A new way to embed content into Canvas

Previously on this blog, I wrote a post about How to embed content into Canvas in 3 easy steps.  Embedding content is a fantastic way to spruce up a content page, assignment, or announcement in Canvas by bringing in content from around the web and placing it in your class.  You can embed YouTube videos, presentations, or any of the tools that we showcase in our Technology Spotlight.  

In my previous post I explained that in 3 easy steps you can embed content, but I wanted to post an update and let you know that it is now even easier to embed content.  Canvas has an updated feature that allows you to embed without having to access the html editor (which, admittedly, can be quite intimidating to people who do not regularly come across html code).  Here are the modified steps:

Step 1: Grab the embed code

When you want to embed content from a source, you typically look for some sort of Share option.  Usually the Share option will have a popup or menu where you will find embed code.  The universal sign for embed code is:  </>

Look for that sign (or something similar) and copy the code provided.

Step 2: Paste your embed code

I made a promise to you.  I promised that it would not be easier to put your embed code into Canvas, and that you wouldn't have to mess with the html editor.  The trick to embedding content now is to place your cursor on the place where you want the embedded content to reside, then click Insert/edit media on the Rich Content Editor, and paste your code on the embed tab.  You will see a placeholder on the editing page, and when you save the page then your content will be embedded.  

Written by Dr. Sean Nufer, Director of Ed Tech for TCS Education System.

Technology Spotlight: Padlet

tl;dr - Padlet lets you curate and creatively present content for your online classroom

Padlet at a glance

The concept of a digital bulletin board is not new - if anything it has nearly become banal.  Pinterest seems to dominate the market on curating pinned items.  However, in my opinion Padlet is a much more flexible platform for academia and online learning.  It embeds very cleanly (Pinterest requires a great amount of workaround to embed into Canvas), there are many options for customizing your layout and presentation, and it works very well for collaborative projects.  

Padlet allows you to add files, images, links, videos, etc. to a board that you can share with your class.  You can determine if the board is public, private, password protected, etc.  You can add specific users to collaborate or let them add themselves, and you can choose various moderator and contributor roles and responsibilities.

How can I use Padlet in my class?

I have used Padlet a few times in my classes.  It is a great tool for students to curate their own content and organize their online resources.  I also have used it as a class introduction tool.  I gave my students instructions on how to create a Padlet account, upload materials, grab the embed code, and embed their padlets into discussion posts.  Students didn't just link to their padlets - they actually embedded them into the post.  This made the discussion interactive, engaging, personal, and incredibly fun. 

In a typical "Introduce Yourself" discussion, I might see one or two posts per students.  In a class of 15 students, if I see 50 posts then I am amazed at their level of engagement.  The first time I introduced Padlet as a platform for the discussion, the students absolutely loved it and the participation was off the chart.  I gathered 300+ responses that week just in the introduction discussion - a number I had never seen.  Here was my personal introduction board that I shared with the class:

I also created an assignment where students were to gather sources based on the chapters in the textbook we read that week.  Each student had a dedicated spot on the Padlet where they gathered and curated relevant YouTube videos, blog posts, news articles, prominent tweets, and of course scholarly journal articles.  By Friday that week we had a well-build Padlet board that we all contributed to (yes, I even gave myself a spot on the board where I did research alongside the students and helped contribute to the class project), and their assignment over the weekend was to write a reflection paper based on our class Padlet board.  

Here is what I like best about Padlet

Padlet is incredibly interactive and there are so many possibilities to create collaborative assignments for the students.  I even embedded Padlet right into Canvas, so the students didn't have to go out to another platform to interact with it.  If I made a change on the website then it automatically changed the Padlet in Canvas, and vice versa.  I can't overemphasize how easy it is to embed - it can embed anywhere in Canvas where you have an HTML editor: announcements, assignment pages, discussion boards, content pages, etc.  The Padlet interface is intuitive and robust and it is easy to give access to the students.  Padlet works on any browser and on mobile, and even has apps for smartphones and tablets so you can build on the fly!

Here is what I dislike about Padlet

This is one of the rare platforms where I actually don't have a lot to criticize.  It is a free tool, but there are premium options available to allow branding, analytics, and tech support.  My only complaint is that I wish the embed code was less intimidating, perhaps using an <iframe> instead of a convoluted <div>.  But it's easy to figure out (reach out to me if you need help embedding).  

My recommendations

There are many applications for Padlet.  In addition to my examples as a class introduction tool and group project platform, you can:

• use Padlet to build a community where students can share thought-provoking and interesting resources with each other
• establish a virtual community or commons areas
• use it as a tool for a professor to share content with the students
• create a platform for experienced students to mentor new student
• create an "idea bin" that students can contribute to throughout the term
• establish a board that students can refer to during academic break
• create challenge assignments where students build their own boards and then have a show-and-tell where they all come together
• assigns groups to cover different themes of a topic
• use this platform for book reports
• brainstorm topics - individually, as groups, or as a class
• have students use the platform as a journal or notebook - collecting images, ideas, videos, blog posts, online resources, etc.

In short, Padlet is a fantastic platform for collaborating on projects, organizing and editing content, and sharing sources in a fun, interactive, and easy setting that integrates into Canvas.

Written by Dr. Sean Nufer, Director of Ed Tech for TCS Education System.

How to embed content into Canvas in 3 easy steps

There is a vast world of awesome ed tech platforms that reside outside of our online learning environment - Canvas.  It is possible to use these platforms and then link out to them within Canvas, but today we are going to talk about another (much better) approach: embedding content into Canvas.  

Embedding is using HTML code to allow you to place an online element right onto your course page. If you have embed code from VoiceThread, ThingLink, Padlet, YouTube, or any number of other online resources, then you can place those right in your LMS.  This process may sound a little complicated at first, but with just a little practice you will become confident and awesome.  

Step 1: Copy the embed code

On the platform page you wish to embed, search for an Embed option.  Often you can find this if you search for a Share link.  Find and copy the embed code that they provide.  Often this will begin with the code: <iframe…  Sometimes there is an embed option right on the page, other times you have to look for the Share button and then find the embed code.  But most platforms today make it fairly straightforward and easy to find the embed code.

Step 2: Paste your code

Once you have your embed code copied, go to the page in the LMS where you want to place it. Make sure that you switch your page to HTML view.  Paste the code where you want the interaction.

In the example above, I am pasting the Padlet embed code right into a discussion post on a Canvas discussion.  I can also paste that code into the discussion instructions, and announcement, a content page, an assignment...anywhere in Canvas where I can access the HTML editor.  

Step 3: Publish or save your page

Once your code is copied and pasted, it should be ready to go live.  To see this process in more detail, feel free to review the webinar: http://bit.ly/2A6PX3q

That's really all you need to do to embed content within Canvas.  It literally is as easy as 1, 2, 3.  

Tip: How to place embed code onto a page that already has content.

The HTML editor can look intimidating if you already have a lot of content on your page.  One trick that you can do is find exactly where you want to place your embedded content on the Rich Content Editor, and then hit enter a few times to clear some space, and finally type out some characters that would really stand out when you go into the HTML editor.  I typically type out a line of A's:  AAAAAAAAAAA

Written by Dr. Sean Nufer, Director of Ed Tech for TCS Education System.