3 Tips for Creating Digital Resources for the Classroom
I remember attending a technology conference at one of my local universities my second year of teaching, thinking how awesome digital resources were and how beneficial they would be in my classroom.
👉🏼 Reality and a lack of technology slapped me hard in the face. Fast forward a few years and a global pandemic that shook us all, and here we are, basking in the glory of digital resources.
Digital resources have transformed my students' learning and the way my classroom runs. We still use paper and pencil, I do swear by this as a math teacher, but there are so many benefits to going digital. My favorite? Self-checking activities mean my name is called less to check if answers are correct AND my grading time is cut down drastically. That’s a WIN-WIN!
Creating digital resources can be daunting – I would know! I used to sit for hours, staring at my computer, doing things in a convoluted way because I didn’t know any better. Through some trial and error, growth and collaboration with others, I’ve learned that creating digital resources doesn’t have to be time consuming, headache starting or daunting. In fact, they can be a lot more fun than regular old print resources!
I don’t care if this is your first time creating or your millionth time. Templates are a MUST HAVE when creating digital resources. Instead of starting from scratch, use something that’s pre-plugged and formatted, then modify and customize to meet your needs. When you have a template, you just add your content and run with it! You don’t have to sit there and add in formulas, change things around, and hope that you know enough to get it all done correctly without any errors. Templates level the playing field, no matter your experience, and let you create an endless number of resources over and over again.
Here are a few of my favorite templates for creating digital resources:
- Hang 10, Dirty Dozen and Sweet 16 workshops are a lifetime access pack of templates focused on 10, 12 and 16 questions only. With 9 different templates in each pack, I can always find the perfect template to create a new resource for my students. To learn more about Hang 10, Dirty Dozen and Sweet 16, click here 👈🏼.
- OG Puzzle Pixel Art templates are exactly where we started! My students trying to guess the mystery image as they work never get's old -- and I feel like I earn bonus points as a teacher when they can't figure out the image until they are close to the end. To learn more about Puzzle Pixel Art templates, click here 👈🏼.
Invest in YOU. 👈🏼 Go read that again. We all want to be superheroes, but superheroes have help, too! The best thing I did when learning how to create digital resources for my classroom was joining Thriving Teacher Academy. Did I join for self-ish reasons to make some extra cash, of course I did. Did I gain so much more than mad-money every month? YES. Finding a course that provides you with templates and support to guide you as you create resources is key. Finding a workshop, like the ☀ Hot Teacher Summer ☀ workshop does just that, but also lights a fire under you to create while everyone else is creating! PLUS, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with other teachers in your niche and make new friends.
You can click here to learn more about 👉🏼 Thriving Teacher Academy, or reach out to Jillian Fernandez @thejillianfernandez on Instagram. The July 2022 ☀ Hot Teacher Summer ☀ workshop is a four week long workshop focused on using a variety of templates to help you create and list resources on Teachers Pay Teachers. You can click here to learn more about 👉🏼 ☀ Hot Teacher Summer ☀.
Times New Roman who? Move over Comic Sans, you’ve been replaced! Using custom fonts adds flare and is just one of the many ways you can transform a digital activity. While your changing fonts around, change the size and the style too! Add images, add color, and really make things pop! Small changes like this, especially when working with templates using Google SheetsTM helps to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary!
It really can be that easy -- use a template, find yourself support and encouragement, and get creative! Come follow me on instagram to see how I use templates regularly to create new resources my students thrive on. Or, send me an email to [email protected] and let's chat about how you can begin creating digital resources that are self-checking, today!