The Learning Power of Multimedia: Introducing Our New #AdobeEduCreative Program

Learn more about our monthly educator spotlights and get early access to become an Adobe Creative Educator.

Graphic of #AdobeEdCreative Program.

Learning in the 21st century: For the last decade, educators have stressed the importance of the 4 Cs of learning: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. These components are embedded in standards and must come to the forefront as we shape student skills and learning environments for success in the digital age.

Classrooms without technology are no longer an option–nor is tech simply a fancy but meaningless addition to student work. Teachers are currently seeking ways to effectively integrate technology directly into instructional design and learning. A crucial component of technology-infused learning is multimedia, or content that uses a variety of forms, such as text, audio, video, images, and animation, to provide a more holistic and individualized approach to communication. Students must also consider a target audience and the medium they use to best communicate their message.

Enter Adobe’s Creative Cloud, with 22 industry-standard apps that enhance learning and turn students into creators.

For our book The Google-Infused Classroom, my co-author Holly Clark and I have come up with this simple framework to help teachers utilize technology–and multimedia–in meaningful and relevant ways for student learning. Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite is perfect for this. Classroom tech should help to:

  1. Make thinking visible- This could look as simple as having a student screenshot their written work or using an audio recording feature to explain their understanding of an idea or process.
  2. Cultivate student voice- In 2020, if we are not hearing from each learner in our classrooms and allowing them to have voice and choice in their learning, we are doing something wrong. With today’s tech, learners can choose appropriate media that best shares their learning. Since not every student prefers using written language to express understanding, they personalize their communication by adding graphics or video to convey their understanding. They can even add music or voiceover narration! Giving each student a voice levels the field and equips them with ownership of their learning.
  3. Enable students to share work- We know that grades alone are not a great motivator. Fortunately, learners today can go beyond the traditional digital turn-in protocols that include only their teacher, with a grade as the ultimate goal. But choosing an audience for a message inspires learners to put their heart and soul into their work. Taking a page from the blogger and social media influencer playbook, students can now utilize the platform to best communicate their message. Tech that supports this goal provides choices like graphics, video and audio to enhance the message.

Multimedia is the key that unlocks the door to the thinking process. Students have a choice in how they demonstrate their learning. Adobe empowers learners to harness the tools that cultivate the 4 Cs, become creators–and share their ideas with the world.

#AdobeEduCreative March Challenge

Following in our commitment to building community through connection and celebration of creativity in education, we are thrilled to announce our new #AdobeEduCreative Program! Educators are invited to join in for monthly spotlights which include exciting monthly challenges, blog posts with classroom examples, curated Pinterest collections of resources, Twitter chats, and more all hosted by Adobe for Education and our special guest spotlight educators!

During this month of March, we are kicking things off with a 4-week commitment to Communication Skills in Multimedia with special guest spotlight educators Tanya Avrith and Jennifer Williams. Tanya and Jennifer have planned a full month of fun and welcome you to join in for the experience. Grab your calendars and start setting reminders! Here is a snapshot of everything they have in store for you!

Ready to dive into our first #AdobeEduCreative Monthly Challenge? Let’s do it!

Head over to Adobe Spark to create your My #AdobeEduCreative Name Card! Using Adobe Spark Post, create a digital name card that you can use online to introduce yourself, your interests, and your identity as a Creative Educator! Please feel free to add in your favorite fonts, colors, images, and photos! Here are some examples:

Once you have your Adobe Spark Post name card created, share it over on Twitter by tagging @AdobeforEdu, using the hashtag #AdobeEduCreative and #Contest. We will be eagerly watching and ready to share and celebrate with you there!

To thank you for your participation, we will be doing a random prize giveaway! Check out what we have in store for PRIZES for the month!

Grand Prize, 1 Winner: iPad Pro and a 6 month Creative Cloud subscription

First Place, 2 Winners: 6-month Creative Cloud subscription

Second Place, 3 Winners: Adobe swag (branded notebook, pen, etc.)

Terms and Conditions

We look forward to a month of sharing and learning together! Thank you for being a part of our Adobe for Education community and for growing with us as we move into this new exciting stage!

— Your Adobe for Education Team