Adobe Spark

Adobe Spark is basically Adobe's answer to Google Apps

The Spark apps are assumed to be used online only, they're web based and rely on a vertical scroll mechanic in two of the three variations: Adobe Page, and Adobe Video. The artefacts they can produce are very impressive, way beyond anything students can create in Google Apps, BUT without the powerful tools for engagement like Google Doc comments, collaboration etc.

So if your priority is collaboration and online feedback/peer assessment then stick with Google Apps. If your priority is an impressive final artefact then you might want to give Adobe Spark a try.

The three Spark apps provided really on a vertical scroll mechanic in all three variations: page, posters, and video. For this reason they are mainly designed for online viewing only, there is not option to download/print any of these artefacts. The exception is Adobe Post which uses templates and a built in image library to create posters, like Pic Collage or Canva.

3 options:

Spark Post is a funky version of pic collage, enables kids to make really beautiful posters.
Spark Page is quite unique in that they effectively create one scrolling webpage, without the need to bother with the rest of the website.
Spark Video is basically a grown-up version of shadow puppet EDU, so they can combine video and image into a sequence and add text and probably voice-over too.

Adobe have collated some examples of all three types here, also examples focused on education.

Set up Process

If students try to access Adobe Spark directly they will be unable to access unless they are over 13 years of age . Fortunately we have EDU access to Adobe apps, which means anyone under the age of can use, once IT have enrolled them.

IT have set up most of this already using each student's college gapps email address. Each student will have received an email inviting them to join and create an Adobe account*, they can use that link to finalise the account by creating a suitable password.

If students cannot find the email
Direct students to reset their password for Adobe Spark web app via this URL: http://accounts.adobe.com/
Enter their full email address (with gapps)
If this is the first time, or they've forgotten their password, click 'Forgot password?'
They will receive an email with a link they can use to set a new password*
Now they can use that password to log in at https://spark.adobe.com/edu
Click Log in
They need to log in with their School Account (do NOT use Google to sign in!)

Then click the big blue + icon at the top of the page to get started...

*Note

They can use their school password IF they included a symbol when they created it, most will not have done this, so I suggest they just use their college Google Apps account password with an @ at the end.

Once through they’ll be directed to the adobe.com home page.
Click on Creative Cloud.
Then click on the Apps tab, they can scroll down and find Adobe Spark in the Mobile Apps section.

Set up Process via Email (Illustrated)

Invitation Email

Create a password to use with your Adobe account

Adobe Account Page

Click through to Creative Cloud

Access Adobe Apps

Click the Apps tab, and scroll down to Adobe Spark

Access on an iPad

The Adobe Spark apps can also be used on an iPad as separate (free) apps, students will need to follow the same process described above to create an Adobe account.

Open the one of the three Spark apps, but they must NOT Log in with Google, they will need to choose the option to Log in with an Adobe ID or Education account instead. It is a little hidden, so you will need to direct students to look carefully.
If this is their first time, then (as indicated above) they can use the email from Adobe to set up their new account. if they can't find it , then they can try to sign in, then they will be sent an email automatically to reset their password.
The password has to have a symbol and a mix of upper and lower case letters, and be at least 8 characters long, so their school password should be acceptable, but they might need to add a symbol on the end, I'd suggest the @ symbol for @dobe....

If all else fails, they can always click 'forgot password' to set a password to use, to do that they will need to visit this URL: http://accounts.adobe.com/

They can also just search for 'adobe id' and click 'adobe id forgot password' from the list. The first link should be the adobe site, where there is a link to the above page to reset. They enter their email address, and they will receive an email with a link to create a new password....

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