Canva Spells Creativity!

If you can think of it, you can create it with Canva! Teachers are always asking me for a web based alternative for Microsoft Publisher. Canva is great because within one tool you can create a variety of design options that include brochures, flyers, posters, cards, social media posts, memes, presentations, infographics and so much more. Canva is easy to use and has lots of built in features that make the designing process a snap.

You can login with your Google or Facebook account, or you can create a Canva account with an email address. You then get to choose from one of the many design options, as well as, a snazzy layout. If you prefer to start from scratch, don't choose anything and start with a blank page.

The toolbar, located to the left of your project, allows you to change your layout, search from over a million images, add elements, text, backgrounds and upload your own photos. Elements are design options that include photo grids, frames, charts, shapes, lines, illustrations and icons (see image to the right).  All added content can be easily moved, resized, formatted, layered, duplicated and deleted.  Adding hyperlinks is also a feature if sharing your finished product online. 

Your finished project can be downloaded for print as a PDF or image file. It can be shared online via Twitter or Facebook, or through a link that you could add to your website or email to viewers. If you need some design inspiration, you can view what other Canva users have created.  Click HERE to get a glimpse of the gallery.   

I have used Canva for a variety of projects that  included brochures, invitations, and posters. For a free tool, I was impressed with the professional look I was able to achieve without a huge learning curve. Students who have used it, picked it up with ease and enjoyed designing infographics, posters, and presentations as a way to demonstrate their knowledge while being creative at the same time.  If you have questions, you can easily search for a particular topic using their "Need Help?" feature.  YouTube has a nice selection of Canva tutorials.  Below is a good one from TeachersTech:

Poster created for Hat Day Fundraiser!

Interactive Food Research Posters for #FACS

Hype Up your Teaching with Hyperdocs

Recently I have been learning about a cool teaching tool called a "hyperdoc".  When I first heard about hyperdocs I thought to myself; "Whoopdy do!  It is a document with hyperlinks."  I also questioned how this was different than an interactive student learning menu which I wrote about in a previous post. However, after further investigation I realized if designed correctly, a hyperdoc provides the platform for a multi-layered digital lesson that really engages and inspires students.

A hyperdoc in simplest terms is a "hyper" google doc linked to all sorts of online teaching and learning materials needed for students to complete a unit of study.  A true hyperdoc provides inquiry learning opportunities to discover new information. These can be in the form of questions with links to videos, presentations, images, cartoons, info-graphics, and interactive web tools such as Ed-Puzzle and Quizlet.  Hyperdocs also include tasks for the students to design or make something as means to apply their new knowledge.  This could include a web site, Hyper "Google" maps, movies, presentations, 3D models and so on.  Hyperdocs are a great tool to differentiate instruction and can be used at any grade level and are cross curricular.  

Below are links to example Hyperdocs that you could use.  Make a copy of the doc if you want to tweak it to fit your personnel needs.  This does not even begin to scrape the surface of examples and templates you can find on line.  

Coordinate Geometry 
Oregon Trail
World History:  Why Where Japanese Americans Interned During WWII
Solving Equations Hyperdoc (Algebra) 
Love and Hate (Romeo & Juliet)
Adaptation Hyperdoc Lesson
Hyperdocs & Templates (Google Drive Folder chocked fool of examples and templates)!!

Hyperdocs were co-created by three inspiring educators named Lisa Highfil, Kelly Hilton and Sarah Landis.  If you don't already follow them on Twitter you should. They also have created a Twitter account named "Teachers Give Teachers

" @TsGiTs where Teachers can share hyperdocs that they have created. Why recreate the wheel? Start here first to get your feet wet. 

You may also want to join in on one of their Hyperdoc Hangouts On Air (Google Hangout Sessions) that take place every Tuesday on Twitter. However, if that is not your thing, all episodes are archived here on YouTube.  These videos will show you how to effectively create hyperdocs so they are not just a substitution for the old worksheet method of instruction. They can easily be made using Google Docs, Slides, or Sites.  

"WARNING - Hyperdocs without creativity can turn into simple technology substitutions for old school worksheets"

(Image from:  http://karlymoura.blogspot.com/2016/04/hyperdocs-need-i-say-more.html)

To learn more about Hyperdocs check out Lisa Highfil's Google Sites page: Hyperdocs - Changing Digital Pedagogy  While you are there, don't miss the Hyperdoc tour!  

Give Students a Voice in Their Learning: Student Learning Menus

Student Learning Menus, also known as Student Choice Boards, are great instructional tools to support differentiated instruction and give students a voice in their own learning.  A Learning Menu, in simplest terms, is a document or website outlining a variety of learning activities that focus on a specific learning goal. The menu should include both traditional and technology driven menu choices. You may also hear Learning Menus called Tic Tac Toe Choice Boards (see links below).  Just like menus in a restaurant, more complex Learning Menus are often designed with different sections:  Appetizers, Main Courses, and Desserts.  Each section would have different "learning choices".  Generally, one section of the menu has to be completed before moving on to the next menu section. 

The teacher's role is to facilitate the menu process. This would include providing their expectations for each activity, rubrics, parameters, imperatives and non-negotiables.  Students are given full control over his/her choice from each menu section.  Before moving on to the next section of the menu, a teacher would need to grade the completed menu choice.  Some teachers have students "quiz out" of that menu section, demonstrating mastery, before moving on to the next "entree"!

Learning Menus can be easily made using Google Docs, Google Slides, or Google Sites and can be shared with your students through Google Classroom.  Menus can be made interactive by including links to needed web tools, rubrics, Google templates, examples, videos, and more. You can easily search the web and find lots of already created menus that you could download and use as is or tweak to fit your needs. 

Take five minutes to watch this great video from the Teacher Channel entitled; "Differentiating with Learning Menus".  Hear from Mary Vagenes who teaches 7th Grade US History at Queen's School of Inquiry.  Mary does a nice job explaining what a Learning Menu is and why she uses them in her classroom.  Hear from Mary's students as to why they like Learning Menus.

The GAFE Learning Menu for Teachers is an example Learning Menu that I made using Google Docs. I designed this one more like a Tic Tac Toe board.  Teachers would complete each activity to earn a digital badge for professional development.

Below are links to example Learning Menus/Choice Boards that can be downloaded:

Digital Reading Response Choice Board  

Geology Choice Board - Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Weathering, Erosion
Foreign Language (Spanish) Choice Board

Shake Up Learning's - Interactive Learning Menu (ipad Tic Tac Toe Board)

Pythagorean Theorem and To Kill a Mockingbird
Novel Reflection Choice Board 

Tic Tac Toe Choice Board Template (Google Docs)

To learn more about Student Learning Menus/Choice Boards, check out some of these websites:

Education Week:  Learning Menus Empower Student's to Tailor Curriculum
Learning Menus:  Textbook Ala Carte (TeachingHistory.org)
Use Activity Menus to Differentiate & Maximize Student Engagement

Kids go Krazy for Kahoot

Kahoot is a game based learning  platform that you and your students are going to love. WARNING!!  After using it once in your classroom your kids will be hooked and Kahoot Classroom Marathons will be the only review tool they want to use!  

Here is how it works in three easy steps.  First you need to set up your free account (you currently cannot sign-in with Google)  Next, design your learning game called a "Kahoot". Then, have your kids join the kahoot by entering the specific join code at https://kahoot.it/#/ . Launch the game and watch your students learn and fun at the same time!! So simple to use and really engaging for your students.  If you need some inspiration, take a peek at the public Kahoots for some ideas or find one that fits your needs and feel free to use it!

Play the intro Kahoot by clicking here to see how it works from the student´s perspective (click the launch button to start the game).  

Learn how to make you own Kahoot by watching this video tutorial:



What you else might you want to check out? 

• Kahoot User Journal (tips and tricks)
• Tips for adapting Kahoot for students with special needs 
• Kahoot:  Frequently Asked Questions
• Ghost Mode (for learning by repetition)