Today’s challenge was creating my own infographic. Infographics are a creative method of presenting information using images and text. I am not good at creating my own drawings, but the program I chose, Canva, had tons of beautiful templates to choose from. In fact, the hardest part of this challenge was choosing a template. I was tempted by several of the designs to subscribe to Canva for $12.99 a month, but I fought my impulsive-shopper’s nature and selected a free template… for now. I used the template to create an infographic for kids listing some of the benefits of reading.
Another challenge I faced was figuring out what sort of information to add to the infographic. I chose my template before I chose my topic, so it was a struggle to create an original idea. The infographic templates on Canva are so detailed that they require little creativity from the user. In the future, when I use this program with my students to create infographics, it is important that I make sure they have committed to a topic and have some sort of direction about the message they want to convey before they get started. Otherwise, I fear Canva will do most of the brainwork for them. I would suggest choosing templates based on images that support their ideas and immediately erasing the text.
On the flip side, having such detailed infographic templates would make a teacher’s job much easier if he or she is creating an anchor chart for a specific skill. For example, I searched “parts of speech” and “punctuation” on Canva and found detailed infographics that could be printed and posted in the classroom as anchor charts. A teacher uninterested in recreating the wheel could simply make minor adjustments before printing. However, the teacher could take it a step further by using the same template to create additional infographics for related skills, maintaining uniformity in theme and color scheme.
Overall, I feel more confident about sharing information through images now that I am familiar with infographic templates. It is quicker and easier than creating anchor charts by hand on large easel pads, and I am sure my students will enjoy a break from my poorly drawn illustrations.
I agree with you that it was tough to pick one infographic because there were so many choices. I also agree with you that it helps to use them to not have to reinvent the wheel. 🙂 Great job on resisting the urge to sign up for a subscription…for now. 🙂 And great infographic.
Hi, I also found it easier to choose an infographic and let the ideas for content to come to me. I also agree that with my students I will go through the content creation phase before they look at templates. One question, what is an anchor chart?
Hey Kat, great question! Anchor charts are a way to “anchor” students by placing everything they need to remember about a topic on a poster somewhere in the classroom where they can easily see and refer back to it. Just like with infographics, anchor charts use a combination of illustrations and text to convey a message. The main difference between the two is that infographics are created digitally by the instructor, and anchor charts are usually hand-drawn and co-created by teachers and students (Moses & Lee, 2014).
References:
Moses, E., & Lee. H.(2014). Innovate and imitate anchor charts. International Reading Association. https://www.literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/member-benefits/e-ssentials/ila-e-ssentials-8065.pdf
Your infographic is so cute! I love the images you selected. I agree that it is a good idea to have an idea of what you want to use the infographic for before you start choosing a template. I can imagine that students could easily go down a rabbit hole while looking for templates without having an idea in mind.
Adorable infographic! You make an excellent point about Canva and detailed templates. It can be hard to present your ideas when Canva makes it easy! Great job on resisting the urge to upgrade to Pro. I’ve been using Canva for years and still have not felt it necessary to upgrade because they provide many great options!
This is so cute! I was wondering about the templates. It feels like it’s more of a ready to use infographic than a template.
And thanks for the information on the differences between infographics and anchor charts.
I love the infographic! It is so cute and would be so good on the wall in a classroom. I am a very visual person so I also liked all the options that canva gave us. I too had to hold off on just going ahead and buying canva but I probably will be in the future.
I like the template you choose for this post; the colors are soothing, and the images are kid friendly. I agree with your statement this was quicker and easier than my previous attempts. I normally have my 5th grades who can draw help me in some of my poster projects. I am committed to using Canva in the future.