EdCanvas: Presentation Tool Extraordinaire

EdCanvas is one of those neat tools I stumbled upon after meeting the dudes at instaGrok. They said (basically) if you like instaGrok, you should really check this out, too! I did...it it is awesome! My work has me in a lot of schools around the world (both physically and telepresence) and I work with a LOT of teachers K-12...and sometimes all K-12 together (always good fun). Inevitably, a great instructional tool will be loved by elementary but hated by middle and high school, or vice versa. Is difficult in that kind of setting to please everyone and/or make everything (specifically) relevant to everyone (the usual extremes of "hard to please" are high school math and early elementary teachers). Rarely do I find a tool that pleases everybody...EdCanvas is one of those rare tools.

Why is that? For most teachers there are 5 things they want to see:
#1: Free
#2: Easy to use
#3: Applicable to their curriculum
#4: Easy to Track/View/Store projects
#5: Free (just making sure)

EdCanvas is all of these things. There are wonderful online presentation tools out there like Prezi, Google Docs, etc, but EdCanvas is different. Not better...different. It is ANOTHER tool that can be used in the classroom. As a former speech teacher (among other things), I LOVE presentation tools. PowerPoint, Keynote and on and on (I was an original Aldus Persuasion user, too...yes kids...I am old). Way back I was a HyperStudio "power user" and used it with elementary, middle and high school kids. Teaching it to educators, it was the only multimedia tool that I ever used where all (okay, most) K-12, multi-subject teachers loved it and saw the relevance for the classroom. That was until EdCanvas. Doing workshops around instructional strategies using technology are pretty fun...love showing teachers technologies they may or may not be using, but linking it to best practices. Sometimes the tech takes over more than I would like, though, as some people don't quite "get it" as fast as others. Not so with EdCanvas. Many workshops and many diverse tech levels...one common denominator: teachers LOVE EdCanvas. The best part is they learn it, create with it, and present with it...all in under 30 minutes.

So let's do a quick tour...head on over to www.edcanvas.com

 

Register for a free login...make one, or use a Facebook or Google account. 

Realizing that my last post (instaGrok) was a little TOO descriptive on using software, EdCanvas's Amy Lin (who is very helpful & responsive, btw) already has a nice tutorial:

This program is RIDICULOUSLY EASY. It will create multiple slides with clicking and dragging from Youtube, Google (images and web), Flickr, web links, files...even linking to Dropbox and Google Drive accounts! There is a place to save bookmarks, too, although would love to see another button to link to my Diigo account (in case you are listening EdCanvas). 

I love EdCanvas. (Have I said that?) I can create separate areas for each class (or workshop, division, etc) to keep a portfolio of student work. Plus, can send out the links (via Twitter, Facebook, etc) so parents can easily see what is going on, too. As a teacher, I can use it to create resources students can watch inside/outside of class (or Flipped Class). Most important to me, I can use it with students and let them express themselves by creating. Great stuff.

I would love to hear what you think about EdCanvas so please leave a comment or hit me on Twitter. I am sure EdCanvas would love to hear what you think, too. Shoot them an email or connect on Twitter.

Here are some cool EdCanvas projects to check out, too:
Photosynthesis
2012 Elections (for Flipped Classroom)
Parts of Speech Review (School House Rock)