"Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master."
Christian Lous LangeYour social media profile is often your first "hello" to the world. It is a digital handshake that tells people who you are, what you value, and what you’re capable of. But in a sea of content, what actually makes a profile stand out?
The good news is that you don't need a Hollywood budget to look professional. With a bit of creativity, your smartphone, and the tools we have in Canva, you can produce content that carries real authority and shows off your unique voice.
We live in an "attention economy" where everyone is competing for a click. To build your own successful digital presence, we are going to study the pros to see how they capture that attention. By identifying their specific techniques, you can build a roadmap for your own growth.
Choose 3 to 5 content creators who use their platforms for a business or a professional career. Try to pick people who align with your own future aspirations!
Professional Alignment: Try to pick creators whose career or niche aligns with your own future goals. By studying the communication techniques of experts in your desired field, you are building directly relevant skills for your own future career path.
Watch their content closely. We want to move past general feelings like "they are funny" and find the specific technical choice they made.
Instead of: "They are easy to relate to."
Try: "They use a personal 'storytelling' hook in the first 3 seconds to explain a problem they faced."
Instead of: "The video looks good."
Try: "They use high-contrast overlays and clear captions to make their key points pop."
Experiment in Canva: Don't be afraid to try out new video editing features in Canva, like transitions, text animations, split-screens, or custom timing. Every new feature you experiment with helps build your digital communication toolset for the upcoming video production assignments.
Now, it’s time to set your own targets. Using a Canva Checklist template (or a Markdown file), create a personal "Growth Plan" for this unit. You need at least three specific goals for each of these categories:
Deliverable:
Submit your checklist containing your 9 personal communication goals across Oral, Writing, and Media strands.
Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.
A checklist (Markdown file) of 9 personal communication goals
We are learning to:
Understand which presentation, writing, and media production conventions are associated with professional digital content
Set meaningful, measurable goals for personal growth in oral communication, writing, and media studies
I can:
identify specific speaking and non-verbal techniques by observing professional creators
select writing and media goals that use appropriate forms and conventions for a digital audience
organize my ideas into a professional checklist that identifies my strengths and areas for improvement
| Category | Level 4 | Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge/Understanding | Checklist demonstrates a thorough and insightful understanding of techniques across Oral, Writing, and Media strands | Checklist demonstrates a clear understanding of techniques across all three areas | Checklist demonstrates some understanding of techniques in most of the three areas | Checklist demonstrates limited understanding of professional communication techniques |
| Thinking/Inquiring | Goals identified connect to future aspirations and prior work in an insightful, highly specific way | Goals identified connect to future aspirations and prior work appropriately | Goals identified usually connect to prior work or interests with some clarity | Goals identified sometimes connect to prior work with limited detail |
| Application | Student effectively uses Google Workspace or Canva to produce a highly professional, expertly formatted document | Student uses Google Workspace or Canva to produce a clear, well-formatted document | Student uses Google Workspace or Canva to produce a document with basic formatting and organization | Student uses Google Workspace or Canva to produce a document with limited organization |
| Communication | Student expresses personal goals with exceptional clarity and uses precise professional terminology | Student expresses personal goals clearly using appropriate terminology | Student expresses personal goals with some clarity using basic terminology | Student expresses personal goals with limited clarity or detail |
Checklist demonstrates a thorough and insightful understanding of techniques across Oral, Writing, and Media strands
Checklist demonstrates a clear understanding of techniques across all three areas
Checklist demonstrates some understanding of techniques in most of the three areas
Checklist demonstrates limited understanding of professional communication techniques
Goals identified connect to future aspirations and prior work in an insightful, highly specific way
Goals identified connect to future aspirations and prior work appropriately
Goals identified usually connect to prior work or interests with some clarity
Goals identified sometimes connect to prior work with limited detail
Student effectively uses Google Workspace or Canva to produce a highly professional, expertly formatted document
Student uses Google Workspace or Canva to produce a clear, well-formatted document
Student uses Google Workspace or Canva to produce a document with basic formatting and organization
Student uses Google Workspace or Canva to produce a document with limited organization
Student expresses personal goals with exceptional clarity and uses precise professional terminology
Student expresses personal goals clearly using appropriate terminology
Student expresses personal goals with some clarity using basic terminology
Student expresses personal goals with limited clarity or detail