Blackboard to Canvas Transition

The Well-Trained Mind Academy is moving to Canvas as our
Learning Management System (LMS) this August.

We're excited to announce that, starting in Fall 2026, WTMA will be using Canvas. When we learned that Blackboard would be changing, we found that Canvas is better suited to our secondary school online learners. Canvas gives us better tools with which to fulfill our mission of providing high-quality, engaging, live, online classes that follow the classical education model, and our vision of empowering students for lifelong learning. As always, at WTMA, time-tested approaches enhance online learning, giving students the opportunity to engage meaningfully with their instructor and one another.

What to Expect

Good news up front: logging into the system remains the same, with no need to re-register or update! The landing page will have a new look: clean tiles representing each course, easy to read and access. Students will recognize familiar features like the class calendar and will be able to view upcoming and recently graded assignments directly from their homepage.

The biggest change comes upon entering the course itself, where students will find a new way to find their assignments, readings, and classroom. In Canvas, course content is organized into modules. The name may be different, but the structure by which the students move through their courses will feel very familiar. And another bonus: the live classroom where students meet for instruction will look just like their previous live classroom space.

WTMA is working hard this summer to design courses and train instructors in Canvas best practices, with clear and intuitive navigation as the top priority. The student experience remains front and center.

We know change isn't always easy. Learning new clicks and patterns takes adjustment, and we won't pretend there won't be a learning curve ahead. Our instructors and administration are committed to making Year 1 using Canvas a success.

As we ramp up for the school year, we'll provide opportunities for new and returning students to get comfortable with Canvas. During the first few weeks especially, instructors and our support team will be focused on addressing any questions or concerns with the new platform.

Benefit to Students

This move to Canvas brings meaningful improvements to the WTMA student experience.
These are just of the few benefits of using Canvas that we are eager to share. We hope students find these new features as valuable to their WTMA experience as we do.
  • Student-teacher communication is getting a significant upgrade. Canvas messaging integrates with email, so messages are easy to see and respond to. We believe student success is tied to ease of communication, and this feature will make it even simpler for students to ask questions, get support, and stay connected to their teachers.
  • Collaboration with classmates has many interactive capabilities in Canvas. Students can expect a more integrated discussion board and the ability to participate in peer review and group assignments. Connecting with other WTMA students is one of the real advantages of online learning, and we're excited to see this platform supports those interactions.
  • Canvas organizes course content into modules rather than folders, a structure that allows students to easily locate and complete their readings, assignments, and other types of assessments in a clear, seamless progression. All students, regardless of age, benefit from this built-in organization, and can expect more consistency from one course to the next.

Canvas Features

  • Mobile friendly with fully responsive iOS and Android apps
  • Seamless integrations with hundreds of educational technology tools
  • Intuitive and easily navigable course design
  • Enhanced tools for interaction on assignments with instructors, like the ability to record messages and threaded discussion boards

FAQs