Defined Careers - Digital Tools for Defined Product Creation

Digital Tools for Defined Product Creation (PDF)

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Digital Tools for Defined Product Creation

Defined Learning and Defined Careers provides opportunities for learners to collaborate with others, create products to demonstrate learning, build communication skills, and use critical thinking to solve challenges. Technology tools and applications can enhance learner engagement, productivity and outcomes. This document includes digital tools that students can use for product creation.

What technology tools can be used to promote student collaboration and sharing whileworking through Defined Projects?

Defined Projects promote peer collaboration both within the classroom and beyond the physical space.

Most of the technology applications and tools mentioned herein can be used collaboratively in real time. These applications are cloud based, and are easily available on multiple devices.


Google for Education offers a variety of free applications that easily allow students and educators to collaborate. The most common Google tools for collaboration include Slides, Docs, Drawings, and Jamboards. Each of these cloud based apps areaccessible to students for live collaboration.

Microsoft Office 365 Education also offers a variety of cloud based products, free for educators and students. Tools such as Teams, Word, OneNote and PowerPoint can be shared by students and teachers ,allowing live collaboration.

Adobe Spark for Education is a free tool for teachers and students. This web based app allows students and teachers to create infographics, simple videos, brochures, websites, and so much more. Adobe Spark for Education also allows students to collaborate on projects.

Canva for Education is another free tool for teachers and students. This web based app allows users to create a variety of projects, including posters, flyers, brochures, videos and multimedia presentations. Canva allows users to share and collaborate on projects.


What technology tools are available to student groups and teams to brainstorm, plan,discuss and reflect on Defined projects, especially in a remote setting?

Defined Projects are designed for student groups or teams.

Throughout projects, students are encouraged to brainstorm, research, design and discuss projects. There are a variety of tools available to students.

Padlet is another online tool that allows students to brainstorm and share ideas and resources and participate in discussions. This platform allows participants to post video or audio recordings, links to resources or documents, and to respond in real time. Learn more about using Padlet in your classroom collaborations.

Figjam, is a free online app from Figma that promotes collaboration and creativity.  The online whiteboard allows students to work together to brainstorm ideas, share notes, or build documents.  Learn more about Figjam!  (Grades 3-12)

Defined Project Based Learning tasks / courses provide multiple opportunities for students to choose from a variety of products to demonstrate learning and understanding.

What technology tools can be used by students to create digital materials to showcase learning?

Defined Products Examples:
  • Brochure/Flyer/Pamphlet
  • Infographic/Poster
  • Newspaper/Magazine Articles
  • Advertisement
  • Multimedia Presentations
  • Newsletters
  • Social Media Design/
  • Photostory
  • Guides/Manuals
  • Journal Entry
  • Narrative/Story
  • Virtual Field Trip
  • Newscast/ News Report
  • Interview
  • Scripted Debate
  • Screencast of Multimedia Presentation

Adobe Spark for Education offers templates and design tools to meet the needs of many product choices. (Grades 1-12)

Canva for Education is similar to Adobe Spark.. A variety of templates and tools offers users many different creative choices. (Grades 1-12)

Book Creator is a digital book-making tool with avariety of options. The web-based app can be used toproduce and publish simple books or comics withimages, videos and audio. Learn more about usingBookCreator in the classroom. (Grades K-12)

Vectr is a free graphic design software for working collaboratively. Along with vector tools, filters, shadows and fonts, it includes a set of live collaboration and synchronization options (Grades 9-12

Flip is a versatile and easy to use recording tool available to students and educators. Educators can create discussion grids, allowing students to record their ideas using their device’s camera. Students can create multi-segmented videos, using various assets such as screencasts, whiteboards, imported clips or pictures, emojis and drawings. Learn more about using FlipGrid in your classroom. (Grades K-12).

Loom is a web-based video recording program that is free for teachers and students. Users can use the device’s webcam to record themselves or to create screencast recordings of presentations housed on their devices. This tool is quick and easy to use. Learn more about using Loom in the classroom.(Grades K-12)

Screencastify is another web-based video recording program that is free (with limited time) for teachers and students. (Grades 3-12)

  • Podcast
  • Radio Broadcast
  • Public Service Announcement
  • Oral Presentation

Vocaroo is a web-based free recording tool that allows users to record and save audio messages. Recordings can be shared via a link to websites, discussion boards and more, or can be downloaded in different formats, such as mp3 or wav. Learn about this simple tool. (Grades K-12)

Anchor is a free, quick and easy to use podcast creation tool. Users can collaborate on a variety of audio recordings and share their products with others. Find out more about how Anchor can fit into your classroom. (Grades 3-12).

  • 3D Model
  • Prototype
  • Solution Design

Tinkercad is a web-based 3D modeling program that allows users to create almost anything they can design. Creations can be printed on a 3D printer, or saved as a 3D image. The program has built in tutorials and can be used by even younger students. Find out more about how to use Tinkercad in theclassroom. (Grades K-12)

Sketch Up is a 3-D design tool that can be connected to any content area and is a nice mix of simplicity and complexity. While it's user-friendly as far as digital design tools go, students and teachers will need to watch the introductory videos to get a handle on how things work. Once you're comfortable with the basics, get creative; SketchUp can be used in just about any classroom, and there's no limit to what can be built - from small to large scale and from basic to intricate. It's a great platform for demonstrating learning, designing solutions, and illustrating concepts. (Grades6-12)

  • Stop Motion Animation
  • Presentations
  • ebooks

Google Slides and Powerpoint can both be used to make great stop motion animation projects. Students create the video one screen at a time. Find out more about the process here.

Google Slides, Powerpoint, Canva, and AdobeSpark, are all tools to make simple presentations and ebooks.

Book Creator is a digital book-making tool with a variety of options.  Not only can it be used to create interactive ebooks, but the tool can be used to create to add video and audio.  Learn more about using BookCreator in the classroom. (Grades K-12)

Prezi is a tool that allows students to go beyond traditional slideshows to put important content front and center. (Grades 5-12)

  • Websites
Canva, Google Sites, Wix and Site 123 are free sites that students can use to create websites. Each tool has basic tools so that coding skills are not necessary. However, Google Sites and Wix do have options to incorporate HTML coding. (Grades 3-12)
  • Coding
  • Game Design
  • App Building
  • Artificial Intelligence

Code.org is a free online coding app that can not only be used to teach students coding and programming skills, but also support students using those skills to create digital artifacts.  Students can explore different programming languages (Blockly, Javascript, Python). (Grades PK-12)  

Scratch and Scratch Jr. are free block based coding apps available to students.  Students can explore a library of programs and remix them to meet their own needs.  Students can build games, animations, and simple app prototypes.  Note:  Scratch Jr. is only available as an app for tablets or Chromebooks.  

App Inventor is a visual, block-based language for building Android Apps. This coding website for kids features video tutorials and courses in a box.   (Grades 6-12)

What technology tools can be used by students to build knowledge and increase learning?

Students should be encouraged to ask questions and look for answers. Sustained inquiry is a lifelong skill that can be built in multiple classroom settings. Students should be encouraged to explore their interests and learn beyond the curriculum. Get Epic is a free online library that is available to all students and teachers. There are books for all grade levels and reading levels. This provides the possibility for students to read and explore a variety of topics despite their independent reading level. This resource houses a vast nonfiction and fiction library. (GradesK-12)

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