Canva is a program that allows students to demonstrate their understanding of a concept using a variety of different visual mediums such as a poster, business card, and presentation among others. Students can create infographics using a variety of different options in terms of text, photos, layouts, and backgrounds. There is an option to upload photos to use as backgrounds or just to bring an added element to the infographic. Here is an example of the poster Justin created as an example of a project students could do: Earth Day. This is just one example of how students can use a simple program to create posters that demonstrate their understanding of topics. Easel.ly is a very similar program but allows students to create more extensive infographics. With the right amount of instruction, it could be a valuable tool in classrooms.
Overall I found the MACUL conference to be very helpful and very interesting. I found it valuable to hear a variety of perspectives on technology and classroom experience and the many different presentations I heard were often inspiring. It was refreshing to see that there are hundreds of teachers in the state of Michigan who took time out of their busy schedules in the classroom to attend this conference and dedicate themselves to becoming better educators. As a quick side note, the names of the tools from Justin Cowen's presentation are also posted in the Google Doc that Jeff created. I hope that you all find them useful and helpful!
Derek, thanks for sharing about Canva! I was looking forward to hearing about different tools I could easily implement in the classroom so this is yet another that I can add to my considerations.
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of Cava or Easel.ly before, but they seems pretty reminiscient to Microsoft Publisher to me. Do you think one is better than another?
Though I am used to the traditional assignments where every student is expected to do the exact same thing and meet the same performance standards, I have learned in this program, especially 510, that this way of assessing students should not be the only way. I recently gave my students an assignment where they would get to choose how they want to demonstrate their knowledge: writing, drawing, or a video. Canva would definitely allow me to expand this idea even further. I do think it is important to give students choice and to use their strengths and interests where it is applicable to do so. It seems likely to me that Canva would appeal to those who are more inclined to use computers or those who are feel a bit more artistic, though it seems simple enough that everyone could figure it out.
Did the speaker mention any drawbacks to Canva?
Derek,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links! In my own post I didn't think to include links to the information I provided, and ended up having lots of questions. I really love the idea of using Canva as a medium for students to create projects. In my Writing class last week, one of our classmates used Canva to present a formative assessment to students. This format allowed Amber to create a handout for directions that was very clear, concise and much more aesthetically pleasing than a Word handout. Canva also seems to be a user-friendly program that students should be able to use with ease. The question is always whether we will end up at a school where we have the technology to use these programs, but I definitely agree that Canva is a tool MACers should know about.
Thanks!
Derek,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links! In my own post I didn't think to include links to the information I provided, and ended up having lots of questions. I really love the idea of using Canva as a medium for students to create projects. In my Writing class last week, one of our classmates used Canva to present a formative assessment to students. This format allowed Amber to create a handout for directions that was very clear, concise and much more aesthetically pleasing than a Word handout. Canva also seems to be a user-friendly program that students should be able to use with ease. The question is always whether we will end up at a school where we have the technology to use these programs, but I definitely agree that Canva is a tool MACers should know about.
Thanks!
Hi Derek!
ReplyDeleteI, too, had not heard of Cava or Easel.ly before, and look forward to looking into these now that most university classes are over and I have a bit more time for life (hopefully). Love the emphasis on performance task rather than the old paper, pencil, multiple choice assessments! I feel as if these will not only engage students, but will allow for them to also engage with content outside of school in ways they might not have been able to otherwise. It would definitely take a bit of instruction to teach students how to use these tools, but it would be worth it! Through using these resources, students are becoming more technology literate as well, which will help them in the future. Thanks for your link to the Trello Board! I have also never heard of this before...Peardeck makes me hungry. Anyhow, good luck finishing off classes, and I am glad you enjoyed the conference!
Happy Friday!
Kelsey
Derek,
ReplyDeleteThe first session you went to sounds like it was amazing! I looked at the Trello Board you posted and there are some really great resources on there! I can definitely see myself being able to Canva. Our classroom just obtained a laptop cart for our computer science class, but we have it in our possession for our math classes. I could definitely assign my students a section in the chapter and have them create a Canva poster to represent the important information in the section! That would be a great way to review for tests and quizzes.
Katie
Derek,
ReplyDeleteI checked out the Trello board--cool stuff. I think it would be a great way to collaborate with students and with other teachers.
As you said, it's refreshing to see so many other teachers "professionally developing," ; I find that such conferences can be rejuvanating, even if all of the content is not applicable to me.