AI in Action for Educators

Hello everyone,

Lesson 12 builds directly on our last session by exploring how AI can help us improve and reuse what we create.

Using Canva, we’ll look at simple ways AI can:

• Edit and refine text

• Adjust tone for different audiences

• Resize designs for multiple uses

• Support clearer and more accessible communication

These tools are especially helpful when you already have content—you just need it to work better, or in more places.

As always, AI is presented as a support tool—not a replacement for human thinking.

I hope you enjoy experimenting with these tools and discovering small ways they can save time and reduce frustration.

Let's keep exploring and creating!

Laurie

Laurie Conzemius
Technology Integration and Media Specialist
Park Rapids Area Schools

Canva’s Magic Write works best when you already have words, but they’re just not quite right yet.

Maybe they’re:

• Too long

• Too formal (or too casual)

• Not quite right for the audience

Magic Write doesn’t replace your voice—it gives you options.

Try this:

Paste your text into Canva and use prompts like:

• “Rewrite this to be shorter and friendlier.”

• “Rewrite this for families.”

• “Make this more professional but still warm.”

• “Summarize this into two short sentences.”

You stay in control. You decide what stays and what goes.
Think of Magic Write as a helpful editor sitting beside you, not someone taking over the job.

This is where AI can save a lot of time.

Often, we have one message, but we need it in multiple places:

• A flyer or handout

• A newsletter item

• A presentation slide

• A social media post

With Magic Resize, Canva can take one design and quickly adapt it for different uses—without rebuilding everything from scratch.

Big idea: Create once. Use it everywhere.

Canva can also use AI to translate designs into other languages.

This can be especially helpful when communicating with families and communities.

As always:

• Translations should be reviewed by a human

• AI gives a starting point, not a final answer

But it can make this work much faster and more approachable.

One thing I really appreciate about Canva is how it quietly supports clarity and accessibility.

Design choices—like font size, contrast, spacing, and layout—directly affect who can read and understand our message.

AI can suggest improvements, but:

Humans still decide what is appropriate, respectful, and clear.

That’s a theme we’ve returned to often, and it matters here too.

If you’d like to experiment, start with something very ordinary—like a meeting reminder.

1. Use Magic Write to shorten or adjust the tone

2. Use Magic Resize to turn it into a different format

3. Use Translate if you communicate with families who speak another language

Same message. Different audiences. One starting point.

AI can help us work faster—but clarity, respect, and judgment still belong to us.

If you try just one thing, let it be this:

Improve or reuse something you’ve already created instead of starting over.

Next, we’ll shift to one of the most practical uses of AI yet:

AI as Your Tech Helper

We’ll look at how AI can:

• Troubleshoot technology problems

• Walk you through tools step by step

• Help plan and organize repair or setup tasks

• Answer everyday technology questions

This is often where people say, “I didn’t even know I could ask that.”

To help me make these lessons most useful (and to use my time wisely), I’d love your input:

How do you prefer to receive these AI lessons?

☐ Short written newsletters like this

☐ Short video walkthroughs

☐ A combination of both

You don’t need to reply unless you’d like to—this is just helpful feedback.

And finally, if you would like a short video or Google Meet walkthrough of anything we cover, please let me know. I’m happy to create videos or meet virtually with you when you'd like help.

Magic Write

Best for:

• shortening text
  

• adjusting tone (friendlier, clearer, more professional)
  

• summarizing long messages

• “Make this easier to read.”
  

• “Rewrite this for a general audience.”
  
  

Magic Resize
Best for:

• turning one design into many formats
  

• saving time when sharing the same message in different places
  

Example:

• Flyer → social post → newsletter graphic
  

Translate
Best for:

• creating a starting point for multilingual communication
  

• reaching families and community members
  

⚠️ Always review translations — AI helps, humans decide.

Accessibility & Design Help
Canva quietly supports:

• readable fonts
  

• contrast and spacing
  

• cleaner layouts
  

Good design = clearer communication.

You can view all of the AI in Action for Educators lessons on our district website here: https://www.parkrapids.k12.mn.us/departments/technology-homepage/ai