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Web-Based Tool Reflection


The web-based tool I chose to investigate was Canva. I really like all of the options of resources that are available through this site. They have so many resource templates for an individual to work with across the topics of social media, events, marketing, documents, order prints, education, personal, and video. The section I focused my time on was the resources found in education. Canva offers templates for lesson plans, schedules, infographics, posters, brochures, and more in this section. You pick what you want to design and are set to go. The site is easy to use with so many free tools and more tools available if you chose to get a subscription. 

This resource can be used in the classroom in multiple ways. Teachers can print off stylized class schedules to hang up in their room. They can also create their own posters for topic within a unit. The lesson planning templates are cute and would be easy to use and leave for a substitute teacher. Students could even use this tool to create brochures over a topic. They could use the different templates to make concept maps and take stylized notes over content as well. 

Canva allows you to create an account if you would like to save collectively all of the work you do. You do not have to have an account though and can download your finished product when completed. If you do not make an account your progress will not be saved if you exit out of the tab and therefore you would have to start all of the work over. The templates are easy to use. You can just click in the premade text boxes and add your own information. You can also easily use any of the tools in the tool bar to add more text, images, and effects to the template you have chosen. If you want access to all of the resources and tool provided by Canva though you have to purchase a subscription.

I believe that different sections of this site would be good for many age groups of students. It would be the easiest though for middle school and high school students. This is due to the fact that it is easier to keep track of progress if students have an account so teachers would have to apply to COPPA laws. The amount of editing tools available on this site would also be a lot for elementary students to handle. 

In my classroom I could envision my students using this site to create infographics about a specific section of a topic discussed in class. As students complete their work I would then set up a gallery walk or create a class blog for the students to post their finished products. This would allow for peers to show what they know and teach each other the topics discussed in class. I could also have students create posters for the unit to hang in my school hallway to show what science is learning about during the quarter. Helpful tips for this site is to create an account so you can save your collection of work. Also don't be afraid to explore all of the tools and add-ons you can attach to the original templates. If all of the editing tools overwhelm you stick to picking out a template that you like and just edit the sections that Canva already outlines for you to use. 

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