Canva

By: Caroline Pontiff

Basic Info About Canva

  • website with graphic design tools
  • PowerPoint alternative, plus lots more!
  • drag-and-drop format
  • provides access to countless photographs, graphics, and fonts
  • can be used by anyone--professional designer, teacher, student, etc
  • can be used for web AND print media

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Use Canva

STEP 1

Go to www.canva.com, and click on the button that says, "Get started, it's free!"


step 2

Enter all the information that is asked. Create your free account by connecting it to your Google account, Facebook account, or email address.

step 3

Fill in your email, and create a password.

step 4

Set up a team if you want to (not mandatory). If you don't want to, click skip in the top right corner.

step 5

Start designing! Click on the template you want, or click on start from scratch. Use the sidebar to locate and search for text, photos, graphics, backgrounds, etc.

helpful videos on how to use canva

screencast on how to use canva

benefits of using canva in the classroom

Teachers can use Canva to create attractive and vibrant presentations, worksheets, flyers, posters, graphic organizers, brochures, and much more! These engaging designs will help boost class participation! Teachers don't have to download their Canva designs onto a computer or flash drive because all designs are saved within the user's account.

Students can also use this tool for any type of graphic project for any class!

additional information

faqs

Do I have to pay to use Canva?

      • Canva is free to use, but an upgrade is purchaseable if you want more features.

How do I figure out how to navigate this website?

      • There is a tab on the Canva website called Design School. Once you click on it, you will be taken to a page with many videos and other resources on how to use Canva.

I can't find the right template for what I'm trying to create. What do I do?

      • If you can't find a template you like, you can always start from scratch, as shown in the fourth video under the heading Helpful Videos on How to Use Canva.

Can I use Canva offline?

      • No, you must have an internet connection to be able to use Canva.

How do I save my work?

      • Everything saves automatically, but there is a way to manually save your work, which is shown in the first video under the heading Helpful Videos on How to Use Canva.

pros and cons

This graphic was created using Canva

classroom activities with canva

SL.8.5: Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

Activity: Students will be assigned a topic from the novel Animal Farm. They will then have to create a presentation on that topic using Canva. The presentation can be created using any template so that the students can employ artistic freedom in their presentations. The presentation must include information on the topic, as well as their opinions and evidence to back up their opinions.

C.5.1 Distinguish between personal, political, and economic rights of citizenship.

Activity: The teacher will use Canva to create a chart or graphic organizer that has three sections and a heading that reads, "Rights of Citizenship." Each section will respectively be labeled as follows: "personal," "political," and "economic." The teacher will download the completed design and will then display it on his/her IWB. The teacher will then have students go up to the IWB to fill in the chart, which the class will discuss.