Canva is a tech tool that offers a wide variety of templates to present information in different ways. Ranging from wedding invitations to business cards to lesson plans, the possibilities are endless! Recently, I have found the site extremely useful for creating digital flyers and infographics for my students. It allows you to add photos, symbols, borders, text boxes, and templates to customize your designs. The user-friendly format ensures that anyone can create a masterpiece.
When considering the Danielson Framework, Canva especially helps teachers during Domain 1: Planning and Preparation. Used mostly as a presentation tool, Canva provides templates that allow teachers to organize information in a way that caters to the needs of each individual student. Just as Component 1b requires teachers to demonstrate their knowledge of each child, Canva's customizable features allow for teachers to experiment with different designs to find the right fit for their classrooms. They can remain organized and prepare lessons with eye-catching, colorful images that can stick out in the students' minds. By organizing information in a visually-appealing way, teachers also support Component 3c: Engaging Students in Learning, since they can better retain the information because of the formatting.
Although the use of Canva aligns with multiple ISTE Standards for Students, I would classify it most closely with Standard 6: Creative Communicator. In today's digital world, students must be equipped to present their information in innovative ways that capture people's attention and highlight their ideas. Supporting Component B, students can create original designs in Canva and publish them to present and communicate to others more effectively. Students can also be an Innovative Designer when they use Canva for the purpose of presenting a solution to a problem. This leads straight into Canva's usefulness within the Four C's of Teaching and Learning. As mentioned previously, Canva aids with communication, and it enhances creativity through the options to create and upload personal images. Students can think outside of the box to make their presentations stand out. They can then use their designs to collaborate with others and solve real-world problems.
Overall, I highly recommend Canva. In the past, I have used it to make an infographic for a research assignment, which allowed me to organize the complex information in a simplified way. Therefore, my ability to adjust the organization of the content improved my learning. Canva helps students, but it also gives teachers the chance to create exciting lessons and presentations. I would love to see a classroom someday that uses this tech tool to create a rule chart as a class. That way, students feel engaged by the collaborative design and responsible for the classroom environment they create. Canva will enhance your classroom, guaranteed.
Feel free to check out the digital flyer I made for a sixth grade class as an introduction to Google Chromebooks!