What is Canva?

Canva is an online design tool that lets you easily create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, infographics, logos and more. If you have ever seen the interface of other design tools, you will probably know how intimidating they seem. Most of us don't really need the level of detail that these softwares provide. Canva’s interface is simple and intuitive. It will probably take you less than an hour to get accustomed to most of the features and functionalities and less than 10 min to create your first design.

We recommend these 2 tutorials to get you started:
- CANVA TUTORIAL FOR BEGINNERS 2023 (How to start using Canva step by step)

- How To Use Canva For BEGINNERS! [FULL Canva Tutorial 2023]

The first one is short, while the second one is more in-depth.

My favorite features/functionalities:

• ‍Templates (lots of them): One of the biggest facilitations that Canva offers is making your job half ready - through beautiful templates. And 99% of the templates are very customizable.

• Branding tools: If you need to follow your company’s l’s specific branding guidelines, logos, colors, fonts - Canva has you covered. There is the option to add a branding kit so you can customize every template based on your brand.
  

• Resizing: Once you have perfected your design, you might need it in different sizes and the resizing feature makes that pretty easy.
  

• Background remover: Canva has an amazing “remove background” feature that usually does an excellent job at removing backgrounds. I can’t tell you how much time this option has saved me during my design process.
  

• Collaboration: If you need feedback or help from a colleague, you can share a link of your design with them and they will be able to view or edit your design.

• Phone app: Canva also has a phone app that lets you easily edit from your phone or tablet. It doesn’t offer the full functionality of the web version, but it is great for when you are in a hurry and on the go. Here is a short tutorial.
  

• Video editing: Canva is constantly adding new features while keeping the user-friendliness at excellent levels, and there are now tons of video templates that you can customize (or start one from scratch), add audio and beautiful transitions to. If you are wondering about background removal in videos - you can do that, too!!!
  
  

Educational Features

Canva is a great creativity tool for teachers and students. Its templates and collaboration tools offer a way for teachers to engage students in collaborative learning. Here are some important notes on Canva for Education:

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• Integration with LMS (Learning Management Systems) and other tools: You are able to integrate Canva with the following classroom tools: Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle and more.

• The Canva Blog is a great space to learn about Branding, using Canva for specific needs, or how Canva is collaborating with other tools to bring innovation.

• Case Studies: These are technically still blog posts, but they are focused on showcasing how educators around the world are using Canva in their pedagogical work. Some of our favorites are using it for classroom collaboration, to teach students design skills, or empower them to showcase their work.

• Teach with Canva: This is a series of video tutorials specifically aimed at helping teachers design educational materials. For example: How to design brainstorming activities, daily agendas, infographics, parent communications, reports and more. It is a great space to learn, but also just draw inspiration from.
  

Price

Canva is 100% free for primary and secondary teachers and their students! How impressive is that?! We are big supporters of free education here at Socratica.org and it is always amazing to see others offering free resources for teachers and students.

Canva also offers a free version for other individuals, as well as paid options (Canva Pro and Canva for Teams) which offer more customization, templates and design elements.

Final thoughts

If it wasn’t clear so far, we love Canva here at Socratica. It has made our job easier and faster. We will continue to use it and look forward to any new features that might come up.

If you have tried Canva already or will try it after reading this blog post, we would love to hear from you: hello@socratica.com

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What are Jamboard, Miro and Mural?

If five or ten years ago our weekly meetings had a whiteboard and colorful markers at the center of the office where we wrote the school goals, sketched out Venn diagrams, or brainstormed new business ideas…today our virtual meetings have virtual whiteboards. Tools like Jamboard, Miro and Mural are making our team meetings a little easier to manage.

Otherwise known as digital whiteboards or online whiteboards, Jamboard, Miro, and Mural are designed to facilitate collaboration, visual communication, and they can be used in business meetings, educational settings, and creative brainstorming sessions.

Here are 6 features and functionalities typically found in online whiteboards are:
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1. Drawing/Writing Tools such as (virtual) pens, pencils, markers, and erasers, which allow users to write text, create diagrams, and sketches. Text can be formatted in various ways.

2. Digital Sticky Notes that can be added to the whiteboard, allowing you to write down ideas, comments, or reminders, just like you would do with the yellow sticky notes we used to get at the beginning of every year.

3. Templates and Backgrounds are offered by many whiteboard applications to help you structure your content and make it more visually engaging.

4.  Zoom in and out allows you to see the bigger picture, but also navigate to intricate details of the space. No need for erasing or creating multiple boards. Virtual whiteboards are practically endless.
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5. Multi-User Collaboration is perhaps the most practical functionality of online whiteboards. You can join your team in taking notes from all over the globe.

6. Import and Export is possible with most whiteboards. You can bring photos, videos, etc into the board, as well as export the content created in the whiteboard for future reference or sharing.

In this article we introduce and compare the 3 most used online whiteboards - Jamboard, Miro and Mural. Here is how these 3 platforms define themselves:

Jamboard is a digital whiteboard that lets you collaborate in real time using either the Jamboard device (a 55-inch digital whiteboard that works with G Suite services), web browser or mobile app.

Miro is the online workspace for innovation that enables distributed teams of any size to dream, design, and build the future together.

Mural is a digital environment designed to make collaboration visual, accessible, and engaging for your entire team.

But what are the differences between the 3 digital whiteboards? Below we compare our experience in using all 3 of them and discuss similarities and differences in 4 main aspects. Consider them before you choose the one that fits your needs better.

Customization

Overall, Miro offers more customization (colors, tool sizes, image manipulation, etc), while Jamboard and Mural are more simplistic.

Miro also offers more specific access control and permission settings than Jamboard and Mural. If you are dealing with somewhat confidential information this is worth keeping in mind.  

User friendliness

‍When you try out all 3 tools, the interfaces are similar. They work with an infinite canvas, where you can place sticky notes, shapes, etc. You can then zoom in and out of the canvas and navigate with your mouse and/or keyboard. There is no clear winner in this category because all 3 tools, despite their differences, are very similar and intuitive. All 3 offer guides, tutorials, and free templates that you can customize based on your own individual needs.

Integration
Jamboard’s strongest point would be the seamless integration with the Google Workspace ecosystem - it is a Google product after all. However, it is important for us to note here that Google doesn't have the best track record for keeping products in their original form (check out killedbygoogle.com for a list of the “Google graveyard”), and it might not be wise to expect indefinite support of the physical Jamboard display (55-inch, 4k display) that they offer in integration with the digital white board.

Between Mural and Miro, the latter is a bit more advanced in integrations overall and has a more advanced API which helps developers build apps on top of it.

Price

• Jamboard is free with a Google account.

• Miro is free for teachers, although it's limited to 100 users and one team workspace. Students get free access for two years with a student email address.

• Mural offers free versions (no time limit), as well as paid plans.

Other notes

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Video Conference: Mural offers a feature called Quick Talk, that allows board collaborators to jump on a voice call with each other. Miro offers an in-product video chat for up to 25 participants. The quality isn’t  the same as Zoom or Google Meets, but it's workable.

Mind-mapping: One very neat feature that I noticed in Miro is the mind mapping tool, which makes diagrams so much easier than using other tools that these 3 online whiteboards have. Below is a screenshot of this feature in Miro.

How do these 3 tools compare in the classroom?

All the comparisons we introduced above stand true when choosing a digital whiteboard for your (online) classroom as well. However, when discussing their value as educational tools we would add the following additional notes:

• All three are great tools for online collaboration between the students, and for instant feedback from the teacher and each other, as any changes are reflected instantaneously. We have seen teachers use these digital boards to check in on how students are feeling (by asking them to place a colored circle on a graph, or choose an emoji among many), facilitate asynchronous discussions (by using sticky notes to group ideas and comments), or homework assignments (by creating their own whiteboard templates). Each tool has an extensive template library to help you get started and inspired.

• All three are intuitive and don’t have a steep learning curve, however Miro does offer more features and customization, so we would recommend that for grades 8 and above. Out of the three, Jamboard seems the quickest to learn, thus, we find it suitable even for students of grade 4 and above.

• None of the tools are great when it comes to accessibility, specifically related to users of assistive technology or keyboard-only access. It is important to note that Miro seems to be ahead of the others and constantly making improvements. (Find their monthly accessibility updates here.)

To conclude: As you may see, all 3 tools have many similarities, as well as a few features and aspects that might make all the difference depending on your needs. We will leave that choice to you!

If you have tried or will try any of these tools, we would love to hear from you: hello@socratica.com
Subscribe to our periodical newsletter, so you stay in touch with the #SocraticaOwls: https://snu.socratica.com/join

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What is this tool?

Edpuzzle is a web-based tool that helps you turn every video into a lesson. What does that mean?!
Well, suppose you are teaching a Math lesson on Polynomials. In our Socratica High channel you find this video that does a great job at explaining the basics, but you want to add your own examples to it. Or, you are looking for a video that illustrates how Volcanoes work, and though this video is perfect, you want to be able to pause after each section and ask questions to check if your students understand what lava is, what earth layers are and so on. You can easily do all this and more to customize videos through Edpuzzle and match your specific pedagogical needs.

How to use it?

There are 3 easy steps when you decide to use Socratica:

• Find the video you want to use

• Customize it with questions, notes, etc

• Assign it to your students

Though the website is pretty user-friendly and intuitive, it might be a good idea to first go through a quick beginners course offered by Edpuzzle: https://learn.edpuzzle.com/level-1
This helps you learn how to create an account, set up classes, invite students, check their progress and grade their answers.

Examples

We were happy to see that many teachers appreciate Socratica videos and have integrated them into their Edpuzzle creations.

Below are some examples of how Math, Science and Chemistry teachers have used our videos with Edpuzzle.

Example 1: Multiple choice question - Electron Configuration (Chemistry)

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On the right, the teacher has added a multiple-choice question to check if the students understood orbital levels, which are explained in the video.

Video description: Electron Configuration" refers to the arrangement of the electrons in an atom into orbitals. We demonstrate how to follow the Aufbau Principle, filling in electrons into the orbitals of the Aufbau Diagram while obeying Hund's Rule and the Pauli Exclusion Principle.  This video has 6 examples worked out in full:  Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, and Carbon.  We also cover two exceptions to the Aufbau Principle:  Chromium and Copper.  

Example 2: Open - ended question - Quadrilaterals (Math)

On the right, this teacher has used an open ended question to check the students’ knowledge on quadrilaterals’ names.
Video description: Quadrilaterals all have four sides, but they all look a little different.  How many kinds of quadrilaterals do you know?  In this video we talk about the different types of quadrilaterals. These geometric shapes include the square, rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid and rhombus.  Another name for the “trapezoid” is the “trapezium.”

Example 3: Multiple - choice question - Eclipses (Science)

Another example of a multiple-choice question in one of our science videos.
Video description: What is an Eclipse? You may be a little confused about the difference between a Solar Eclipse and a Lunar Eclipse. You know an Eclipse has something to do with the Earth getting in the way of the Moon -- or, is it the Moon getting in the way of the Sun? Which is for a Solar Eclipse, and which is for a Lunar Eclipse? In this video, we’ll take a closer look.

Example 4: Adding your own notes to videos - Pomodoro Technique (Study Tips)

If you want to add your own notes, links, etc to a video - you can easily do that by adding a Note (under the Add Question button). In this example, the teacher has used a note to suggest a pomodoro chrome extension in our Pomodoro Technique video.

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Other customizations that you can do with Edpuzzle:

• Upload your own videos

• Add voice-over comments

• Share videos with your students, assign deadlines, and track their scores and progress as they watch your videos and answer embedded questions

• Students can watch videos by themselves or via "live mode", where you can show a video as a group activity

• You can integrate Edpuzzle with Microsoft Teams, Clever, Canvas, Schoology, Moodle, Blackboard, etc.

• You can also take advantage of “Edpuzzle Originals” video lessons in the following categories:
  

Cost

Free & Paid versions.

The basic version is free and includes storage for 20 videos. The Pro Teacher plan is $13.50 per month and unlocks unlimited storage and data analytics. School and district plans are available.

If you have tried or will try Edpuzzle with Socratica videos, we would love to hear from you: hello@socratica.com
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What does literacy mean? The ability to read and write may come to mind. However, what if I told you it was more complicated than that? Commonly, people have understood literacy as a binary concept—you are either literate or you are not. But it turns out that literacy looks different across the globe. 

Put simply, literacy is a way of thinking which allows individuals to speak, listen, read and write a set of beliefs or ideas¹.

Literacy has been deemed one of the strongest predictors of individual success, and it allows people to finish schooling and secure jobs all around the world². Literacy also has the power to impact individual well-being and increases life satisfaction. 

The meaning of literacy quickly transforms into something more complex when we consider how its meaning changes from one culture to the next. In other words, being literate in one culture does not necessarily mean you are literate in another. 

Why is this? Because different cultures speak different languages, use different writing systems, and hold different values and practices! In order to capture a more well-rounded definition of literacy, anthropologists have begun to examine what literacy looks like in different cultures around the world.

Anthropologists reason that literacy is a way of thinking which is deeply intertwined with both social and cultural practices around the world. In other words, we must study literacy “in context³” and remember that literacy depends on the culture we are examining it in. ‍

For thousands of years, culture and language have coevolved, allowing societies to develop the perfect language for their cultural needs. 

Because of this relationship between culture and language, it is impossible to separate their profound impacts on one another. When it comes to learning how to read and/or write, individuals are learning how to reproduce their own cultural knowledge in a tangible way. Each culture around the world has had a unique history of language and literacy, so in order to understand literacy more thoroughly, we must examine it on a culture-to-culture basis. ‍

In this way, we see that language and literacy have grown to suit the needs of the culture it is from. For example, some phrases do not translate directly from one language into another—this is often the case with humor as well as unique cultural expressions or sayings. Linguistic anthropologists claim that while not all phrases can be seen across all languages, each language still has all the necessary tools to communicate their needs effectively⁴. How we learn to read and write directly corresponds to the needs of the culture in which these skills were learned.  

For example, the Zafimaniry are a group from Madagascar well known for their wood carving, art, and music. Currently the Zafimaniry population is estimated at about 25,000 all of which is distributed into approximately 100 villages. Anthropologist Maurice Bloch describes how when literacy is being constructed in a region, there are many forces acting all at once; this includes socioeconomics, local environment, cultural values, traditions, theories, and many others. A large part of the Zafimaniry culture includes knowledge of the body: how it grows, when it matures, and understanding that the body is a part of the “living world.” Bloch displays how much of what people learn to read and write about is culturally specific. The Zafimaniry learn about different facets of the body, growth, maturity and more depending on what phase of life they are in⁵. Blotch’s work with the Zafimaniry people is one example of the ways literacy differs around the world. 

On the other side of Africa, the Mende people of Sierra Leone are known for practicing crop rotation⁶ and their secret societies⁷. The Mende people have access to learning both English and Arabic and use literacy in these languages to strengthen the power of their secret societies⁸. Anthropologists Caroline Bledsoe and Kenneth Robey explore how the Mende people use their knowledge of the Arabic language to facilitate secrecy within the culture. Individuals who are adept with Arabic use the language as a tool to acquire knowledge and exchange confidential information with others. In this context, literacy is a vessel for secrecy and ultimately restricts the exchange of private information. In fact, one of the greatest crimes for the Mende people is sharing the secrets of their tribe with another! Clearly, how the Mende people use literacy is extremely different from how the Zafimaniry people use literacy.‍

As mentioned previously, literacy grants individuals the ability to reproduce cultural beliefs and ideologies and the possibilities for this are endless. Some more obvious examples of this may be writing a book, reading a poem, or singing a song. But, these simple forms of literacy can quickly transform into powerful and world-changing activities such as producing a political campaign, sharing a religious text, or even suggesting a new economic model. ‍

With the ability to reproduce cultural information also comes the power to change it. 

If people have the ability to read and write about their culture, they also have the power to propose new ideas. Over time, what cultures believe, as well as which topics they consider to be the most relevant change. This allows people to use literacy to read about, write, and create new ideas for the culture to share. Even further, literacy can redefine entire cultural values over time. This includes the ability to reshape traditions, reconstruct values, and even redefine power dynamics. How we choose to teach learners to read and write has an immediate impact on how an entire culture’s values and traditions will grow and change. Reading and writing has a major impact on individual lives and can propel people into success. Small changes over time will ultimately lead to large cultural shifts in the future—and it all starts with literacy! 

Our understanding of literacy is transformed when evaluated with an anthropological perspective. It becomes clear that literacy is not the same all around the world but rather a skillset that varies from culture to culture. Charities such as Reading is Fundamental, Reading Partners, The World Literacy Foundation, as well as many others are doing great work when it comes to increasing literacy rates around the world. But, there is always more that can be done! As literacy rates continue to climb, it is important to study literacy with the consideration that it looks different for everyone and includes much more than the ability to read or write. Literacy allows individuals to replicate, and redefine cultural ideologies and will continue to have an impact on what and how we learn in the generations to come. So next time you hear about literacy, take a moment to ask yourself, how do you use literacy to impact the world around you?

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References:

0. National Literacy Trust, What is Literacy 

1. Street, Cross-Cultural Approaches to Literacy (1993)

2. African American Registry, The Mende People—A Story 

3. Reinhardt, Mende Secret Societies and Their Costumed Spirits (1979) 

4. Bledsoe & Robey, Arabic Literacy and Secrecy Among the Mende of Sierra Leone (1986) 

5. Solomon & Bloch, Zafimaniry: An Understanding of What is Passed on From Parents to Children: A Cross Cultural Investigation (2001) 

6. Cabrera, World Reading Habits in 2020 (2020) 

7. Project Literacy, The Importance of Literacy 

8. Ottenheimer & Pine, The Anthropology of Language, (2019) 

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