Canvas provides an integrated system for class discussions, allowing both instructors and students to start and contribute to as many discussion topics as desired. Discussions allow for interactive communication between two or more people; users can participate in a conversation with an entire class or group.
Discussions can also be created as an assignment for grading purposes (and seamlessly integrated with the Canvas Gradebook), or simply serve as a forum for topical and current events. Discussions can also be created within student groups.
Discussion topics can be organized as focused or threaded discussions. Focused discussions only allow for two levels of nesting, the original post, and subsequent replies. Threaded discussions allow for infinite levels of nesting. Focused discussions are relatively short-lived interactions, while threaded discussions allow replies within replies and may last for a longer period of time.
What are Discussions? (Canvas Community)
All courses should be available on your Canvas Dashboard, which is the first think you will see when you log into Canvas. If you cannot see a course, click "Courses" from the Global Navigation Menu, and choose "All Courses" to see previous and current courses.
In order for students to interact with your course, you must publish the course. You can do this by clicking the "Publish" button located under "Course Status" on the home page for the course.
You also have the option to publish or unpublish individual modules and pages in Canvas. Note that even if a page is published, if it is in an unpublished module, students will not be able to access it.
How do I use the Dashboard as an instructor? (Canvas Community)
How do I publish a course? (Canvas Community)
How do I publish or unpublish a module as an instructor? (Canvas Community)
Officially, no, however it is easy to share files from course to course using the "Send To" option in Canvas.
Note that there are two file storage areas in Canvas: "My Files" (personal file storage) and "Course Files" (files tied to a specific course). If you have files that you frequently use in multiple classes, you may want to upload them to the "My Files" storage area.
About Files in Canvas (University of Washington)
Upload files once for multiple courses? (Canvas Community)
It is important to note that Canvas messaging is different than email. Canvas messages will NOT forward to a user's email, and unless their notifications are set to email them when they receive a message, they will not receive an automated notification.
In the Canvas Inbox, you can send a message to one or multiple users in a course, up to 100 users. You cannot message users in multiple courses.
CLT recommends setting up an email distribution list in Outlook at the start of the term to make it easy to email whole classes and/or multiple classes.
How do I send a message to all course users in the Inbox as an instructor? (Canvas Community)
Create a contact group or distribution list in Outlook (Microsoft Support)
"Group Sets" is a general name for a set of groups. For example, if you have multiple group assignments throughout a term, you may choose to have a different Group Set for each assignment (Group project 1, Group project 2, etc.)
Each group within can share files, send and post its own announcements, create its own pages, have its own discussion board, create its own collaborations, and more, depending on what you assign.
Groups can have their own graded Canvas Assignments and Canvas Discussions; Groups cannot have their own Canvas Quiz.
You can also allow students to create their own groups (Study groups, for example) called "self sign-up groups."
Groups are a small version of a course and are used as a collaborative tool where students can work together on group projects and assignments.
What are Groups? (Canvas Community)
Group Creation and Management for Instructors (Canvas Community Video)
Using Canvas Pages, you can post a sign-up sheet online for group projects, final presentations, or other course projects. Simply create a page in Canvas with your sign-up list and then allow students access to edit the page.
You can also use the Canvas Scheduler, which is a Calendar tool that creates appointment groups within a course or group. You can choose whether individual students or entire groups to sign up for a particular timeslot.
Other options include an embedded Google Doc that students can edit (allowing you to track who makes changes to it and when for security purposes) or a Google Form with the available slots.
Create a Sign-up Sheet in Canvas (University of Oklahoma)
What is the Scheduler? (Canvas Community)
How to create a student sign-up sheet in Google Docs? (YouTube)
Sign-ups with Google Forms (YouTube)
The other instructor can export their course and share the zipped file with you. Please note that export files can be large and may not send over email; you should add them to your Google Drive or OneDrive and share them accordingly. Alternatively, they can use the "Send To" feature for individual pieces (Modules, items, announcements, discussions, pages, quizzes, etc.)
If you find yourself regularly sharing content with a specific set of users, consider requesting a Sandbox course, which would allow all teacher users in that course to export content to their individual courses.
Canvas - Sharing Course Content with Another Instructor (University of Wisconsin Green Bay)
You can import course content from a course you currently have access to using the Import Course Content tool.
This will depend on what you want the guest to be able to access. Use the Canvas Course Permissions Guide (Canvas LMS) to determine what level access your guest needs.
The Canvas calendar is a great tool to see everything for any and all of your courses in one place. You can view by day, week, month, agenda list, or course(s). The calendar also includes the Scheduler tool.
Note: You must give assignments due dates in order for them to show on your calendar and your students' calendars and to-do lists in Canvas.
How do I use the calendar as an instructor? (Canvas Community)