Raising Arrows
Graphic Design Beginners Class Perfect for Homeschoolers!
This year, my middle schooler is taking the Graphic Design class from Techie Homeschool Mom. This review shares why I believe this class is a great way to introduce your techie kids to a useful skill!
I have a 12 year old who is gifted in all things computers. His older brother (who now works in the tech industry) also had this gift, and something I realized from parenting him is that you have to harness, hone, and guide those aptitudes so your techie kids don’t just play games all day (and all night!).
By the time my older son, Blake, was 14, I was able to give him small tasks that helped me with my blog. And by the time he graduated high school, he was editing podcasts and video, and had a successful blog of his own!
Did he play computer games? Yes.
But, I wasn’t about to let that be the ONLY thing he knew how to do. He needed useful, tangible skills, and those skills led to a full-time job in the tech industry before he had even graduated college.
So, when Micah started showing an interest and aptitude in computers and games, I knew it was time to start directing him toward some useful skills of his own.
You might have your own techie homeschool kid, but you might also be at a loss for HOW to direct that child toward useful skills. Let me share where we started…
Introducing kids to the basics of graphic design
One of the best ways to build useful skills in your tech savvy children is with a basic graphic design course.
Even if they never do graphic design as a full time gig, there is a likely chance they will need a basic understanding of graphic design in whatever job they end up doing. Teachers, engineers, bloggers, salesmen, anyone who needs to promote anything needs to understand how graphic design works.
Plus, understanding graphic design will help your child recognize the way the product ads on television and the internet try to sell an emotional response through visual appeal.
Graphic Design literally touches every aspect of our lives these days, so why not introduce your child to how it works and how they can learn this skill for themselves.
Who knows, they might even be able to earn money in high school and college working for a blogger making graphics for posts, podcasts, and video!
Graphic Design for Homeschoolers
I almost always prefer to let my children take classes from other homeschoolers, so when I saw the Techie Homeschool Mom class on Graphic Design With Canva, I knew that was where I wanted to start with my 12 year old.
Most bloggers I know use Canva to make their graphics (myself included), and the free version of the program is quite robust (and all you need for this class!). However, if you are interested in buying the pro membership so you have access to all of the features, photos and storage, you can go HERE and snag that. All of my older kids use the pro account with me, so it’s been a worthwhile investment.
So, you’re probably wondering what Graphic Design with Canva class includes. Here’s a rundown of what you’ll find:
- 6 weeks of SELF-PACED lessons covering the basics of graphic design.
- Lessons in how to design using Canva.
- Learn how to use webtools to complete fun design projects.
- Learn how to upload their digital design projects and practice giving feedback and constructive criticism within the course.
- Learn about the history of and careers in graphic design.
This class is geared toward upper-elementary and middle school homeschoolers who are interested in graphic design and have a working knowledge of computers.
Now, for thing you are really curious about…
What did my son think of the Graphic Design With Canva Class?
He is loving it! And from a mom’s perspective, I am super impressed with his work! But, let me get specific:
Micah has enjoyed the tutorials and feels like they are easy to follow except for a few instances where Canva updated their site and he wasn’t able to find certain elements mentioned in the class without searching a bit. However, he did eventually find what he was looking for, so I commend his perseverance.
He has really enjoyed showing me what he has accomplished in each class (and I love offering him feedback and encouragement!). He excitedly shows me every single lesson because he’s really enjoying learning new things!
I have had to help him learn how to download his designs to the computer and then upload them to the class. This something he will need to know as he gets older anyway. I’m not certain the class addressed this or just assumed kids would know how to do it, but he did need help and it took a few times for him to get the hang of it.
The thing I am most impressed with is how he is definitely getting an eye for design and how to make things “look right.” That is really half the challenge of graphic design.
Here is his Word Cloud project. He worked really hard making all the words look just right.
Probably the best testimony to how great the Graphic Design with Canva class has been is the fact that his siblings (yes, ALL of his siblings – even the older ones) are asking if THEY can take the class! And since we now have lifetime access to this class, I am more than happy to oblige!
The lifetime access and the super reasonable cost of this class makes this a great option for large families, so I’d highly encourage you to try it out with not only your techie kids, but ALL of your children!
Graphic Design Beginners Class Perfect for Homeschoolers!
Amy