Your 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!
Watch their content closely. We want to move past general feelings like "they are funny" and find the specific technical choice they made.
Now, it’s time to set your own targets. Using a Canva Checklist template (or a Google Doc/Sheet), create a personal "Growth Plan" for this unit. You need at least three specific goals for each of these categories:
Please upload the following to our Google Classroom:
Setting a goal is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. I can't wait to see the standards you set for yourself!
Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.
A professionally formatted checklist (Canva PDF, Google Doc, or Sheet) 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