Canvas Certified Educator Program Launched to Help Educators Master Canvas

SALT LAKE CITY — October 14, 2020 — In connection with this week’s CanvasCon Online edtech event, Instructure announced its new Canvas Certified Educator program. This online certification program consists of a series of courses designed to strengthen knowledge and use of Canvas through hands-on experiences. Educational professionals can earn credentials to certify their mastery of skills that relate to using the Canvas platform.

Canvas Certified Educator combines deep working knowledge of Canvas with pedagogical best practices for online and blended learning that are aligned to learning outcomes and student success. Tracks for both K-12 and higher education are available with customized course content for each. The program will be fully online with courses completed asynchronously within an established date range. 

“Canvas Certified Educator is a direct response to requests from our customers the past few years,” said Melissa Loble, Chief Customer Experience Officer. “They want to have deeper knowledge of the platform and to have credentials and badges that certify their expertise with Canvas to facilitate professional development and career progression.”

Participants will receive a digital badge issued through Badgr from Instructure upon completion of each course, and a digital pathway badge upon completion of the full program. Instructure has partnered with Digital Promise to align the courses in this program to a Digital Promise micro-credential, with key learning takeaways that are backed by educational research and the opportunity to submit evidence created within the courses toward earning the micro-credential. Participants’ evidence will be reviewed by the Digital Promise team against a passing criteria/rubric, and when successfully earned, micro-credentials can then be shared by the participant for recognition by their institutions.

"Canvas Certified Educator has added breadth and depth to my knowledge of Canvas," said beta user Steve Hartnett, Director of Digital Teaching & Learning at Elizabeth Forward School District. "It is giving me practical insights that will be useful as I teach today, but the certification will be useful for future career opportunities as it illustrates my mastery of the platform."

Within each course, participants will experience first-hand the journey of moving through a learning progression. The arc of learning will provide frameworks, models, and instructional practices anchored in research to build awareness of what it takes to create responsive learning environments. 

Earning the program certification requires completion of four core courses and two elective courses taught in Canvas by the Canvas Learning Services team. Each course takes approximately four weeks to complete. They include:

• Core 1:  Foundational Frameworks - This course explores the impact of technology on student learning and the classroom and how Canvas can help educators improve student achievement, motivation, and engagement.
• Core 2: Engagement Strategies -  This course examines the ways that Canvas can help enrich teaching practices. By leveraging strategies that enhance engagement, motivate learners, and create a progression toward learning goals, educators can maximize their impact on student achievement.
• Core 3: Personalized Learning - This course investigates the power of personalized learning and the tools provided by Canvas to create opportunities for student voice and choice within the learning environment. Making the shift to a student-centered approach means thinking differently about the role of the learner from receiver of learning to active participant.
• Core 4: Transformational Practices - This course evaluates digital learning tools that enhance learning in Canvas as part of its dedication to open standards. 
• Electives: A series of optional K12 or HE courses can be selected by participants based on their interests and needs.

Canvas Certified Educator will launch its first cohort on November 9. Interested candidates can apply and register online. 

A livestream introduction to the program for interested users will be broadcast on Wednesday, October 21st at 10:30 am MT. Interested users can sign up now or join the day of using this link.