SpeedNotes

Quickly save notes for students in SpeedGrader and sync them across devices.

SpeedNotes lets teachers jot quick notes about students and see those notes automatically where they're needed — while grading in Canvas SpeedGrader, and while reading or writing messages in the Canvas Inbox. Click the extension icon (or press Alt+N) to add a note for any student from any page. In SpeedGrader and the Inbox, the student's name is auto-filled; on other pages, just start typing and SpeedNotes suggests matching students from your classes. Getting started takes one minute: open the Gradebook for each of your courses and scroll through your class list — that's how SpeedNotes learns your students. Then search a few students in an Inbox Compose window so SpeedNotes learns the names they go by in messages. (SpeedNotes will remind you if you skip this — and grading in SpeedGrader teaches it your students too, one at a time.) Notes are saved using Chrome Sync for your signed-in browser profile, so they stay in sync across your devices. There are no external servers, and no Canvas API access — SpeedNotes only reads the pages you already visit, so it works in any school district. Updating keeps all your existing notes; they simply show up in more places. A simple "Storage" percentage helps you understand how much space is left, and the extension prevents saves that would exceed the storage limit so you don't lose work. Permissions: the "tabs" permission is used only to detect Canvas SpeedGrader and Inbox pages so the student name can be auto-filled. What's new in 1.4.1: Notes appear right away in SpeedGrader — A note saved under the name a student goes by in messages ("Annie") now shows up immediately when you open that student in SpeedGrader ("Annabelle"), matched by identity — no waiting, no extra steps. Records unite on their own — Notes saved under a student's preferred name now merge with their official record the moment SpeedNotes can prove they're the same student — on whatever Canvas page you happen to be using, instead of waiting for your next Inbox visit. SpeedNotes learns as you grade — Opening a student in SpeedGrader now teaches SpeedNotes who they are, even if you haven't scrolled past them in the Gradebook. If a student's notes ever seem split under two names, just opening them in SpeedGrader fixes it. What's new in 1.4.0: Autofill in the Inbox — Open the popup while reading or writing a Canvas message and the student's name is already filled in. SpeedNotes recognizes you by your profile picture, so it always picks the student — never you — and it works even in conversations you haven't replied to yet. One student, one record — SpeedNotes now tells students apart by their Canvas ID, learned quietly from the pages you already use. Notes match by identity, never by name-guessing, so the wrong student's notes can never appear. Preferred names — When a student goes by a different name in messages, notes display both — "Jonathan (Johnny) Doe" — so you always know what a student prefers to be called. Notes saved under either name merge automatically once SpeedNotes learns they're the same student, and the display keeps itself up to date if either name changes. Built-in setup guidance — If you type a name before SpeedNotes has learned your class lists, the suggestion box tells you exactly what to do — and never bothers you again once it's done. What's new in 1.3.0: Notes in the Canvas Inbox — Open a conversation, or add students while composing a message, and the familiar floating note box appears automatically if any of them have saved notes. It's the same box you know from SpeedGrader — same look, same edit and delete with undo — so you have a student's history in front of you before you hit send. Drag it anywhere; it remembers its spot. Only where you're working — The box appears only for the conversation you have open or the recipients you've added, never for names just sitting in your inbox list. Smarter matching — Students are matched by Canvas ID as well as name, so a student who goes by a different display name in messages still brings up the right notes. What's new in 1.2.0: Name suggestions as you type — Start typing in the Student Name field and up to five matching names appear, with the course shown alongside each one. Selecting fills in the name instantly. Suggestions only appear while you type — no long lists to scroll. Learns your class from the Gradebook — Open a course's Gradebook once and SpeedNotes learns every student in that class. New students appear in suggestions the next time you open the Gradebook. Undo — Deleting a note (or using Clear All) now shows an Undo button for a few seconds, so a misclick never costs you your notes. Keyboard shortcut — Press Alt+N to open SpeedNotes instantly. Customizable at chrome://extensions/shortcuts. Live updates — The note box in SpeedGrader now updates immediately when you add or edit notes from the popup, without switching students. Under the hood — More reliable student-change detection in SpeedGrader, and notes now quietly record a student ID to support features like matching students across different display names.