Canva is a free online tool that allows you to create unique posters to their liking. Teachers can personalize posters and integrate them into the classroom environment. There are numerous templates and resources that you can choose from, or you can start from scratch with a blank poster. Canva allows you to go in numerous directions as you see fit. For example, math operations, history timelines, spelling charts, and science safety procedures can be made. However, Canva is not limited to academic creations. Just about anything can be designed using this fun tech tool!
How Can I Use Canva?
I can use Canva in a variety of different ways in my classroom. I could create a poster of rules created along with the students on the first day of class. Additionally, I could make a poster that displays everyday procedures at the beginning of class, including finding their seat, getting out their materials for the day, homework collection, and other instructions. Currently, I have used Canva to create an infographic, a digital safety poster, and an advertisement. In my future classroom, I would love to create a timeline displaying different historical events that are synthesized into one area through the format of a timeline. I could even create fun posters of historical images and add some text that students would find funny!
Which Domain of the Danielson Framework does Canva Correlate with?
I think Canva could work under Domains 2 and 3: The Classroom Environment and Instruction. However, for the Canva poster I included above, it would fit best with Component 2D: Managing Student Behavior. The poster above is about being a responsible digital citizen, and the rules of being a digital citizen of posting positive and appropriate material is emphasized. Therefore, the poster sets student expectations for their online behavior, especially as it relates to the classroom. Many schools are going 1:1 with either iPads or Google Chromebooks, so students must be responsible using it, especially when wanting to post something on social media. When someone is angry, they are likely to post something that is negative or inappropriate. This poster reminds students to think and calm down before they take their temporary emotions to permanent online posts.
References: The Framework for Teaching Evaluating Instrument Domain 2: The Classroom Environment. (2011). Retrieved November 21, 2018, from https://www.danielsongroup.org/framework/