Digital Learning & Creation Resources

Digital learning is when we use technology to enhance or extend learning. It could be when students use Chromebooks to build a Padlet in a Science classroom or when a teacher uses Pear Deck to deliver a lesson with Google Tools. The examples are countless! In general, when a digital tool is effectively integrated with high-quality instruction to reach a learning target, that's digital learning.

Digital learning brings many positive benefits in addition to reaching the learning target. Students have authentic ways of increasing digital literacy and media literacy. It provides many opportunities for learners to model positive digital citizenship. In Chromebook classrooms, digital tools for accessibility can easily be woven into the lesson so that all students can be successful.

Lessons can be designed as student-paced, teacher-paced, or independent learning. Lessons can be fully online or a hybrid/blended model. Teachers have the flexibility to personalize and individualize learning for students because of the rich variety of technology tools.

As you find apps and websites that best fit your learning objectives, keep in mind that some of these require students to create their own accounts. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires any child under age 13 to have parental consent before creating accounts on certain sites and "prohibits the operator of a website or online service directed at children under 13 from collecting personal information from a child..." (15 U.S.C. sections 6501-6506, and Federal Trade Commission rules, 16 C.F.R. Part 312). Please refer to the Texas Association of School Board's (TASB) brief on this topic.

It is the responsibility of individual campuses to acquire parental consent when needed. If you would like help creating a parental consent form, the campus principal can contact the Digital Learning Team for guidance.

For your reference, and to give you some peace of mind, the following link lists the digital resources (apps/sites) that have signed the student privacy pledge*: https://studentprivacypledge.org/signatories/

The K-12 School Service Provider *Pledge to Safeguard Student Privacy commits to:

• "Not collect, maintain, use or share student personal information beyond that needed for authorized educational/school purposes, or as authorized by the parent/student."
• "Not sell student personal information."
• "Not use or disclose student information collected through an educational/school service (whether personal information or otherwise) for behavioral targeting of advertisements to students."
• and much more!

In addition to the tools on this page, visit Common Sense Media's EdTech Reviews.

The ISTE Standards are a framework for students, educators, administrators, coaches, and computer science educators to rethink education and create innovative learning environments. The standards are helping educators and education leaders worldwide re-engineer schools and classrooms for digital age learning, no matter where they are on the journey to effective integration. 

ISTE STUDENT STANDARDS

How do you currently support the Student ISTE Standards in your classroom?

ISTE EDUCATOR STANDARDS

How can the Educator ISTE standards help you create personalized professional goals in regards to technology integration?

https://tea.texas.gov/academics/subject-areas/technology-applications

Visit our Hotspot Adobe Express page: pisd.edu/adobeexpress

Adobe Express is an online and mobile design app that lets you and your students easily and quickly create:

• Narrated videos
• Printed material
• Graphics
• Writing assignments
• Dynamic presentations

Visit our Canva page at pisd.edu/canva. 

• Free design tool for teachers, students, and staff.
• Create visually-engaging graphics, activities, and presentations.
• Thousands of templates are available with our education account.
• Invite students into your Canva Classroom (rostered by your Google Classroom) and facilitate limitless collaboration, creativity, and visual communication.

Explain Everything - endless whiteboard for teacher-created content 

• All staff have Explain Everything accounts. Students do not have accounts.
• From a computer, log into https://drive.explaineverything.com/auth/login/1 using your PISD Google account. Note that the web version does not reflect exactly the same tools as in the iPad app.
• From your district-issued iPad, open the Explain Everything app and sign in with your PISD Google account. 

Visit pisd.edu/explaineverything to learn more. 

Visit our Hotspot Kami page: pisd.edu/kami

Kami allows students and teachers to annotate on ebooks, images, publisher-supplied PDFs, worksheets, and more. 

Secondary teachers have premium Kami accounts. Elementary teachers have access to free accounts.

Pear Deck is an interactive presentation platform that enhances teacher-student interaction, offering real-time feedback and personalized instruction. 

Visit our Pear Deck page for more information.

Visit our Hotspot WeVideo page: pisd.edu/wevideo

• WeVideo is an online video creation platform for video editing, collaboration, and sharing across any device 
• PISD users have access to premium videos, audio, and stock images 
• Narrate with your voice 
• Record your screen
• Use green screen effects
• Teachers can create groups for students to work collaboratively on projects 
• ⭐ NEW - create interactive videos!
• Works great on Chromebooks
• Access it via the WeVideo Webdesk app

Visit our Chrome page to see the list of recommended "Chrome Apps, Extensions, & Add-ons".

Digital Choice Boards give students a choice in their learning.

• Design Your Own Digital Choice Board (by Catlin Tucker)
• Math example
• ELA example

Visit our Hotspot FigJam page.

Presentation Tools:

• ⭐Adobe Express
• ⭐Google Drawings
• ⭐Google Slides
• ⭐Google My Maps
• ⭐Pear Deck

Videos

• EdPuzzle
• Screencastify
• ⭐WeVideo

Brainstorming/Quizzes

• Padlet
• FigJam
• ⭐Google Forms
• Mentimeter

Visit our Hotspot HyperDocs page: pisd.edu/hyperdocs

iPad Apps for Teachers:

Updated list on our iPad page under "Digital Learning Apps". 

iPad Apps for Students:

Book Creator (iOS app) - more on our Book Creator page  
ChatterPix Kids (iOS app) - give pictures your voice
iMovie (iOS app) - create, edit, and share movies
PicCollage - (iOS app) AI photo editor
Pixton (iOS app) - comic book creator  
SeeSaw - (app in the iPad Service Center) - more on our Seesaw page 
Tellagami (iOS app) - talking cartoon 

Padlet.com - "Make beautiful boards, documents, and webpages that are easy to read and fun to contribute to." Padlet is an online collaborate board. You are limited to three Padlets on a free account. 

• Knowledge Base
• 30 Ways to Use Padlet in the Classroom
• Educational Ways to Use Padlet
• Math Explanations example:

iPad (for all ages)

Book Creator (iOS app) - more on our Book Creator page  
ChatterPix Kids (iOS app) - give pictures your voice
iMovie (iOS app) - create, edit, and share movies
PicCollage - (iOS app) AI photo editor
Pixton (iOS app) - comic book creator  
SeeSaw - (app in the iPad Service Center) - more on our Seesaw page 
Tellagami (iOS app) - talking cartoon 

Chromebook or PC (for all ages)

Adobe Express - app in Webdesk - more on our Adobe Express page
Book Creator - more on our Book Creator page.
Buncee - create interative presentations, flyers, and more.
Canva - app in Webdesk - more on our Canva page
Google Drawings - create images/graphics saved in your Google Drive - more on our Google Drawings page 
Google Slides - create slide decks saved in your Google Drive - more on our Google Slides page
Pixton - comic book creator
SeeSaw - app in Webdesk - more info on our Seesaw page
StoryBird - book creator 
Sutori - interactive timeline 
Sway - Microsoft's dynamic presentation software - more on our Sway page
WeVideo - app in Webdesk - video creation and editing - more on our WeVideo page

Chromebook or PC (for ages 13 and up)

Animoto - video creator 
Easelly (with parent permission) - infographic & presentation design
Emaze - presentation and website design
Piktochart - infographic & presentation design

For technical issues, contact your CTA or the Help Desk - extension 28767 or tsos@pisd.edu. 

For instructional assistance, contact the Digital Learning Team - DigitalLearningTeam@pisd.edu