Top 3 Tech Tools for Creativity
When I woke up on Saturday morning, I decided to go to my local craft store to buy a paint-by-number kit. I have done this one other time in my life, and it was during Covid. It was such a small thing, but I remember feeling calm as I painted within the lines (and sometimes outside of them). Eventually, I could see the image coming together. This time, I’m working on a big painting. It’s going to take me months at the rate I’m going. I’m ok with that. Painting with an actual paint brush got me thinking about the other tools I use as a creative outlet. I thought of three right away. Just like I got lost in the simplicity of the brush strokes, I can just as easily get lost in a design tool on my laptop. Here are the three I love and a couple of ways you could use them as a creative adult or with students. And they all have great free versions!
While I haven’t used this tool for novel writing, it is amazing for collaboration and self expression. A couple of years ago, I presented a conference session about creativity, and each participant wrote a haiku poem and made a page in the book to reflect on how they felt they were creative. By the end of the session, we had a beautiful book with some pretty fabulous writing. You can check it out here. Beyond professional development, the opportunities are endless. Students can create a class book that can then be shared with families. Students and teachers can create a digital library about the topics and stories that matter to them. It can even be used as an assessment tool for any subject area. Show what you learned about area, perimeter, you get the idea. Hey, maybe I’ll make a photo book about my new foray into paint-by-number art.
The next tool is so much fun to get lost in. On first glance, it may seem like a substitute for power point or Google slides, but there is oh so much more. My favorite feature is the escape games. Check out the mystery escape game I made for Shipshape. Inspiration abounds in the community, and there are countless templates to explore. I’m partial to the games. Kids can let their creativity run wild as they use the templates to share their learning, favorite books, or anything else they (and you) can think of.
Last, but certainly not least, the tool I use for basically everything, Canva. From newsletter graphics, social media posts, and so much more, I don’t know what I did before it existed. There are two things I love most about it. The first is that it’s super easy to use with millions (maybe I’m exaggerating, but probably not) of templates, and it’s free for schools. Canva for Education is supported by Canva the company, so I feel good about paying for the product even though they have a very excellent free version too. Basically everything I post was made using this tool. Check it out if you haven’t before, and suddenly you will feel like a designer. Because you are! Here’s one of my favorite creations below.
Everyone can create, and you don’t have to be tech savvy to do it!
Image made using Canva.
