Tips for Using Canvas

For those of you using Canvas for the first time this semester, here are some tips to make it a little easier for you (keep in mind that these are just the basics to get you started).

Canvas can be accessed in the menu bar on the left side of the Single Sign-on screen (https://my.terra.edu/sso.asp).  The username and password to log in are the same as your regular Terra username and password (for Angel, etc.).

The Dashboard is the first thing you will see when you log into Canvas. The Dashboard helps you see
what is happening in all your courses; here, you will find recent messages, recently updated grades, and the like. 
To access your course, you can find it under the "Courses" tab near the top of the screen.  Once a particular course is opened, navigation is pretty easy. 
You can find files (i.e., Powerpoint presentations, the course syllabus, handouts) under the "Files" tab along the left side of the screen. After you open a file for preview (by clicking it), you are able to download it by clicking "Download" just to the right of the "Scribd" logo just about the preview.
If you click on "Grades" in that same left toolbar, you can view your grades (you can also do this by clicking "Grades" in the top toolbar).  Once your grades are open, you can view the scoring details by clicking the checkmark icon.  This will give you the class's highest and lowest scores on a particular assignment. 
To view your messages (or Conversations, as Canvas calls them), click "Inbox" at the top of the screen.  The messages with the blue dot next to them are your unread messages.  To send a new message, click the pencil and paper icon and simply start typing the name of the person you want to contact in the "To:" box, just like any email/messaging system.

If you get stuck or want further information, the "Help" button is just to the right of the center at the top of the screen.  There is a wealth of information in the Help guides, including a 663-page Student Manual (which can be found at http://guides.instructure.com/m/4212/pdf), complete with lots of pictures and step-by-step instructions on how to do pretty much everything you could possibly think of within Canvas.

Hope this helps!