The COVID-19 pandemic brought struggles and conflicts that forced students to change their ways of learning. As the Issaquah School District schools closed and transitioned into online learning, the use of technology has increased. Even after the end of online school, Liberty continues to see new devices and programs being implemented across all subjects.

Canvas is one of many programs implemented into Liberty’s learning environment. Dr. Erin Stephens, Liberty’s Tech Lead, is responsible for making Canvas convenient for everyone.

“I do a lot of helping with Canvas and trying to encourage teachers to use Canvas in new ways and ways that I think would be fun for student learning,” Stephens said. “Canvas also improves efficiency and gets students collaborating together.”

The implementation of Canvas brought new ways for students to access online resources and to collaborate together in labs and projects. 

“Now that everybody has a computer, it just really streamlines the collaboration,” Stephens said. “When you use groups in Canvas, it makes a space like a classroom where students can collaborate. When you work with other people, you can produce a better product compared to working individually.”

As many teachers are transitioning to digital tests and quizzes, concerns of maintaining students’ academic integrity are increasing. To combat this, screen monitoring programs have been implemented to monitor students’ activity online. 

“The monitoring software allows teachers to give Canvas tests knowing that their students aren’t out looking up answers on the internet,” Stephens said. “Using monitoring software to monitor what students are doing when their laptop is open is really good.”

Liberty continues to see new technology roll in and improvements made to technology already in use. As programs like Canvas smoothen online learning, students and teachers alike are excited to see what new technology can bring in the future.