Canva and Narrative Writing were made for each other. Do your students moan and groan each time you mention the word writing? Mine did. Just the sound of the word sent negative vibes throughout my classroom. The sad thing was I loved writing. I love every aspect of it. I have even written three books to show my students just how much fun writing can be. Teaching writing itself wasn’t my frustration. It was wanting my students to love writing as much as I do. Then, as I was working on my latest book, I went back over my own steps to write a story and realized, as I was in the privacy of my home office, I never used the same writing steps I utilized myself to teach my own students.
Join me as I share with you all about my students’ creative storytelling journey and how Canva and narrative writing transformed our classroom’s writing adventures.
Visual Formation of My Main Character Changed Everything
Let’s face it…all stories center around the main character. From the Hungry Little Caterpillar to James and the Giant Peach, the story has always been about the character. With this, the first true step of creating a character is to visualize it and then later, write about it. This visualization process can occur within the mind, on paper, and countless other ways.
How I Visual My Main Character
With the creation of each new book I write, I always start with a visual of my main character, some sort of illustration, a photo, a stuffed animal, or even a stick figure to help bring my character to life. I need the visual to provide lots of ideas to include within my writing. Oddly enough, I have been known to frequent gift stores searching for that one idea to bring a character to life. I actually found my first character in a gift shop during Christmas one year.
However, when I ask my students to visualize and write about their main character on a piece of paper or type on a google doc, they normally stop immediately in their tracks. They are like deer caught in oncoming headlights. Their 21st century brains seemed to just power down.
That’s when I realized comparing my own writing style to the one I instruct them to use in the classroom was completely different. I always used a visual first in my hands or in front of me in order to describe my main character and from there, the setting would appear, and then the story’s problems would unfold.
Students Need Visuals Too
With this revelation, I recognized that my students needed this method as well. But how could I pull them into the world of visualizing a story first, without reinventing the wheel? Then it dawned on me. Everything I needed to teach writing in the style I was accustomed to was on Canva, just waiting for me to put it to use.
The first aspect I realized was that I needed to show my students how they could use their creative talents to craft a visually rendered narrative before they ever wrote their first word. A visually rendered narrative is a book in which the illustrations tell the story, not the words. Normally, the reader must interpret the characters’ actions, feelings, and motivations without text. However, with Canva, students can easily first render a wordless picture book. Then, once this is completed to their satisfaction, they can then go back and write directly into the story they have just created. This method takes the pressure off of picking up a pencil and staring at a blank sheet of paper or an empty google doc.
Some famous visually rendered narratives to share with your students before they begin their own journey to create this type of book are The Lion and The Mouse, by Jerry Pinkey, The Journey by Aaron Becker, and Flotsam by David Wiesner.
When a visually rendered narrative is shared, readers must closely observe the illustrations and use context clues to follow the plot and understand the characters’ emotions. When students first create these books before they write, it encourages them to use their imaginations to interpret their own story in various ways, making writing the text more vivid and detailed.
Make It Look Like a Storybook from the Beginning
One of my desires is for my students to truly feel they are authors. Everything with 21st century students is so fast paced. They are impatient during the writing process steps and are anxious to see their published work, so to tame this fast-paced desire, I begin with what feels like a published book from the very beginning.
Everyone’s Template
The first step I take is to have everyone create the same design template by typing the word “zoom” in the right hand top corner of Canva, labeled “Create A Design.” Next, I have the students choose Zoom Virtual Background. If you look at the picture below, you will notice this particular template resembles a picture book completely opened. Visualize an open picture book waiting for its story to unfold. Now, the students’ imaginations and storybooks are ready to be brought to life.
Choose a Character
With the Visually Rendered Narrative Method of Writing, everything is kept simple and never too complex. I want my students to feel relaxed and thus happy to write. So, by first asking my students to choose a visual of a character for a story, writing becomes a simple task, not a dreaded assignment.
Sometimes, I might guide this process by suggesting a forest animal from mentor text our class has used before as in Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell or a student in school, such as I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoët. By letting students have free range to choose their characters and visuals, everyone is at ease.
Working In Groups: No One Ever Writes Alone
I also encourage my students to work in groups of two or three. I have noticed that if a student is left to independently come up with ideas, there seems to be a void in their creative process. However, if they have a friend or partner they can work with, imaginations light up. I know…the traditional writing class tends to be quiet, but with my method, students come alive and from there create so many unique characters and stories, it is unbelievable. The hustle, bustle, and commotion of discussion further brings writing to life for my students and makes it enjoyable. Thus, our classroom motto is, “No one ever writes alone.”
In order to choose a character on Canva, such as a forest animal, the student will click on “Elements.” It is second from the top on the left hand side. Next, they will type “Forest Animal” in the search. Then “See All” under graphics. Typically we don’t use real photos or videos for narratives. We save those for reports or other writing adventures. Now, the fun begins. I give the students time to pick out their characters. For this demonstration, I will choose a fox. Once I have picked a fox, I will simply click on it and it magically appears on the storybook page.
Setting Shapes the Nature of the Problem
Setting is such an important component of a story. The characteristics of the setting can easily shape the nature of the problem in the story. Settings can be a source of conflict itself, such as natural disasters or historical events, as well as the environment itself can influence a character’s behavior. For example, imagine the different problems a fox would have if he lived in a park in the city vs. a beautiful countryside in an abandoned farm.
Next, my students will choose their setting in Canva, but as they do, they will concentrate on what type of problem their character could face. For example, maybe our fox is lost and alone in a desert with nothing to drink. Perhaps, he is in a city park and people are chasing him away. Or he is trapped in a snow storm, alone, hungry, and scared. Canva does a super job with all the different setting options it provides. For the purposes of our story, we will choose a snow storm in a forest. Simply type “Forest Snow” in the elements search box and lots of graphics pop up.
Established Setting
After the setting has been established, students can begin further exploring the problem. Students are given time to think about the story’s problem without requiring them to churn out words. This is what I like to call Story Mapping in the Mind Time.
My students once were able to speak with the now famous Max Brallier, of the Last Kids on Earth series, over Zoom, and one of the things that he stated was when he writes he actually lays on his couch and closes his eyes and thinks. Yep, that’s it. After the story has completely unfolded in his mind, he then gets up and writes what he imagined. It is truly amazing what stories we can create without a pencil in our hands.
Some Problems our Students Could Imagine
Below are a few problems our students may think of as they stare at the picture of the fox wandering through the snow storm:
- The young fox is hungry and scared. As he walks alone feeling sorry for himself, he spots a small rabbit more worse than him caught in a fence.
- Perhaps, the fox hears cries for help and discovers a baby owl stranded in the snow.
- The fox finds a lonely snowman in the middle of the woods. It decides to keep the snowman company and protect it from the fierce wind, making a new friend in the end.
- The fox encounters a lost child in the woods during the storm. Together, they must navigate the treacherous conditions to find safety.
Revising through Visuals
As these problems flow through the students’ minds, they can add additional characters, elements, and additional settings to their story. Thus, making their story further come to life through the help of Canva and all the graphics available at the students’ fingertips.
As the story develops within their minds and through the graphics in Canva, they still must follow a plot line, such as rising action, climax (the do or die moment), then the happy ending. Normally, this is a stressful part of the writing assignment, but when they create the plot line through illustrations, the stories seem to naturally unfold until a happy ending results.
Now that the Story is Complete, it is Time to Write!
At this point, the students have not written any text for the story. However, the story is technically already written in the students’ minds and now visually too on Canva. Now, it’s time to add the text or writing part. With all the details and plot line already established, the writing part is now an easy process because the creation part of the story has already occurred.
Story Follows Logical Order
Before they begin to write, they should go back and make sure everything is in order, such as character and setting, introduction, three stages of the plot, and resolution. The three stages of the plot can be 3, 6, or 9 pages long. I make this a rule that there has to be either 1 page, 2 pages, or 3 pages for each stage of the plot line. This keeps the story moving along and balanced.
Now that everything is organized, the true writing begins. First, the students will select the font style and the color of the font to help the reader see. Then the students will basically “write” the story they have already created in their minds and can now see in front of them by easily using the visuals of each page to help add descriptive words.
Also, during this time, it is okay and even encouraged if students decide to add or delete a visual feature of their story. For example, when our class really did write about the young fox and baby owl, the students decided to move a couple of trees near instead of far away. They also added different elements to further enhance their writing as well, such as wind swept snow flowing over the fox and young owl.
Our Story
Below is one of the stories my students created using this method:
The Warmth of Kindness
One cold winter day, a young fox trotted alone through the snowy woods. As the wind blew, snowflakes swirled all around him, blinding his path.
Suddenly he stopped and perked up his ears. The young fox heard a group of loud, frantic whooos from a nearby tree. He felt something was wrong.
As he carefully trotted closer, he saw a small owl shivering in the snow. The baby’s parents were frantic, not knowing what to do. The wind was too rough for them to swoop down and save their little fledgling. Luckily, little fox had an idea.
He decided to lay beside the small owl just as his mother did him when he lived in the family’s lodge. As he laid down, he wrapped his fluffy red tail around the little guy. Soon, the owl stopped shivering and fell asleep, all snudge and warm.
The next morning, the sun shone through the trees’ branches. As the little fox opened his eyes, he saw 2 beautiful owls and their baby smiling at him. He instantly knew everything was going to be okay.
Other Canva Features
Another delightful feature Canva offers is the ability to share stories between students. Students can exchange stories and ask their writing partner if there is anything they can do to improve their story. Without telling their partner, the student can simply correct the writing through this share feature. Students may even add new details to help complete the story.
Lastly, if time permits, I always have my students share their stories with me by sending it to my email address or placing it into an assignment folder. Sometimes I correct things and use a different color font to show where I may have added or corrected. Small note, I despise using a red font. I want my edits to be another tool in my student’s box to make their story better, not a cop issuing tickets.
Other times, I may use the comment feature to write to them about the story’s great points, and then suggest things to improve. I also provide a paper checklist to go over for editing. I have noticed even though our students are so advanced technology-wise, they will still use paper and pencils to jot down notes or go over forgotten steps.
Editing Mini-Lessons
I do suggest particular aspects of editing and revising to focus on each time my students and I edit stories. Most of the time, I will focus on one editing or revising feature for the week. For example, on week 1, I will focus on capitalization. During the next week, we will focus on periods. If I notice the same errors continually popping up, I will go over mini-writing lessons to remind them what to specifically look for.
I also remind them that the editing process is to be done after the story is completed. I feel students should have freedom to simply write while they are writing. As I said, as I was writing my book, I realized that I never wanted to stop the flow as I typed. I wanted the words that were in my head to find their way onto the computer. After the story was finished, I went back over what I wrote to check for errors, or to add descriptive words to help enhance my story.
Critique Day
Another delightful feature with Canva is the ability to share stories on an interactive board for everyone to see. After the stories are completed, but not officially published, I will ask some very brave souls to share their writing from Canva onto the interactive board. In the beginning, I was worried about this, but soon realized my students loved to share their work at this point. They said it helped them correct things they had not noticed and it also gave them ideas to add to their stories.
However, I do have rules during the critique stage when it is displayed for all to see. First, the student who raises their hand to comment must first start off with something they love about the story. Next, they can then tell what needs to be corrected or added, and then to finish, they must tell something else they love about the story. I found that once these rules are in motion, students truly do enjoy their work critiqued. Again, our motto is “No one ever writes alone.”
Best Part: Show Off Day, Canva, and Narrative Writing
I always prepare my students ahead of time for this very special day. Students know this is NOT a critique but a celebratory day in which someone’s story is published, waiting for it to come to life in front of the world. No one can suggest improvements on this day. This is a day to enjoy and celebrate a student’s achievement. With the beauty of technology, I easily can share my students’ work within the classroom. Everyone knows this is the day of celebration in which a story is born and they take it very seriously, enjoying every moment of the debut.
Sometimes we even invite guests to this little party, such as admin, related arts teachers, and teachers that work directly with our students, such as the ESL teachers, etc. I have invited members of the cafeteria staff or our custodian workers to sit in a place of honor as our young authors make their debut. Everyone who attends these events enjoys watching the published stories come to life on the big screen as much as the students do.
Conclusion
In my classroom, “No one writes alone.” We are a family of writers, editors, and readers. Using Canva to first create visually rendered picture books takes away the negative feelings that can occur when students are left alone to produce a story, either with pencil and paper or a blank Google doc. If you have been struggling with the idea of how you can excite your students and share with them the love of writing, Canva is definitely a great place to begin. It creates a calmness in the writing process and excites your students’ 21st century minds as well.
