Using Canva and Google Classroom to design, organize, and energize learning
As classrooms continue to evolve, teacher candidates must feel confident navigating digital tools that support creativity, organization, and collaboration.
Two standout platforms, Canva and Google Classroom, work together to help educators design engaging content and manage their digital curriculum without feeling overwhelmed.
These tools are especially valuable for future teachers looking to streamline instruction while keeping students motivated and organized.
Show notes - https://www.sfecich.com/post/using-canva-and-google-classroom-to-design-organize-and-energize-learning
0:02 Hello Edu Magicians, welcome to the Edu Magic podcast with your host, Doctor Sam Fessich. Doctor Sam is a professor of education, author of Edu Magic, and a Pumpkin Spice Latte fan. This podcast is designed for pre service teachers. Remember friends, teaching doesn't begin at graduation, but during that first class at 8:00 AM. Let's get this party started. This podcast is a proud member of the Teach Better Podcast Network, Better Today, Better Tomorrow, and the podcast to get you there. Explore more podcasts at www.teachbetterpodcastnetwork.com.
0:44 Now let's get on to the episode. Hello, Edge of Magicians, and welcome back to another episode, the Edge of Magic podcast. My name is Doctor Sam Festus, and this is our last episode in the series that features student voices from Slippery Rock University. In this episode, you're going to learn more about Canva and Google Classroom. Let's listen in and hear more. Hello and welcome to Creating with Canva. I'm Carly and. They're both freshmen at the slippiest university in the country, Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. Today we are going to be talking about a wonderful teaching tool, Canva. So you may be wondering, what the heck is Canva? In our opinion, Canva is one of the best tools for teachers to use.
1:26 There's so many different tools that are completely free for all of us teachers to make great content for our students. Yes, and you can use their templates to create slides, lesson plans, activities and so much more. Here's a snapshot of the Canva home screen showing how easy it is to navigate. I'm not a tech person, but I've always been able to create wonderful things. With this. You can create presentations, videos, posters, resumes, Flyers, logos, websites, invites, Instagram posts and stories, and so much more. So with all of that, what have we done? Carly and I are both in Doctor Fesich's Instructional and innovation Innovative technology class, SRU.
2:11 We've used Canva for a bunch of projects. I'm using it for our final project which is our digital portfolio. I love using their different fonts and colors to create all of it. The best thing is I don't have to make it from scratch. I simply picked a pre made template and made it by my own redesigning. Going off of Sue, we have both used it for AQR code assignment. We both ended up using the same topic, the branches of government, as we are both studying the best subject to learn and teach social studies. As you can see, my QR presentation contains 5 QR codes, with each one leading to a different source for students to watch a video or read an article.
2:52 Under each QR code, there's a brief explanation of what students will learn. It was extremely easy to put a link in get AQR code and put it right in the assignment. Another source we have created was a classroom header for our demo Google Classrooms. Creating 1 was so easy. You simply just select which template you like and can edit it and put your name, class, subject or whatever you prefer. It's also very easy to share your projects to other educators and more. All you have to do is click it and click the share button and you'll have many options. You can add viewers or editors directly to Canva or add the link to your classroom hub. You can also present directly from the website instead of going through the hassle of PowerPoint. And from our presentation, we hope that you could at least take away and explain to somebody about how great Canva is.
3:41 Canva is an incredible source for creating tools to use in your classroom. They make it easy for teachers to use, very appealing for students to want to learn it. We hope that we inspired you to get involved with Canva as a completely. It could completely change your teaching game and. Thank you for joining us on this segment and have a great day. All right, all you cool cats and dedicated educated welcome to the main event. If you've been feeling like your digital world has been a bit of a maze, don't you worry, you're tuned in to stay in online, The ultimate teacher survival guide to Google Classroom. I'm your host, Delia Devore, and today we're going to be talking about how to navigate that digital curriculum well without losing your mind. Basically, we're going to help you keep things mellow, keep things organized, and keep those good vibes flowing in your classroom.
4:33 So what's the word? What exactly is this Google Classroom tool that everyone's been talking about? Think of this as your digital headquarters. It's a place for teachers to post assignments and lessons. And just out of this, importantly, it's where you'll receive all the student work back. It doesn't stop there. Once those assignments and tests are turned in, you can post feedback right away to your students. It's also a stellar way for teachers to check students attendance and participation. Personally, I like using this edtech tool because it's very easy for posting assignments, tests, and activities. It works in total harmony with the other Google Apps, allowing us teachers to customize our classroom's appearance.
5:14 A really groovy way to use Google Classroom is merging it with the other Google Workspaces. This allows you to easily assign Google Docs, Google Forms, or even Sheets as a template for each individual student. Now, keep your head on straight. As a teacher, you should be aware that maintaining organized materials can be very challenging and those constant notifications they can be a bit annoying. However, for accessibility, Google Classroom is far out. It allows for screen readers, magnification, and full keyboard navigation shortcuts to support all of your learners. So you might be asking yourself, Delia, why is this so valuable for my daily groove?
5:56 Well, let me tell ya, it helps to centralized all of those digital resources that you need each and every day. By going digital, you're lessening the amount of paper copies the teacher will need. And you know what that means? Yeah, it means that there is less of an or less of a chance of losing those assignments. And the collaboration, it's cosmic. It allows for students to work together on shared documents, which allows for real time feedback and true teamwork. The big problem that it solves is organization. Every Google Classroom helps with the tracking of every assignment, since both the teacher and the students can see exactly what is due and when at any given time. No more.
6:42 My dog's got my digital file, right? Well, that's all the time that I have for today, but be sure before I boogie on out of here that you catch the wave of this far out tech. It's the best way to keep your classroom vibes totally organized and your students collaboration truly cosmic. Now it's time for you to boogie on over to Google Classroom and let the good times roll for a brighter, more groovy learning journey. Stay cool, stay organized, and keep staying online. Peace out. And there you have it, Edu Magicians. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with your friends.
7:29 For more Edu Magic, check out S fessage.com and follow Doctor Sam on Twitter and Instagram at S fessage. Until next time you have the Edu Magic within you.
