Over the last 20 years, technological advances have drastically changed the world – from business to government, to even the education sector. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it further changed our online habits, for both professionals and students.
With eLearning, PDFs became one of the most useful tools for students and teachers. PDF editors are no longer needed just for converting documents, they are now used for multi-functional collaboration in the classroom.
H2: Ways teachers can work with PDF files
Teachers can use internet resources to develop better learning materials and digital platforms to enable distance learning whenever necessary. Here are some ways teachers can (and should!) use PDFs in the classroom:
1. Organizing the classroom
While a traditional classroom can get messy with stacks of paper, books, and overflowing file cabinets, PDF software allows teachers to keep classroom materials organized in just a few clicks.
Teachers can also make lesson plans, incentive systems, classroom rules, seating charts for group projects and exams, lesson and semester planning checklists, and lesson plans by using PDFs in the classroom.
- Marking assignments
During distance learning, and even now, teachers can use a PDF reader (such as Lumin) to mark homework and help students edit their work. This can be done with the Comment feature, as well as the Draw feature, so you can pinpoint the exact part of the document that your feedback pertains to.Not only does this save paper, but it also gives the student feedback immediately, as PDF editors work in real-time!
3. Digitalizing homework assignments
Sometimes you might come across something that inspires a future lesson but typing it out in a new document will take a long time. Use the Optical Character Recognition tool that most PDF editors come with to quickly turn it from a static image to an editable document.4. Helping students collaborate
Thanks to PDF editors, collaborating on group projects has never been easier. Students can create, edit, draw, highlight, and annotate documents in real-time in order to work together.In addition to being useful during distance learning, it is also a fun and engaging way for students to work together and interact.
Finally, it also allows students to give each other feedback, which is a skill they will carry on into adulthood and the business world.
5. Simplifying parent-teacher communication
Parents and teachers can keep in touch via email or instant messages, but PDFs are great for communication too.Teachers can use PDFs to make quick surveys that parents can fill out with vital information about their children, such as contact information, emergency numbers, allergies, and the like. You can email the questions to them so they can respond to them on the file and return them back to you.
A parent feedback page for the end of the school year can also be made using PDFs. You can build a form where parents can submit their opinions on your instruction and how happy they are with their children’s academic performance.
How students can use PDF tools
1. Collaborating on group projects
As mentioned above, students can work together on group projects by collaborating on documents by annotating, editing, highlighting, and drawing all in real-time.
2. Peer reviewing others’ work
In addition to working together, students can also peer review one another’s work and provide feedback. This is useful for both parties, as it prepares them for working life in the future.
3. Taking digital notes for studying
Since many sources are now digital and in PDF format, we are aware that reading content might be more challenging to interact with, which is great for memory retention. How many lines do you underline when reading a physical textbook for class? How many notes and comments do you make while conducting research?
You may do that digitally with the aid of PDF annotation features. Avoid printing out the document. You can annotate PDF pages with your own reminders and tips using apps that support PDFs. There are many ways to do that, including adding sticky notes, comments, underlining text, and adding text.
4. Creating engaging presentations
There is no way to get through a course in its entirety without having to complete a presentation assignment at some point throughout the year. And with that presentation, it’s practically a given that your discussion will be accompanied by images.
What more relevant material to use in your presentation than the facts and figures from the PDF study itself? Again, a PDF tool can be of use. Utilizing PDF to PPT conversion software makes it simple to put together convincing presentation slides.
PDF tools and teacher-student engagement
In the context of teaching and learning, “engagement” can be widely described as a set of good student behaviours, despite its many different connotations. These consist of paying attention to and finishing assignments, being visible and actively participating in that work, and demonstrating a similar level of engagement in their relationships with peers, teachers, and the rest of the school community.
By working with students and having students collaborate with one another through the use of PDFs and other digital learning tools, you are encouraging them to stay engaged and preparing them for the future when they will be working in teams at work.
Lumin PDF online editor – the best solution for the education process
With basic document editing and markup features that make it simple to annotate documents and photographs, Lumin brings your documents to life. To satisfy all of your students’ needs, Lumin offers a variety of features, such as:
– Annotation and editing tools
– Optical Character Recognition
– Integration with Google Classroom
– Cross-platform use
And a whole lot more!
To try a free trial of Lumin, click here.