Reflection 2: Images
Different types of digital media can be used in the classroom to great effect, including videos, audio, and images. The word 'image' can mean many different things. A photograph is an obvious example, but visual ways to present information are also important and can be used to enhance student learning. For example, rather than just writing information into paragraphs or dot points, creating different visual representations (such as charts, graphs, concept maps, and graphic organisers) is a way of not only making the information more visually stimulating, but also improves the likelihood of students remembering the facts.
Canva is a website that I have been playing around with to create different worksheets, graphic organisers, and infographics. It is an online graphic design platform that has a huge number of templates you can use to create your own posters, presentations, and many kinds of documents. All of the templates are completely adjustable so you can change colours, move things around, delete things, change fonts, and really put your own stamp on them. It is honestly such a wealth of resources and is incredibly easy to use. You can also create your own design completely from scratch. There is an upgraded "Canva Pro" version that costs to sign up for, but I have been using the free version and there are plenty of templates to choose from. Here is an example of the range of templates they have just for mind maps:
As I was playing around with Canva I decided to create a couple of images I could use for my fictional Year 10 English novel study unit on Little Women from my last blog post. I thought about ways in which I could present important information for my students in a clear and engaging way. First, I designed a graphic organiser for the narrative structure of the book, listing the main plot points. This could either be an image I provide to my students to help them understand the narrative structure, or I could use this as an activity where they themselves use Canva to create their own narrative structure organisers in their own style and deciding on the key plot points themselves.
First, I picked a free template from the many different styles Canva offers, and then I changed the text, font, and images to better suit my topic. I started with this template:
I ended up with this design using the free "elements" that Canva offers:
Then I just added in the major plot points of the book. This was the final product:
I also had fun making an infographic for the major themes of the book. This was also using and adapting one of the free templates Canva has to offer:
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Hi Juliet,
ReplyDeleteI haven’t used Canva before, but it looks awesome. I had a quick look on the website and am amazed at the things you can create. I would love to see if I could use the marketing designs for media arts activities (something like a digital logo/poster portfolio). I wholesomely agree that these templates could be used to enhance engagement. Personally, I usually create some sort of graphic organiser on Microsoft Word, which aren’t very visually pleasing. Your instructions of how to create these templates are quite clear and I can see the website is very user-friendly. I can see that your blog post can be seen through the lens of the SAMR model. Creating these images can be a good substitution for worksheets and provides opportunities for students to create their own. The only thing I would possibly suggest is having your SAMR definitions labelled in your post. I was also a little confused about the requirements of this reflective post. I’m interested to see how I can use Canva for the next reflective post.
Thanks,
Ange
Hi Juliet!
ReplyDeleteI really love the designs you created in Canva! It is easy to see that you have taken the time to delve into the various elements that the program offers. I think you would be able to easily implement this program into the classroom through all stages of the SAMR model. I can see throughout your blog post that you discuss embedding technology from both the teachers and the student’s perspective.
Have you considered discussing the legal, safe and ethical protocols that students should consider when working with technology? Perhaps you can expand on this by discussing how you will ensure students online safety and adding supporting evidence from Canva’s privacy policy.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog and look forward to more!
Hi Juliette
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your post because I've heard so much about Canva from last supervising teacher. She raved about it but we couldn't use it during my last prac because the school network had blocked it. I wonder why that would be and it is a relevant consideration for the ethical and legal component of our assessment task?
You clearly have a knack for design - I love the colours and layouts you use. If you are getting students to use Canva to create their own presentations, would it be useful to include instruction on principles of digital design?
Thanks for demystifying this platform for me. I'm excited to play around with it myself.
Madeleine
Hey Juliet,
ReplyDeleteAs someone who recently used a Plot Outline in class I loved to see how Canva can be employed to at the very least spice it up in contrast to the bland ones I was doing before. The website seems very accessible and your ideas for potential activities/tasks for students were well thought through and considered. The only thing I could really think about was there seemed to be a lack of focus on the legal/ethical implications of student use.
Looking forward to your final post,
Jayden