From the Management Team

It’s hard to believe that Term 3 is coming to a close and that it has been just eight weeks since we embarked on our journey with Canvas, our new Learning Management System. Staff have certainly embraced the system and have been role models with their own learning of something new. Of course, it is always an easier investment when we see a purpose to our learning; teachers are no exception to this rule.

How are you going as a Canvas user? 

As a parent of two children at Endeavour, I have noticed one major change. That is the quality of conversation I am having with my children about their learning as a result of using Canvas. Typically, the conversations I had with my children pre-Canvas would centre around how their day was, what they had been up to and how they were going. Let’s just say that my vague questions were met with vague answers. 

By using Canvas I have been able to have much deeper and more specific conversations. For example, I was able to see the cover page of my daughter’s English unit and we discussed the creepy image of the clown, the horror unit she was involved with and whether she was enjoying it. We have been able to chat about upcoming due dates and try to plan together a little more strategically how everything might fit around sport, other out of school activities, their social lives and home chores. I have been able to initiate a conversation about some positive written feedback from a teacher or some that suggests an area of growth. 

These conversations have been far clearer, more meaningful and ones that are more informed than previously. 

While we are not the perfect family and I am not a perfect user of Canvas by any stretch, I have been heartened both as a parent as well as an administrator at just what Canvas is bringing us from a feedback perspective. We are conscious that it has the potential to seem a bit Big Brotherish if used to monitor our children. It can easily be perceived as a way of watching over our children; however, used well, it is a wonderful feedback tool which has the power to enrich our conversations, deepen learning and empower our children to share with us their journey through school. 

I hope you too are enjoying the benefits of Canvas as a feedback tool and that you feel more informed than ever before of what learning looks like for your children. 

If you need any help logging in, don’t hesitate to call us on 8368 3311 or follow the help provided on the Parent Portal page located on our website. 

Peter Pearse 

Deputy Principal 

Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Proverbs 19:20