For years, I’ve been teaching my media design students how to edit subjects out of photos using photo editing tools in Pixlr.com, the web’s best cloud-based photo editor. But AI applications are evolving quickly, and tools like Canva’s Magic Eraser can now do in seconds what used to take minutes.
Exactly how good is Canva’s Magic Eraser? I set out to find out using six increasingly complex images. Here are the timestamps for the video:
0:00:00 – Welcome! Start by logging into your Canva for Education account.
0:24 – How to use Canva’s Magic Eraser to remove a paddleboarder from a lake.
1:27 – How to use Canva’s Magic Eraser to remove a man (doing a handstand) from a beach.
2:52 – How to use Canva’s Magic Eraser to remove Elias Pettersson from a hockey photo.
4:27 – How to use Canva’s Magic Eraser to remove Lebron James from a basketball photo.
5:46 – How to use Canva’s Magic Eraser to remove a college student from a group photo.
7:16 – How to use Canva’s Magic Eraser to remove a politician from a political photo.
My conclusion: Canva’s Magic Eraser isn’t perfect, but it’s highly proficient and scary fast. For teachers looking to remove a photobomber, power lines, or another subject who shouldn’t be represented in a school publication, Canva’s Magic Eraser tool might be your solution.
MIKE WASHBURN is a Microsoft in Education expert, the Director of Engagement at @Participate, co-host of the fabulous @OnEducationPod, and the co-founder of the @OnPodcastMedia podcast network. When you visit Mike’s website you encounter this phrase: Passionately Educating, Constantly Learning – and that really summarizes Mike’s whole attitude and approach to education.
Questions, Topics, and YouTube Timestamps
7:40 – It’s story time! Please share with us about a low moment or an experience of adversity that you’ve faced in your teaching or education career, and describe how you overcame it.
16:39 – Congratulations on your new position at Participate! Can you talk about the mission and vision of Participate and describe your role in moving that forward?
23:05 – Another fun project that you’ve been working on lately is the official podcast for Minecraft Education. Tell us what you love about the Minecraft platform and the opportunities that it presents learners.
32:47 – One of the reasons I love OnEducation is that you and Glen don’t run your thoughts through any sort of political filter. You tell it like it is, and sometimes that means holding politicians, education companies, textbooks, or personalities to the fire. In the age of political correctness where just about the worst thing we can do is offend another person or educator, talk about the importance of bringing critical thinking to the education conversation.
38:53 – As you look across your PLN and your own practice, what else is setting you ON FIRE about education today?
41:24 – Where do you see professional learning moving and evolving in the years to come?
44:43 – Outside of education, what’s another area of learning for you? What is it that ignites your passions outside of the classroom and brings you alive as a human being? Tell us why this area interests you and why you enjoy it.
47:07 – Share about one personal habit or productivity hack that contributes to your success.
RABBI MICHAEL COHEN is a designer, educator, creativity instigator, podcaster, YouTuber, speaker, and an Apple Distinguished Educator. He’s also the Director of Innovation at Yeshiva University of Los Angeles Boys High School and the author of Educated by Design: Designing the Space to Experiment, Explore, and Extract Your Creative Potential.
⭐️ Use the timestamps below to jump to specific parts of this conversation in YouTube. ⬇️
05:09 – It’s story time! Please share with us about a low moment or an experience of adversity that you’ve faced in your teaching or education career, and describe how you overcame it.
08:54 – I can’t say enough about your book, Educated by Design: Designing the Space to Experiment, Explore, and Extract Your Creative Potential. So many good directions we could go here, and it’s been fun to hear you discuss your ideas chapter by chapter on your podcast. But let’s start with this quote:
“We want our students to believe that they have the ability to create something incredible, but for that to happen, they must experience the freedom of authentic learning. Our students must be allowed to take risks and be given the space to experiment, fail, and try again.”
Can you talk more about what you mean by authentic learning? How can school leaders and teachers move their practices and thinking in this direction?
12:15 – You also wrote that “I believe that creativity is a mindset, not an art set.” I love that quote because I hear the growth mindset there – the ideas that our identities and capacities to learn are not fixed, that we all have creative capacity.
What is your word to students and educators who have decided that they are not creative people?
16:39 – How are you looking to grow professionally and improve your practice next year? Can you share about a specific professional goal or project that you’re currently working on?
19:55 – Outside of education, what’s another area of learning for you? What is it that ignites your passions outside of the classroom and brings you alive as a human being? Tell us why this area interests you and why you enjoy it.
20:38 – Share about one personal habit or productivity hack that contributes to your success.
Voices and resources that spark Michael’s thinking and ignite his practice:
In this edition of the Roundtable, host Tim Cavey connects with educators Bruce Reicher, Paula Neidlinger, and Erika Sandstrom to discuss media creation in schools. Why should we invest time and resources in media creation for students, and how can we get started?
About Our Guests
Bruce Reicher and Paula Neidlinger are two of the three co-authors of Scripted: An Educator’s Guide to Media in the Classroom, published in August 2020. Erika Sandstrom is the Green Screen Gal, a digital learning coach with a passion for media creation and social-emotional learning.
Questions That Guided Our Discussion
1:11 – Who are you and what does your current context in education look like?
5:29 – How do you use media creation to inspire your learners? What sorts of projects energize you?
12:44 – What sorts of wins or opportunities for learning do you see during the time of COVID?
20:45 – Why should school leaders be thinking about investing more in media creation resources?
As of this post, I’m still appearing weekly on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time/11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. I’d love to see you join us and would be happy to feature your questions and comments on the show!
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