Teaching and Learning 21st Century Skills Through Canva

Imagine a teacher who has just spent the past hour meticulously transferring notes from a document into a slide deck and searching the web for corresponding images, a process that's both time-consuming and tedious. Perhaps you’ve even been that teacher a time or two? Now, imagine that same teacher being able to accomplish the same task in mere moments, with the single click of Canva's Magic Switch feature. 

Digital literacy, AI literacy, and social and emotional intelligence, as well critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication - often referred to as 21st Century Skills - are crucial for navigating today's digital landscape. These skills help both educators and students to effectively manage information, create innovative solutions, and work collaboratively in diverse environments, making them indispensable in our interconnected world; and tools like Canva can be the perfect vehicle to learn and implement these skills within the classroom. 

Canva Creativity + Magic

For years Canva  has stood out as an intuitive tool that empowers teachers to create visually appealing presentations and graphics effortlessly, with pro and premium features offered free for schools.

Recently, it’s become even more remarkable for its Magic AI features. For example, MagicWrite, Canva’s AI powered large language model chatbot, can help teachers with the creation of detailed unit plans, lesson plans, and rubrics. Then, MagicSwitch allows educators to transform these elements within their document into engaging presentations seamlessly, streamlining the educational workflow and enhancing learning experiences, all the while saving that copy/paste teacher hundreds of clicks and countless hours of time. 

Communication, Collaboration & Critical Thinking with Canva

One way Canva fosters essential skills like communication and collaboration is through its real-time cooperative features. Students can work together on projects using tools like Canva’s interactive whiteboard, ideal for brainstorming and project planning. This not only enhances communication skills but also bolsters social-emotional learning by encouraging students to navigate shared spaces and build empathy through shared learning. 

Canva also supports social and emotional learning (SEL) by offering flexible templates that can be used for mood meters, check-in boards, and “get-to-know-you” activities. These templates can help build classroom community and emotional awareness. For example, students might start the day by selecting a visual that represents how they’re feeling, or by completing a gratitude journal in Canva. Using tools like daily agendas and expectation slides designed with SEL in mind allows educators to align their classroom environment with the CASEL framework—promoting self-awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making alongside academic content.

Assessment with Canva

Assessment is integral to education, and Canva offers innovative solutions for both formative and summative evaluations.

Educators can utilise Magic Write to develop a variety of assessment materials, including quizzes, games, and interactive activities that facilitate effective retrieval practice. Canva offers ready-to-use templates such as Exit Tickets, Quiz Show Games, Bell Ringer Activities, and Storyboard Worksheets. These templates can be easily modified to match any subject area or age group, making assessments both engaging and personalised.

Dive Deeper

Dive deeper into integrating these innovative tools into your teaching practice with Canopy’s asynchronous video-based course, "Teaching and Learning 21st Century Skills with Canva." As Canva for Education certified partners, Canopy will guide you through the process of crafting or revamping unit plans by leveraging Canva’s robust features. This course is designed to seamlessly integrate your curriculum with 21st-century skills using Canva’s tools, ensuring your educational strategies are as engaging, effective, and relevant as possible. 

Explore Canopy's Canva Training