How to Set Up a Canvas Parent Observer Account
Parents can register for a Canvas account to observe their student(s) and their interactions within a course. Observers cannot submit work on behalf of the students they observe, but they can see student grades, assignments and events, and course interactions. To observe a student, you must get a pairing code from your student.
Observers can also view student information through the Canvas Parent app, though Canvas Parent accounts are separate from web accounts created in Canvas.
Creating an Account
From your student’s Canvas page:
On LEFT side, click Settings:
On RIGHT side of Canvas / Account / Settings:
Observer code looks like this:
Parents, after getting the observer code from your student, follow these steps:
In your browser, go to https://swsd.instructure.com/login/canvas (Note: SWSD employees should use a non-swsd email account to set up an observer account!)
On the login page under Parent of a Canvas User?, click Click Here For An Account.
Enter your name and email address.
Enter and then re-enter a password.
Enter the pairing code given to you by your child.
Click the checkbox to agree to the terms of use.
Click Start Participating.
Observing Students
The Dashboard
The dashboard contains cards for all courses your student is enrolled in.
The icons on the card show Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, and Files for the course if the teacher chooses to display these.
A number next to an icon indicates new activity. Click the icon to go to that section of the course.
To open a course
click the name of the course or
click Courses in the navigation pane and click the course name.
To “favorite” a course so it always shows on the dashboard,
click Courses in the Global Navigation pane and select All Courses.
click the star in front of a course name to add the course to the dashboard.
The Calendar
Click Calendar in the navigation pane to view events on your personal calendar and any assignments and due dates for your students’ courses.
Viewing Grades
To view grades for a course on the dashboard, click View Grades.
Click the student name and course to view the grades for a particular class.
The assignment list shows the assignment names, due dates, and scores.
To view the assignment details, click the name of the assignment.
NOTE: you can only view assignments submitted online in Canvas; assignments submitted on paper or in class are not viewable here.
To view grades for a different course, click the For the course dropdown and choose a different class.
Other Resources
Assignments – displays a list of all the assignments in the course; click the title of an assignment to view individual assignment details
Discussions – allows you to view, but not participate in, discussions and student replies.
Grades – displays course-specific grades and assignment submissions.
Syllabus – displays the syllabus showing all course events, assignments, and due dates.
Account – allows you to set up and personalize Canvas communication preferences.
Notification Preferences
Canvas will notify a user when various events occur within a course. These notifications come by email and/or phone text messages based on your preferences. NOTE: notification preferences apply to all courses; they cannot be set individually.
Click Account in the navigation pane.
Click Notifications.
In the section you want to change, hover over the activity you want to change and select one of these options:
Checkmark – immediate notification of any change
Clock – daily notification of any change
Calendar – weekly notification of any change
X - no notification