Canva
Canva is a web-based software that allows for creation of posters, infographics, brochures, etc.
There are several overall educational benefits when Canva is used. It helps students with creativity and artistic ability. For those like this teacher who at the age of 50 still draws stick people, Canva allows for making a high-quality, professional looking artifact.
A student who hates writing papers may throw himself into the very same research to gather information if it can be shown via a digital poster. The drudgery of the task is removed and participation increases. Typically, student engagement increases when the work feels more like play. This is a perfect example of differentiation by product (Weselby, 2020). The writer can write his report; for the child that would be bogged down writing that report can make the above-mentioned poster, or even better, an infographic covering all relevant information. Both students did the research; they just show their gained knowledge in a way that works for them. That differentiation does not have to be because of a learning deficiency, either. Every student learns better in one style or the other...allowing choice in product allows students to work in the way they will learn the best.
Out of all the ISTE-S standards (International Society for Technology in Education, 2016), the two most relevant are 2C, which addresses the need to cite sources and be respectful of other people’s created images, music, etc. and 6D, which refers to students need to customize both the content covered and the final product (ISTE, 2016). Students need to graduate with more than keyboarding skills.
As mentioned above, students must be taught right from the beginning when it is okay to use someone else’s work and how to credit when it is acceptable. Creating digital posters and infographics allows student to learn correct citation methods and promotes digital citizenry.
You need no special kind of computer to use Canva; a free account and some sort of connected device is all you need. The brochure example was created on my laptop, but the picture collage was made with my phone and the app.
Canva is a web-based software that allows for creation of posters, infographics, brochures, etc.
There are several overall educational benefits when Canva is used. It helps students with creativity and artistic ability. For those like this teacher who at the age of 50 still draws stick people, Canva allows for making a high-quality, professional looking artifact.
A student who hates writing papers may throw himself into the very same research to gather information if it can be shown via a digital poster. The drudgery of the task is removed and participation increases. Typically, student engagement increases when the work feels more like play. This is a perfect example of differentiation by product (Weselby, 2020). The writer can write his report; for the child that would be bogged down writing that report can make the above-mentioned poster, or even better, an infographic covering all relevant information. Both students did the research; they just show their gained knowledge in a way that works for them. That differentiation does not have to be because of a learning deficiency, either. Every student learns better in one style or the other...allowing choice in product allows students to work in the way they will learn the best.
Out of all the ISTE-S standards (International Society for Technology in Education, 2016), the two most relevant are 2C, which addresses the need to cite sources and be respectful of other people’s created images, music, etc. and 6D, which refers to students need to customize both the content covered and the final product (ISTE, 2016). Students need to graduate with more than keyboarding skills.
As mentioned above, students must be taught right from the beginning when it is okay to use someone else’s work and how to credit when it is acceptable. Creating digital posters and infographics allows student to learn correct citation methods and promotes digital citizenry.
You need no special kind of computer to use Canva; a free account and some sort of connected device is all you need. The brochure example was created on my laptop, but the picture collage was made with my phone and the app.