Christa Polzin
Created Jun 01, 2023Navigating Canvas for Students
Dashboard
The Dashboard is the landing page for Canvas.
The Dashboard may look slightly different for each student based on personalized settings.
You will only see courses where you are enrolled in the course and the teacher has published.

Canvas Navigation Menu
The Dashboard is the landing page for Canvas.
The buttons on the left side of the screen are used to Navigate Canvas outside of the individual courses.
The Dashboard may look slightly different for each student based on personalized settings.

Options on the right of the Dashboard screen
To Do: A list of assignments with due dates will show up here. Not all content that you need to access may show up here. Use the To Do list for reminders, but always refer to where the teacher posts assignments in the modules.
Recent Feedback: If a teacher grades or leaves a comment on an assignment, you will see a notification in this section. Click on the title of the assignment to view the feedback.
Note: These options might switch to the bottom of the page if a person is zoomed into the browser.

View Grades Button on the Dashboard
The View Grades button will take you directly to a page that will include a list of all the courses that are currently active and show the overall grade for each one if it is available. You can then navigate to the courses from that page.

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Accessing a Canvas Course
Click on a Course to open
Selecting the course will open the specific Canvas course.

Course Home page & Course Navigation Menu
When a course opens, you will see the Home page with information about the course and a course Navigation Menu. To navigate around the course, use any quick links provided on the homepage along with the course navigation menu.

Course Home Menu
On the right (or at the bottom of the page if zoomed in), you will see the To Do List for the course, any groups that you have been assigned to in Canvas, and Recent Feedback. You will also view buttons that links you to the Course Stream that shows recent activity, Course Calendar, and Notification Settings for the course.

Click on Modules to access assignments, resources, and materials.

Courses in the navigation allows you to find a list of current, future, and past courses.
Why might you use this button?
If you are missing a course from your dashboard
If you are personalizing your dashboard to favorite (star) or unfavorite courses.
If you are needing to view course content from a previous term

Find the Module
Note: Select the small arrow next to the module name to collapse or show the content connected to the module.
Select Dashboard to return to the main landing page.

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Courses
Select All Courses
You will see a list of several courses, scroll down and find the link "All Courses"

All Courses Page
Courses will be listed by
currently enrolled courses
past enrollments
future enrollments
Any courses with a filled in star will show on the main Canvas Dashboard. If all courses only include an outline of a star, then all of the courses will show on the Dashboard.

Click on Dashboard to return to the main page

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Calendar
In the Canvas Navigation, click on Calendar

Calendars List
Each of your courses include a Calendar and you have your own personal Canvas calendar.
If the box next to the title is filled with a color, then the calendar is showing. You will only see events or assignments listed on the calendar if there is a specific date listed.
The default view is Month.

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Inbox
Inbox (Canvas email)
Select the Inbox icon in Canvas to view and send email related to your courses.
If there is a number displaying on the inbox icon, it indicates that you have unread messages.

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History
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Help
Click on the Help tray icon
The Help button in Canvas will take you to a direct link to the Canvas Guides created for Students by the Edmonds School District Digital Learning and Libraries Department, Canvas Guides from Instructure, and an option to Ask Your Instructor (Teacher) a question about a course.
