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Using Announcements Effectively - Opportunities and Challenges

Canvas announcements give teachers the ability not just to share information but to teach and connect with learners. In some cases, announcements are more effective than other forms of communication because they allow you to express yourself more clearly and visually. Canvas announcements also give your learners an opportunity to interact with you through a feature similar to online discussion boards in Canvas.

During the life of the Savior, there were times when He taught large audiences but still found a way to make His message clear by using stories and images everyone would have been familiar with. For example, after feeding 5,000 people, the Savior told the crowd that “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). This familiar image helped some that were present understand His message. During this same sermon, the crowd collectively asked Him questions, which He answered (see John 6:25, 28, 30). Using announcements in our online classes allows you to address the entire class while still recognizing individual thoughts from those that participate.

Opportunities

• Announcements can be shared with the entire class at once. Canvas will also send a notification to each learner that the teacher has posted an announcement.

• Posting an announcement is a relevant and visual way for an online teacher to appear present in the course.

• Announcements can include videos, pictures, and text. Use visual variety when creating announcements to better engage learners.

• Teachers can share information about the week’s reading assignments and offer words of encouragement and praise.

• Announcements can be made interactive, giving learners a place to respond to you and to each other.

Challenges

• Learners might ignore announcements because they are focused only on assignment due dates.

• Teachers might sometimes struggle to create announcements due to time constraints.

• Teachers might prefer to send messages to learners using email or the Canvas Inbox tool. Sending an announcement can feel redundant.

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Discuss with Your Supervisor

Take some time to go through the questions listed below. Prepare to discuss them with your local Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (S&I) supervisor.

• How have you used class announcements effectively?

• When are class announcements a good tool to use to communicate with learners?