Getting to Canvas Inbox
Anyone with a PLI Canvas account can use the inbox to communicate with each other within Canvas. To access it, click the Inbox icon in the left-hand menu when you're signed into Canvas.
Sending a Message
To create a message, click the "Compose new message" icon in the top right.
A window where you can compose a message will pop up. Click the Select course drop-down to find the course you need to message within. Then you can opt to message all of the participants in that course or just teachers, students, observers, or facilitators, or even a specific student group. You can also pick individuals or a handful of individuals like your co-teacher and a couple of students. For individuals, you can either select them through the drop-down shown in the screenshot below, or you can start typing their name. Canvas will pull up names you can select.
Once you've picked who you're messaging, you can do the usual things you would with an email, like write a subject and a message. Before you send it, decide whether or not you want to select the option "Send an individual message to each recipient." This essentially allows you to Bcc everyone you're messaging. They will each get their own message. If you do not select this, they will see who else got the message, and can choose to reply to all, or even reply specifically to other users who they can't normally message outright. Use your best judgment, but in most cases, it's best practice to toggle that option on.
Checking Your Messages
Whenever you have a new message, Canvas will let you know by putting a number next to your Inbox icon. You will also get a traditional email about it.
In your inbox, you will see all of your current messages. You can filter these by your courses, or choose the usual email options like Inbox, Unread, Starred, Sent, and so on.
You can also select a message and reply, reply all, archive, or delete.
Selecting More options also allows you to mark a selected message as unread, forward it, or star it.
Several of these options are also in the right-hand side of the actual message itself. So you have options.