Leander ISD received a special visit from members of the K-12 Canva for Education team this month. This marks the second year in a row that Canva has visited LISD. Last year, Canva visited AV Media students at Rouse High School and the Incubator program at Vista Ridge High School. This year, Canva visited a fourth-grade classroom at Reed Elementary School to see firsthand how LISD elementary school students use their product to take ownership of their learning.
Students worked in pairs and used different design elements to create a digital board in which they demonstrated their understanding of the four regions of Texas.
“We set parameters for the assignment, created a template, and then let students use their content knowledge, resources, and creativity to make their products,” said Jessica Bohne, dual language instructional coach at Reed Elementary. “With Canva, our students get to create with technology, rather than just passively consume content.”
Members of the Canva for Education team, including Carly Daff, head of teams and education at Canva, interacted with the students by asking them about their projects and giving them tips on how to use the tools within Canva. While the students were working, the team heard students talk both about the creative process and the academic content using academic language.
“We’ve developed a great partnership with Canva and their leadership,” said Lee Howell, digital learning coordinator at Leander ISD. “The visit helped Canva learn more about how they can make their product more efficient for students and teachers.”
After the classroom visit, the Canva team hosted a Q&A for the entire Reed Elementary fourth-grade neighborhood where students were able to learn more about Canva’s mission to grow creativity and critical thinking.
Canva is a web-based graphic design and multimedia tool founded in Australia. Through the district’s partnership with Canva, all students and staff in LISD have access to the platform for free.
