Do you use Canva in your classroom? For the unfamiliar, Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool that provides tools for creating graphics for, well, just about anything: social media, presentations, merch, websites, and more. So when I found out that Canva was doing demos at ISTE Live last week, I couldn’t wait to snag a seat and find out about the newest Canva tools for teachers.
(And if you’re sitting there like, “Canva? Whuh?”, start here for your Canva for Education primer, including how to get your free account with your school email.)
OK, here are some serious time-savers the presenters talked about.
1. Magic Design can give you a full-blown presentation in a flash.
Teachers already know their content—so let Canva provide you with a stunning, ready-to-customize slide deck.
Start with the Design tab, and type in your prompt. The example they used: “Design a 3rd grade science lesson on magnets.”
And end up with this beauty!
Learn more from their ISTE presentation “Wow Your Classroom With AI.”
2. They have powerful tools for students to create comic strips and more.
Comic strips are one of those tools that teachers of all subjects and grade levels can use. But often with art-based assignments, there will be one section of the class that celebrates and another section that shakes a fist at the skies.
This is where Canva puts everyone on a level playing field. Whether the comic is about lab safety or playground etiquette, students can design their own with super-intuitive tools and graphics. When they’re ready for the next step, they can add animation, music, and more. Learn more from Canva’s ISTE presentation “5 Ways To Use Canva With Your Students Today.”
3. Their range of templates is huge.
Starting from scratch every time you need a field trip T-shirt, infographic, or book cover will be a thing of the past.
4. Their Magic Write Toolbar is like having an AI teaching assistant.
We know that ChatGPT and other AI language models can save us a lot of time in our teaching lives. But a bonus of the Magic Write function is that Canva’s content gets reviewed by their community of teachers. Here’s a preview:
Start with a prompt …
… and finish with quality lesson ideas in a snap.
Learn more from their ISTE presentation “Wow Your Classroom With AI.”
5. You can become a Canva-certified educator in an hour or less.
OK, so one particularly cool thing I learned is that you can become a Canva-certified teacher in an hour. You’ll even get a certificate you can add to LinkedIn, your teaching CV, and more.
Interested? Head here for more info.
Looking for more Canva tools for teachers? Don’t miss our list of 51 Powerful Ways To Use Canva for Education whether you’re just starting or a total pro.