The new year is the perfect time to dive into some fun, engaging projects to help students ease back into the routine after winter break. So, why not have them craft a vision board? Creating a vision board not only helps learners to set goals for the new year, but it also encourages them to interact with technology, create a media product, and convey a message using texts and images purposefully. I know how it feels when teachers need to come up with a new lesson idea right after the holiday season; therefore, I’ve decided to share this short, engaging Vision Board Project activity so you can use it in the first week back to school.
What you need to carry out this project:
a tablet or laptop for each student
internet access to use the Canva for Education platform (free for education)
Coloured printer to print out students’ work and display them on a bulletin board in your classroom (optional)
Goals:
Create a media product (integrating technology into the classroom).
Use texts and images to convey a meaningful message.
Reflect on goals and how one can accomplish them.
Reflect on important things in life.
Set goals and outline how these could be achieved.
Allow students to think big.
Nurture learners’ creativity.
Carrying out the activity:
Step 1: Find examples of vision boards online and showcase one or two on your SMART board at the beginning of the class. Invite learners to look at the features (images, texts, words, organization, structure). Elicit a possible name for the product being displayed. Then, write Vision Board on the board and ask learners to think of anything they believe a vision board should include. Once students finished brainstorming ideas, ask them to name reasons why people might want to create vision boards. This whole class discussion should lead into the presentation of the project they will need to carry out.
Step 2: Present the project and explain what a vision board is.
A possible definition: A vision board is a visual display of the goals/dreams we want to achieve and how we intend to reach them. It showcases a collage of images, words for the new year, inspirational quotes or ideas, action words, intentions, and actions to achieve these objectives.
A vision board is a powerful motivational tool as it helps us focus on our goals and what it takes to accomplish them.
Here is an example of a 2023 vision board I have created using Canva.
Learners could create a vision board that has much more content than the example I have provided. They could go wild in terms of design and quality of content.
Step 3: Make teams of 2-3 students. Distribute the tablets or laptops. Students may brainstorm ideas together as a team or help one another out during the creative process, but they should individually design a vision board that reflects their own goals.
Step 4: Instruct learners to visit https://www.canva.com/education/.
If you have a free teacher account, you may invite them to join Canva. Students can also sign up easily with their school email address.
Step 5: Although vision board templates are available on Canva, students should start with a blank page so they can use their creativity to design a new media product. Instruct learners to click the button “Create a design” at the top-right corner of the screen and select Custom. They will enter 8.5” x 11” to create a letter-sized template, which is easier to print out later.
Step 6: Once their template is created, tell learners to rename it by typing in their full name and group.
Step 7: Circulate in the classroom to monitor learners’ progress.
Step 8: When students are done with the work, instruct them to click the “Share” button at the top-right corner of the screen; then, click “Download”, select file option “PDF Print”, and download their document.
Ask learners to send their downloaded vision board by email or upload it to Google classroom.
Step 10: If you can, print out students’ vision board projects in colour and display them in the classroom. You can also organize a gallery walk and invite learners to offer constructive feedback on their peers’ projects.
If printing is not an option, learners could show their vision board to their peers on a tablet or laptop.
If you do not have access to digital devices, students could complete this activity using paper, coloured pencils, magazines, or newspapers. You could also team up with the art teacher and turn this activity into an interdisciplinary project.
You could easily adapt this project and use it in the beginning of the school year, as well.
I hope this activity will help you to have a great back-to-school time with your students.
May you have a wonderful New Year!
Happy teaching,
Kynga C.
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