Robust resources, fewer points of failure are hallmarks of powerful integration.

Recently, Walch Mathematics announced a new one-click integration between the Curriculum Engine, its turnkey platform for in-classroom and remote math education, and Google Classroom.

To make it possible for even more educators to facilitate distance learning, the Curriculum Engine also features deep integration with Instructure’s Canvas LMS. Canvas is a scalable cloud-based learning management system (LMS) used by educational institutions of all sizes and types, from kindergarten classrooms to large universities. It is the most widely used LMS and leads the market among larger school districts. With this powerful integration, districts using Canvas can be confident that teachers have what they need to support effective math instruction both in person and remotely.

While many school districts today use Canvas to facilitate the distribution of resources and assessments, it is largely a tool built for administrators, not educators. Curriculum Engine’s integration with Canvas finally provides benefits to middle and high school math educators that help them do what they do best—teach.

Features of the integration include:

• Embedded Resources: The Curriculum Engine can be flexibly deployed to meet a district’s needs. In addition to LTI integrations and (upcoming) Common Cartridge exports, district-tailored resources can be natively housed in Canvas, maximizing their ability and educators’ access.
• Greater Control: Educators using Canvas can build their own assessments and worksheets using Curriculum Engine’s tools, or utilize Walch’s prebuilt online bank of assessments and worksheets, both formative and summative, all within the context of their state standards.
• More Reliable Technology: Canvas features 99.9% system uptime. But as any mathematician knows, as soon as you link multiple independent systems together, even if they each are reasonably reliable on their own, the odds of system outages increase dramatically. By natively housing resources on Canvas, we minimize such risks.
• Improved Equity and Access: Educators can selectively print out resources and physically provide them to students who don’t have reliable web access.

These features combine to form a benefit that Al Noyes, Walch’s president, refers to as “fewer points of failure.”

“When you rely on multiple systems, like an outgoing link from Canvas to an online math resource from a larger publisher, you have multiple points of potential failure. When you are 100% dependent on technology, the risks increase exponentially,” Noyes said. “By providing Walch’s resources in the Canvas platform and giving teachers the ability to physically print things like worksheets and assessments, there’s more redundancy and assurance. By reducing points of failure, educators can better support their students.”

He said that while many educators will benefit from the Curriculum Engine’s integration with Canvas, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. That’s why the Curriculum Engine’s integration with Google Classroom continues to be an attractive choice and, in some cases, a better fit for educators.

“Canvas is often a district-wide decision driven by tech folks, and it’s not necessarily something that curriculum leaders and teachers choose,” said Noyes. “Google Classroom is free. It’s less complex and easier to use. And many educators have relied on it as the quickest solution for new COVID-driven hybrid learning challenges. But both Canvas and Google Classroom alone fall short when it comes to equipping educators with what they need to facilitate teaching and learning and close gaps. That’s why Walch strives to make itself available on the range of platforms that teachers use. The Curriculum Engine platform and its resources can turn any LMS into an effective tool that saves educators time and helps them be their best.”

About the Curriculum Engine

Curriculum Engine, Walch Mathematics’ turnkey platform for in-classroom and remote math education, empowers educators to focus on what they do best: teach. It combines over 10,000 ready-to-use instructional objects, math curriculums aligned to state standards, and an online teaching platform with a simple student interface to support distance learning. It provides everything educators need to develop and deliver math courses online, all in one package and with minimal setup.

For more information about Curriculum Engine, visit this page or request a live demo here.