This week during class we had to create a graphic creation through one of these platforms: Canva, Edwordle, Vectr, and Pixlr.
The platform I used to create my graphic creation was Canva, and I created a logo for my website. I decided to not use a template so that I could see how creative I could be while using the free version of Canva. Canva Pro gives you many more options but free Canva is just as beneficial. I have never used Canva before but I have heard a lot of people rave about it, therefore my expectations were high and honestly, Canva met them. I was really impressed with how much editing and personalization you could do on the website/app. The logo I created looks like this!
Using Canva for a graphic creation matters because it can enhance visual communication skills in the classroom. Allowing myself to create on Canva helped me promote my creativity and personality into expressing my ideas visually which could also be very beneficial to my future students. My experience with Canva has allowed me to gain experience which can be applied into multiple educational purposes and resources. Canva can enhance my experience as a teacher candidate by increasing student engagement and improving learning outcomes in my future classroom. Lastly, Canva helps my personal growth by allowing me to step outside of my comfort zone by encouraging my creativity and confidence in my graphic creating abilities.
Having this experience with Canva is going to allow me to create many things for my future classroom. It will allow me to customize student name tags for my future students coat hooks and their desks. It will also allow me to create class posters and worksheets for lessons. Depending on the grade level it can encourage students to create their own colourful posters or presentations using Canva for Students. Or even I could make these presentations to introduce new topics or even create one large day plan. As a teacher you can make calendars, weekly schedules, daily schedules, or even lesson plans on Canva while incorporating charts, pictures, to make the plans easier to follow. Additionally, I could create emergency sub plans using Canva templates ensuring clear instructions and activities for the substitute teacher.
Somethings to be aware before allowing students to use Canva is to always let their guardians know what is happening and why they will be using this platform. Additionally, before anyone uses Canva, they should be aware about copyright and licensing agreements. A drawback about Canva is that there are limited features in the free version but that should not stop you from trying Canva.
Graphic creation can be implemented in the classroom in many ways. I could see myself using graphic creations as a concrete tool for visual and interactive learning materials, it could be used for student created projects, as well as classroom management tools like daily schedules, themes for bulletin boards, or project instructions. Something that I am going to do now is experiment with Canva and other apps such as EdWordle, Vectr, and Pixlr. I will apply my new skill of graphic creation by designing engaging materials for students, while also using Canva for planning and organizing classroom activities visually.