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New TeacherMade Features Harness AI to Save Teachers More Time

by Laura Bresko
written by Laura Bresko

TeacherMade’s mission has always been to improve teachers’ lives by easing workloads, supporting effective practices, and engaging with students daily. So how is TeacherMade responding to the release of generative AIs like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Bard? 

To be clear, I am fascinated by AI and have been using generative writing tools since Jasper’s launch in 2021. So with the release of ChatGPT 3.5 in December of 2022, I made the time to check it out. Though super-cool and an improvement over earlier AIs, it was also tedious because it took several prompts to produce what I wanted. Even then, its output could not be 100% trusted. It required editing and fact-checking, so it wasn’t much of a time-saver. ChatGPT 3.5’s capabilities were vast, but so was the amount of time and skill it took to exploit them. 

After announcing the more powerful ChatGPT 4, I signed up and gave OpenAI my 20 bucks, trusting the hype. It may well be the best money I’ve ever spent. It’s so much smarter and faster than the free version, easily handling complex, multi-step prompts.

After immersing myself in large language models for many months now, I can say with impunity that reports of AI replacing teachers are greatly exaggerated. The number of Teachers could be reduced someday, but certainly not any time soon. But the question we’ve all had from the start – how will the technology impact students? – is starting to get some real answers. There are predominantly two types of AI tools for the classroom emerging:

  1. Tutor bots that interact directly with students as they work 
  2. Prompt intermediaries to make content generation faster

AI Tutor Bots Have Limitations 

Other companies see the best use of the new AIs as personal tutors for learners. Khan Academy’s Khanmigo is the first and best example of a tutor bot. Newark City Schools has been testing Khanmigo live in three schools for four months. The bot’s performance brings mixed reviews. 

Image of Khan Academy's Khanmingo's home page

On the one hand, Newark’s teachers find Khanmigo useful as a “co-teacher” that allows them to devote extra time to students who need more guidance while enabling the self-driven students to work independently. On the other hand, there are big concerns that the bot might be doing too much of the thinking for students, potentially undermining the development of their cognitive abilities.

There are also financial implications for using AI-assisted tutor bots. Districts wanting to pilot Khanmigo this fall will pay a whopping $60 per student to do so. After the pilot, the cost may even go up. Khan Academy says AI is expensive, and we believe them. Though they offer a discount for districts where more than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, the long-term cost of AI in every school district is a major concern. Where will the money come from? What are the implications for districts that can’t afford it?

AI tutoring bots like Khanmigo have potential, but there are still many challenges to overcome:

  • Tutor bots must complement rather than replace learning 
  • AI must become affordable before use in all schools

AI Content Generation Can Save Teachers Hours

“Prompting” is posing queries or instructions to an AI to produce a desired result. In short, you must know how to speak to an AI to get it to work for you. Companies are popping up daily to help educators produce curricular materials in seconds without learning prompt engineering. Instead of working with ChatGPT directly, you can use a site like Twee as your AI whisperer and bypass prompting.

Image of Twee's home page

(Tip: Though I like Twee and some other sites, learning to engineer prompts is essential, so please don’t skip this.)

The belief that all these new companies have in common is AI will bring a renaissance to teacher-created materials. But what are you supposed to do next? Chatbots can endlessly produce test questions, lesson plans, activities, and worksheets. How do you format the output?

Import Your AI-Generated Content Directly Into TeacherMade

So, where does TeacherMade fit into this evolving AI landscape? Unsurprisingly, we remain committed to serving teachers first and empowering them to work with their students. To that end, we’re employing AI for teachers to use with a new feature that will be released later this summer.

As seasoned AI enthusiasts, the best and least expensive approach for AI in the classroom is for teachers to use free or inexpensive AI generators like ChatGPT 4 to produce curricular content; then load the generated content into TeacherMade. Our importer will auto-magically turn the content into TeacherMade interactivities. Teachers will save time creating instructional materials, so they have more time to spend with their students. And all of this at a fraction of the cost of other solutions.

You can see this new TeacherMade AI feature in action at TEKSCon July 25-27, 2023, in San Antonio.

We’re Enhancing Our Features As AI Expands

Importing PDFs: We’re working on importing your existing PDFs and auto-magically converting them into TeacherMades. (Technology-shy teachers won’t be able to resist any longer.) We hope to have this completed in the next few months. And because you can make STAAR 2.0 item types in TeacherMade already, you can freshen up your older materials for use in today’s classroom.

AI-Assisted, Standards-Based Grading: We are enhancing the platform to employ AI to help you grade student writing. AI technology isn’t yet able to do an entire evaluation, but it can help reduce the time spent on each student’s writing artifact. And once standards are part of our platform in the next week or two, we might code AI magic into enhanced reporting.

Pre-Made Activities: Additionally, our subject matter experts are using ChatGPT 4 to assist in creating pre-made activities for the new TeacherMade Content Library. You will see the number of resources over this coming school year. (We’re using the YAG in the TEKS Resource System to guide what gets created and when. We aim to stay one or two steps ahead of you and your classes!)

Colorful graphing highlighting 3 ways TeacherMade is enhancing its features using AI as outlined in the article.

What Is TeacherMade’s Stance on AI?

TeacherMade is sensibly putting AI into use where it has the best chance of success – in the hands of Teachers who can safely harness its power for the benefit of their students. It’s too early to say how tutor bots may impact classrooms, so in TeacherMade classrooms, students will continue to think for themselves with their human teachers guiding the way.

Trust the teacher and give them the productivity tools they need to succeed at a reasonable price – that’s what TeacherMade is about. 

(This article was 100% written by a human educator, not a Chatbot. 😉

Worried about Student Cheating?? You can prevent students from pasting AI content into their assignments in TeacherMade. Click here <<

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Image of a cartoon person drowning in papers and looking forlorn with the title "Go Paperless with TeacherMade"
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TeacherMade: From Pricey Paper Chaos to Paperless Digital Efficiency

by Laura Bresko
written by Laura Bresko

Picture this. Ms.Gallo, a dedicated teacher, is standing in line at the school’s copier. It’s a typical Monday morning, and she’s already been waiting for 12 minutes, her arms laden with stacks of handouts for the week. She came in early to get access to the copier but was still fourth in line. The copier jams, and she wonders if she’ll have to come back later. This scene is all too familiar in schools across the country. But what if there was truly a better way? What if we could get off the expensive paper treadmill once and for all? Let’s explore how schools can go paperless and improve digital efficiency.

The Hidden Cost of Paper

Schools often overlook the real cost of their reliance on paper. It’s not just the financial burden, which is significant with commercial copiers costing between $3,000 – $15,000 and toner refills ranging between $200 – $500. It’s also the environmental impact. Schools contribute significantly to paper waste, an issue that is becoming increasingly important as we strive for sustainability. But perhaps the most overlooked cost is the time teachers spend wrestling with paper jams, waiting for copier repairs, and grading stacks of paper assignments.

The Digital Revolution: A Case Study

Consider the story of Lincoln High, a school that decided to tackle this problem head-on. They embarked on a year-long journey to transition from paper to digital. They started small, with teachers committing to one paperless assignment per week using TeacherMade. By the second quarter, all quizzes and tests were conducted online using TeacherMade’s auto-grading feature. By the third quarter, they had incorporated Digital Fridays, where all instruction and learning was paperless that day. The result? A significant reduction in paper usage and teachers reported less stress and more time for instruction. (And their copier lease was for 5 cents per page so they saved lots of money, too!)

Chart outlining a plan for going paperless with TeacherMade by quarter in the 2023-2024 school year.

The Paperless Power of TeacherMade

Picture showing the TeacherMade Uploadable File Types

The transition to a paperless school might seem daunting, but with the right tools, it’s more achievable than you think. Lincoln High used TeacherMade, a powerful tool that allows teachers to convert their existing materials into interactive, auto-graded online assignments. With TeacherMade, teachers can transform their Google Slides, Google Docs, and other PDFs into interactive activities in minutes. Plus, TeacherMade’s auto-grading feature saves teachers time and provides students with instant feedback, enhancing the learning experience.

The Research Is Clear: Students Do Better With Instant Feedback

Going paperless isn’t just about saving money and reducing waste. It’s also about enhancing the learning experience for students. Instant feedback on assignments allows students to learn and improve faster. Digital tools like TeacherMade make learning more interactive and engaging. And perhaps most importantly, it prepares students for a future where digital literacy is increasingly important.

Example of a TeacherMade Paperless autograding assignment

Your School’s Paperless Journey Starts Today

It’s time to step off the paper treadmill. Start small, set clear goals, and gradually increase your digital usage. Invest in the right tools like TeacherMade and provide training for your staff. Monitor your progress and celebrate your successes. And remember, every step you take towards going paperless is a step towards a more efficient, sustainable, and effective learning environment.

So, are you ready to start your school’s paperless journey with TeacherMade?

What tech or apps do you need to go paperless with TeacherMade?

There are many options, and you can quickly run into analysis paralysis as you compare software for the paperless classroom. At a minimum, your toolkit will need to include:

  • The camera on your Android or Apple phone or tablet. Just take a picture of your handout and email it to yourself. You can also use apps to convert the image to a PDF (CamScanner is top-rated in the Google Play Store and free.)
  • An online assignment creator or converter. Once you have a PDF, you must choose a tool to turn PDFs into interactive online assignments. (There is really only one tool for this job– and that’s TeacherMade!)
  • An LMS platform for managing assignments. Google Classroom, Canvas, and Schoology make it easy to communicate with students, post assignment links, and import grades into online grade books.

Benefits of Going Paperless with TeacherMade

TeacherMade is the ideal tool for converting PDFs into online assignments. Your online assessments and activities will feel familiar and much like the paper versions you’re used to. When you go paperless with TeacherMade, you can:

  • Use the materials you already know and love. Transform your existing Google Slides, Docs, and other PDFs into interactive activities in minutes. Or construct digital activities from scratch. The choice is yours.
  • Prevent teacher burnout with TeacherMade’s auto-grading. Regain your nights and weekends. 20+ question types in STAAR 2.0 format means TeacherMade activities are auto-graded for you and your students. Scores flow straight into your online grade book! Even student-constructed responses are graded more easily and quickly in TeacherMade.
  • Instantly measure what your students know. Engage more deeply with the curriculum when they get instant feedback. TeacherMade’s ‘Check My Answers’ button lets students make a game out of getting higher scores on their work.
  • Save money. TeacherMade’s annual subscription is just $79 per year. That’s at least 6 times less than the cost of one teacher printing one page per day for 150 students at $0.02 per page! That doesn’t even include the cost of toner and maintenance!
  • Reduce paper waste. Do good for the earth, be a little greener, work towards sustainability, and reduce waste.
Chart showing an example of how much can be saved by going paperless with TeacherMade

TeacherMade quickly pays for itself by reducing copier costs. As more teachers go paperless, TeacherMade puts money back into your school’s coffers, not in the landfill. Sign up for a free, 30-day trial (no credit card required) and explore going paperless with TeacherMade.

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TeacherMade Autograding: Avoid Burnout and Give Meaningful Feedback

by Laura Bresko
written by Laura Bresko

We all know that teacher burnout is one of the major factors amplifying teacher shortages. And teacher burnout is on the rise. In 2021, 39% reported working more hours than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Imagine what that number is today, as we work to combat the devastating learning loss our students have suffered. Can technology features like autograding help?

What is teacher burnout?

The answer to the question “what is teacher burnout” seems obvious because we know burnout when we see it. But how do you define it and even rate yourself? Using the Leichtman Scale is one helpful method. 

The Leichtman Scale has four levels of associated symptoms that we all recognize in ourselves and our colleagues, excerpted here:

LEVEL 1: PASSIONATE BUT OVERWHELMED

  • Low feelings of self-efficacy (I’m not good enough)
  • Negative coping strategies (addictions, unhealthy habits)
  • Limited pursuit of passions or hobbies outside of work

LEVEL 2: OVERWHELMED AND BECOMING CYNICAL

  • High levels of stress
  • Quick to become irritated (at work and home)
  • Bringing work home and not completing it
  • Feeling like there is never time for friends or family
  • Guilt from not doing enough for students

LEVEL 3: CYNICAL AND APPROACHING EXHAUSTION

  • Isolation (in and out of work)
  • Feelings of paranoia (every school policy, program, etc., is out to get you and make your teaching day harder)
  • A constant feeling that school goals and your goals will not be met
  • A refusal to engage in professional development

LEVEL 4: COMPLETE EXHAUSTION AND BREAKDOWN

  • Feelings of exhaustion every day (including holidays and summer)
  • Drastic increase in sick days/mental health days
  • Lack of optimism for career and personal life
  • Unusually frequent physical symptoms (cold/flu, stress-related illnesses, hospitalizations)

Where are you on the Leichtman Scale? If you’ve been sharing with others that you feel burned out, you’ve likely been advised by them to take some time off, make more time for enjoyable activities, spend more time with your family… do you see a common theme here? TIME!

How can teachers win back time?

Educators need time away from their job to recharge and start each day fresh. But teachers often bring their workload home because there isn’t enough time in their day to complete all of the tasks their job demands. So what’s a solution? How would your level of burnout change if you didn’t have to grade the mountain of student work on your desk? And would your level of burnout subside?

Here’s a letter TeacherMade recently received from Sandra M., a 5th grade teacher:

“I just wanted to tell you that because of TeacherMade, I have my weekends back. I have spent many hours over the past year making activities for my students, and it is finally paying off. I get much more grading done during the week, and I don’t have much to grade on the weekends. If I do grade on the weekends, I spend between 30 minutes and an hour. This is a huge change from the 10-12 hours I would spend every weekend before I began using TeacherMade.” 

Sandra has found that using the platform has given her back her weekends. That’s a huge start for combating burnout. How did she do it? She made an investment of time to convert her paper-based materials to digital interactives in TeacherMade. Let’s explore how it’s done.

Five Big Wins with TeacherMade Autograding

1. Quickly and easily upload your assignment files for autograding.

You may have experimented with Google Forms in the past. It was easy enough to type up your multiple-choice assignment and send it to your students via Google Classroom. But then you realized that you would have to do that for every assignment if you wanted to go fully digital.

TeacherMade solves that. “Once you have your PDF, Google Doc, Word Doc, or even a scanned document on your computer, you can easily upload it to TeacherMade and make it digital for your students to use,” explains 8th grade ELA teacher Melissa P. You can quickly add multiple question types to the online assignments. It’s similar to how you add an element to a PowerPoint slide. 

Upload of Create a New Augograded Activity
Upload or create a new autograded activity. TeacherMade supports a variety of file types.
Example of an Autograded Assignment TeacherMade
Example of an autograded assignment in TeacherMade.

2. Load in an answer key to autograde some or all of an assignment.

Are you loading up your giant teacher bag on Friday afternoon, dreading your weekend of grading? Stop doing this, and, if you’re an instructional technology coordinator, stop letting your teachers do this to themselves. You can be a successful educator while enjoying restful weekends. Here’s how:

When you make online assignments the norm in your classroom, you will quickly gain back your nights and weekends because of autograding. As you create activities and questions, you just set your answer key and let the platform do the work for you.

With TeacherMade’s autograding, you have flexibility with grading and assessments:

  • Grade some or all of an assignment with autograding 
  • Utilize over 20+ different question types (all STAAR 2.0 types available)
  • Leave personalized comments in areas that need them most
  • Change or edit the answer key before, during, or after the assignment and all student grades will automatically be updated
Image of TeacherMade Autograded Example Activity
TeacherMade autograded example activity, showing correct and incorrect answers.
Example of the “Teacher View” showing scores, submission dates, and status for the assignment.

See how our autograding works with this quick video demonstration. 

3. Focus personalized comments on areas that matter most.

Here’s how middle school teacher Mariana D. handles autograding and personalized comments in her classroom: 

“After your students complete the assignment on TeacherMade, you can give them immediate feedback, which is truly effortless. You won’t need to private comment in Google Classroom anymore! Commenting on Google DOCS and Slides would take me hours to do. 

I’d then need to return the work, which would confuse the students. They could view their grade and work on what they did wrong with little to no redirections. Since I spent so much time grading and giving feedback on Google Classroom, I didn’t have the time for a small group to reteach. Instead, everyone would need to stop, putting us further behind. 

Now with TeacherMade, I can tailor my lessons and worksheets to students’ individual needs with time to spare. The self-grading component is a game changer. It allows me to utilize the time in the classroom like never before. Students who are ready to move on can do so while I sit with the ones who need a little bit more to succeed.”

4. Increase student accountability.

When students get instant feedback and know that work will get graded, they put in more effort. This leads to:

  • Better parent engagement: Parents see grades show up instantly with autograding and LMS integration. 
  • Increased personal responsibility: When students get instant feedback, they remember working through questions, and they ask more questions about what they missed. 
  • More meaningful reteaching: Students take a more active role in reteaching when the assignment results are fresh. 
Example “Student View” of progress as they work.
Example “Student View” of their score after submission.

5. Take back your nights and weekends. 

Transform your teaching materials and PDFs and reduce your workload. 

  • Easily use what you already have. Transform your existing Google Slides, Docs, and other PDFs into interactive activities in minutes. Or construct digital activities from scratch. The choice is yours.
  • Prevent teacher burnout with autograding. Regain your nights and weekends. 20+ question types are autograded for you. Scores flow straight into your online grade book! Even student-constructed responses are graded more easily in TeacherMade.
  • Measure and track what your students know. Students engage more deeply with the curriculum when they get instant feedback via the ‘Check My Answers’ button. Turn learning loss into gains.

It works. And we are anxious to help you and your team get started. There are many strategies and best practices for going digital using TeacherMade. Contact us (or any TeacherMader you may know) and we’ll show you how to add more time back into their lives, your life! Let’s combat teacher burnout together. 

Get a Quote or Start a FREE Trial Today!
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STAARTesting

Seven Ways TeacherMade Can Help You Prepare for STAAR Testing

by Laura Bresko
written by Laura Bresko

Teaching has peaks and valleys, and the end-of-year standardized test review time is a slog. But you don’t have to put yourself or your students through it when you incorporate STAAR test prep activities throughout the year. 

You can welcome the arrival of spring once again when you:

  • integrate STAAR question types into your class routine throughout the year. 
  • pinpoint problem areas daily/weekly to remediate when it matters most.
  • use auto-grading features so you have more time and data to do what you love.

What will be different about STAAR for Spring 2023?

As we all know too well, Texas students will experience a newly redesigned STAAR 2.0 test next month. There will be key changes that students need to be familiar with before taking the test:

  • New question types
  • Cross-curricular reading passages
  • Evidence-based writing
  • Tests administered online

The Texas STAAR will differ from a traditional standardized paper and pencil test. Students will face questions that require them to think differently than multiple choice: multi-select, hot spot, drag and drop, free response questions, and more.

Integrating STAAR Test Prep More Frequently for Shorter Periods

Educators have been running drill camps before the big test for years now. How do you feel about that approach and its effectiveness? If you’re like most of us, you probably don’t feel great about it. Instead, consider incorporating a few of these tips into your normal week so that students familiarize themselves with the test format before the big day. 

Tip 1: Incorporate STAAR review into your daily routine. 

The biggest takeaway for planning test prep is to do smaller amounts of it for longer periods. You can achieve this by incorporating it into your daily class routine. Here are two practical places to include a STAAR activity each day in class:

  • Bell work: You can incorporate review questions in your daily assignments. It’s a great time to focus on 1-2 questions and really dive into how to solve them.
  • Formative assessment: If you’re already planning a formative assessment each day, why not format questions just like the STAAR 2.0 test?

Tip 2: Ask questions in the same format as STAAR. 

Formatting questions you ask in class to be like the ones in STAAR is easier said than done. The STAAR test is online, and many question formats (multi-select, hot spot, dropdowns, etc.) are not always easy to replicate. 

Using a tool like TeacherMade can simplify the process. TeacherMade converts any PDF to an online assignment, and you can add a variety of question types to any assignment. Check out TeacherMade’s toolbar to see some of the question formats you can create for your assignments:

These question formats mirror what your students will see on STAAR. 

Tip 3: Use resources that already exist. 

If you incorporate STAAR-like materials throughout the year, you’re going to need a lot of content. But there’s no good reason to reinvent the wheel – not anymore! 

  1. TEA has all the practice tests you need on its STAAR website. 
  2. TeacherMade has taken the released STAARs from prior years and turned them into STAAR 2.0 tests with 25-30% technology-enhanced item types on every form. Check out our STAAR resources here. 
  3. You have loads of PDFs in your file cabinet that you can easily repurpose into STAAR 2.0 using TeacherMade.
Example TeacherMade STAAR Resource

Tip 4: Save time with auto-grading.

Your students need quick feedback to gain the most meaning from their STAAR review. But more frequent and smaller review activities can lead to a lot of grading. That’s a big burden for classroom teachers who are already overloaded!

Automate your grading using TeacherMade and ease your workload. You can upload any PDF and add an answer key, and you’ll never have to grade another worksheet, formative assessment, or practice test. 

Tip 5: Show progress over time and increase student buy-in.

As students receive quick feedback in TeacherMade, they can see their progress while working on STAAR review. This increases student buy-in to the review process and keeps engagement higher for your reviews. 

You can also create review activities that students can repeat if they need extra review for the test. Use TeacherMade’s reports to assist with this.

Tip 6: Pinpoint STAAR problem areas to save time and save student engagement.

Another way you can increase student motivation and improve your review outcomes is by focusing on areas that need the most help. Stop reviewing everything. This wastes time and causes students to check out mentally. Instead, focus on areas where your students struggle the most. 

When you use TeacherMade data to target your focus, you instantly know the most missed questions on assignments and can easily see if students mastered a concept. Then, you can target what needs to be addressed.

Tip 7: Build test-taking confidence.

Doing smaller reviews over longer periods builds test-taking confidence. Students will feel more engaged with the review material, pay attention to feedback, and become more familiar with the test format. 

This results in students who don’t get distracted by the testing format of STAAR and only focus on the content tasks and doing their best. 

You can create authentic STAAR test prep with TeacherMade.

TeacherMade transforms your Google Slides and PDFs into interactive activities in minutes. 

  • Use what you have. Transform your existing Google Slides, Docs, and other PDFs into interactive activities in minutes. Or construct digital activities from scratch. The choice is yours.
  • Prevent teacher burnout with auto-grading. Regain your nights and weekends. 20+ question types are auto-graded for you. Scores flow straight into your Google Classroom grade book, Canvas, or Schoology! Even student-constructed responses are graded more easily in TeacherMade.
  • Measure what your students know. Students engage more deeply with the curriculum when they get instant feedback via the “Check My Answers” button. Turn learning loss into gains.
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Converting PDFs/Images to Digital Worksheets

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“I need help! PDFs! Parents are frustrated with how we have kids submit assignments,” says Sammie. She left her PDF lament in a popular Facebook group for Schoology. If there’s a question that reoccurs often in any forum, it’s how do I edit PDFs? How should I be converting PDFs into easy-to-edit documents that students can use? This includes exit tickets, assignments, digital homework, printables, quizzes, and more.

That’s the million-dollar question for educators. They are struggling to convert paper worksheets into digital learning opportunities. In this blog entry, we’ll explore a few ways educators are getting the job done.

Step #1: Digitizing Content with an App

Need to digitize that worksheet? In previous blog entries, we’ve covered some quick tools you can use to digitize content. How do you digitize that paper worksheet in your manila folder? One easy solution is to convert documents to PDF. Use Microsoft’s Office Lens app on iOS and/or Android. You can snap a picture and convert it into a PDF you can put anywhere.

edit easy

Photo Credit: Windows Community

Need another choice? Give my favorite app, Fast Scanner, a try for free,or get the pro version ($4.99). This app makes saving black and white, color, and greyscale images/PDFs to Google Drive easy.

edit easy

Now, remember that there are many websites online that share worksheets in PDF. For example, GreatSchools offers worksheets for all ages. Other sources of worksheets include:

And let’s not forget Seesaw’s Activity Library. With a free Seesaw account, you’ll be able to take advantage of the Activity Library they offer. What’s more, with a SeeSaw Plus or for Schools account, students can edit and annotate those PDFs and turn them in.

Did You Know?

Get up to speed with all that SeeSaw offers via the TCEA SeeSaw Educator self-paced, online course. Learn more online.

Step #2: Converting PDFs to an Easy-to-Edit Document

Making PDFs into an online form boggles the mind. How do you take images and PDFs and then turn them into something students can type on or draw on? And, is it possible to track assignment completion on a PDF or image? The answer is, “Yes, but it depends on the tools you decide to use.” Each of these tools has its own advantages and disadvantages.

You can use a popular PDF to JPG/PNG website (e.g. PDFCandy, PDF2PNG, ILovePDF, SmallPDF.com). Each of these websites makes conversion a breeze. If you need to install a PDF tool on your Windows computer to split PDFs, get PDFsam Basic. It makes splitting, joining, adding, and deleting pages in a PDF easy.

edit easy

But what do you do afterwards? It all depends on what you need students to do and where. Let’s explore what’s available.

Step #3: Convert PDF/Image into Learning Activity

Let’s take a quick look at the tools available, from free to more expensive:

My favorite tool is the one that does the most and costs the least. For web-based users, free Google Slides/Microsoft PowerPoint, or OneNote work great. Need scoring? You will need a tool like TeacherMade.

How To: Google Slides/PowerPoint/OneNote

Import a PDF into Google Slides and/or PowerPoint. Set it as the background, then add text boxes on top. Assign it to students to complete. OneNote users also have it easy.

Other tools, although they offer a trial or lite version, like Wizer.me ($35.99 a year) and KAMI ($99 year), cost money. My least favorite tool is the PDF tool built into Canvas because it is quite limited. Erin Hartman does a great job exploring it in this blog entry, “Edit PDFs in Canvas Assignments.”

edit easy

Note: Only a portion of the chart is shown.

The above comparison chart may assist you in deciding which is the right tool for you. I’ve made the chart easy to edit if it needs correction or additions. What do you think will be your go-to tools?

New Tool Spotlight: TeacherMade

Since I hadn’t seen Teacher Made before, I thought I’d do a quick walkthrough. I was able to create my free account with my G Suite EDU login credentials. Two seconds later, I was working on creating my single page worksheet. (Of course, TeacherMade supports PDFs up to 12 pages long). Since I didn’t have one handy, I saved one from the Great Schools website mentioned earlier.

edit easy

For fun, I decided to turn this into a matching activity rather than a circle one. I inserted color blocks to cover the words and turned the line border to transparent. Then I set up matching pairs, drawing boxes and then linking the two matching items. It was easy. Finally, I revised the instructions.

edit easy

You can see a worksheet preview here:

Once you have customized the worksheet for students, you can assign it to them, as you can see below:

edit easy

Start your journey of TeacherMade.com discovery with Kimberly Jacquay’s video series:

Lean into TeacherMade with these two follow-up videos:

And don’t forget that TeacherMade is free.

Now You Know

Get started soon transforming paper worksheets into digital learning opportunities. Use tools like PDFCandy to convert anything into a PDF or JPG/PNG. Or, get a PDF worksheet from a free online source. Then, make it interactive and scorable with an available tool.

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