ILP Canva Wrap-Up: The Magic of Reading

To create a visual about my ILP project, I chose to use Canva. I chose Canva because I had heard about this tool before and wanted to give it a try. I love finding new things that are (fairly) easy to work with and fun to use, so this tool was definitely right for me. Canva allows its users to have a lot of free reign when using the site. Users are able to take advantage of numerous different layouts and options within them. I tried out a few different layouts before I found one that worked for me and even then I found myself tweaking it to make it work more. Users are able to change the text and layout of each layout (craziness, I know), and I love that about Canva. It really allows each user to make their piece creatively their own with a lot of ease.

Of course, any new tech tool doesn’t come free from issues. Canva, although amazing, does have a few downsides. One major downside is the fact that users are asked to pay for a lot of the photos already on the site. I was able to get around this by uploading images of my own, so it didn’t bother me as much. If you plan on using Canva, I would recommend that you have some pictures to upload to make the process run more smoothly. Canva took out a lot of the challenging aspects of the site by giving new users a quick and easy tutorial to watch. This helped me to understand and learn more about the site.

I love being able to use a different medium to express what I’ve learned. Being an English major, I write a lot; however, it’s nice to be able to express my feelings and learning experiences within a photo. I could see myself using this tool in my classroom for sure. I think that students get more excited when they are able to create something uniquely individual to them, and Canva provides this opportunity. Even if students were to choose the same layout, their finished product would probably look nothing alike. I can see myself implementing this tool during reports or projects where students have to share their work with the class.

If my ILP taught me anything, it was the value of a story. Readers are able to step into another person’s shoes and live life completely different from their own. Books teach compassion; when students learn about what other people go though, they will develop empathy and understanding. Books teach so many more lessons than I, as a teacher, ever could. They serve as an escape and a window into someone else’s life.

My Canva creation is filled with books because, well, that’s what I did during my project. I read. A lot. And I loved it. My 4+ hours of reading each week allowed me to travel to places that I might never see in real life. I read about numerous different kids’ backgrounds and home lives. I saw happiness and love as well as heartbreak and disappointment. As sad as I am to see this ILP come to a close, I’m happy as well. I feel like I’ve learned a lot from the books that I chose to read. My passion has only been ignited more; for that, I am thankful.

Best,

Regan