• allows students to use different learning styles, both visual and audiovisual, in combination with the text

• meets curriculum goals in many subjects

• texts that students recognise from everyday life  

• develops students' visual understanding 

• allows students to incorporate their own interests in activities to motivate and engage them, thus increasing learning outcomes.

• good starting point for follow-up subject discussion and/or reflection notes to justify choices and content

There are many opportunities here, and remember that you don't have to know all the programs to let students try. When assessing focus on effort, content and reflection rather than the product.

Try and tip students  about, for example, these simple programs to get started:

• Canva -  website for creating posters, infographics, etc., based on templates to customise. BONUS: Anyone working in school can contact the company for a free EDUCATION version (pro version)

• Googlesites - create a website. Find help for starting here.

• Book Creator - app/website for creating books, booklets, brochures

• DoInk - an app/website to create greenscreen recordings

• StopMotion - app/website to create animation 

• Explain Everything - digital whiteboard using an app/website to create a video presentation by filming activities on the screen and adding sound and/or text.  

• Give assessments: try Explain Everything to comment and give feedback on students/work, you show by pointing and making changes on the smartboard and at the same time record your audio comments 

• Creative product: replace traditional text writing with a presentation and allow students to develop a creative product.

• Flip teaching: make short video clips, an infographic for the topic, and a poster to present the subject material.