepage.
By clicking on the GRADES tab in either of those places, you can view and print your grades, see the details for each assignment, access coach's comments, and view scoring rubrics.