Canva is a wonderful online tool that allows those of us with limited artistic abilities to produce beautiful posters, flyers, invitations, etc.. After creating an account, canva teaches new users how to use the website. Each time you go to create a new design, you begin by choosing a type of design: poster, flyer, social media flyer, letterhead, etc.. Canva then produces a wide selection of backgrounds that suit the design selected. Some are free, some are free with the pro version, and some cost a dollar or so. Once a general outline is chosen, your inner-artist can go to town with photos from the internet, illustrations, adorable characters, shapes, colors, text, and even uploaded photos of your own. As with the backgrounds, some are free, some are free with the pro version, and some cost a dollar. After creating your beautiful design, you can download the photo, print it, or a share a link to let the world see your work!
Canva is not only fun and easy to use, but it fits into multiple elements of Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching. For example, canva could be used to demonstrate competency in 2a: establishing an environment of respect and rapport by creating a poster of class rules that is posted in the room. In addition, canva could be used by students to align with element 2b: establishing a culture of learning. After students create a design, it can easily be printed and posted in the halls or in the classroom to encourage pride in student work. A teacher could also use canva to create a poster that lists the procedures for transitions in order to assist with element 2c: managing classroom procedures. Using canva in any of these functions would also show competency in element 2e: organizing physical space by displaying inviting and age appropriate decorations. Finally, canva can be used to create invitations that reach out the parents or other members in the professional community, satisfying elements 4c and 4d: communicating with families and participating in a professional community.
In light of this, I believe that canva is a very practical tool for teachers. I can definitely see myself using it in the future, as I lack in drawing skills, but want to create fun posters and such to decorate my classrooms. This tool allows me to create visually appealing designs that I could only drool over before. In classrooms I have visited, I have seen posters with rules that the students sign, posters to help remind students to make good choices, and posters detailing steps that students can follow to calm down. In print, it may seem that a classroom decorated with these things is boring, however, canva allows for these important messages to be displayed in an inviting fashion. In addition, I think it would be fun to teach students to use canva, and allow them to create designs on it as well.
Canva is not only fun and easy to use, but it fits into multiple elements of Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching. For example, canva could be used to demonstrate competency in 2a: establishing an environment of respect and rapport by creating a poster of class rules that is posted in the room. In addition, canva could be used by students to align with element 2b: establishing a culture of learning. After students create a design, it can easily be printed and posted in the halls or in the classroom to encourage pride in student work. A teacher could also use canva to create a poster that lists the procedures for transitions in order to assist with element 2c: managing classroom procedures. Using canva in any of these functions would also show competency in element 2e: organizing physical space by displaying inviting and age appropriate decorations. Finally, canva can be used to create invitations that reach out the parents or other members in the professional community, satisfying elements 4c and 4d: communicating with families and participating in a professional community.
In light of this, I believe that canva is a very practical tool for teachers. I can definitely see myself using it in the future, as I lack in drawing skills, but want to create fun posters and such to decorate my classrooms. This tool allows me to create visually appealing designs that I could only drool over before. In classrooms I have visited, I have seen posters with rules that the students sign, posters to help remind students to make good choices, and posters detailing steps that students can follow to calm down. In print, it may seem that a classroom decorated with these things is boring, however, canva allows for these important messages to be displayed in an inviting fashion. In addition, I think it would be fun to teach students to use canva, and allow them to create designs on it as well.
Here are some images I have created using canva. The first is a flyer advertising professional development at a local school district that I created for my virtual co-op. The second is an "all about me" poster that I made along with a classmate and a preschooler. The preschool student told us some things about himself, and helped choose the background, the photos, and the design.
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Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software – Canva. (2018). Canva.com. Retrieved 6 March 2018, from https://www.canva.com/