Using the Teachers Pay Teachers’ digital overlay is really easy! It allows you to assign PDFs students can type on. Using digital activities has never been simpler. Check out how we are doing it!

There are a lot of unknowns about next year, but it looks like device based distance learning will likely increase. There’s some good news. Tpt has made adding text boxes to many of their pdf resources as easy as drag & drop. Here’s a video guide:

Resources that are enabled for TpT Digital Activities give you flexibility. You can print them (if you’re still teaching in a physical classroom), or you can make them digital and send them to students to complete on a device (if you’re teaching them online). Learning new technology can be overwhelming, but this only takes about five minutes to learn and start using, regardless of your level of tech experience! Woohoo!

Step 1

• Customize and create. The TpT Digital Activities feature allows you to tailor each resource to your students’ needs. You can remove or reorder any pages as needed (an answer key, for instance) and use our annotation tools to add instructions, create fill-in-the-blank answer boxes, highlight words, and more. 

Step 2

•  Preview. To see how the resource will appear to your students, click the “Preview” tab. Take a look and try out the interactive elements, like any text answer boxes you added, to make sure they’re ready for your students.

Step 3

•  Assign. Assign the resource to your students via Google Classroom by clicking “Assign,” then “Create Access Link,” then “Create New Code.” Finally, click the green Google Classroom button and enter the appropriate details. Your students will get a unique code that allows them to complete the activity and turn it back in to you for review — all online. NOTE: You’ll need Google Classroom in order to use this tool with students. 

Step 4

• Assess. You can access student-submitted work on the “My Activities” page of the TpT Digital Activities tool. Click “Review,” then “Review Responses.” The text and pen tools allow you to return feedback, direction, or grading as needed. 

Teach at Your Best ~ Virtually or in the Classroom 

It’s unclear how long we will be teaching remotely. Whether you’re back in the classroom, or teaching your students from home, with TpT Digital Activities, your resources can adapt with you so that learning doesn’t stop no matter what your school year looks like.

It is important to note that sometimes the digital overlay has already been created by the seller. You can edit or remove the boxes, instructions, & pages as you see fit. If the boxes are not already in place, it’s super easy to add them where needed. Below are a few of the resources I have already added the digital boxes to.

Circuits 4th – 7th grade

Making Inferences 3rd – 6th grade

Verbs 2nd – 5th grade

5th Grade Reading Comprehension

Food Chains

Almost all of the PDF resources from Peas in a Pod on Tpt can be used digitally! I have already added the boxes to many of my resources and am working quickly to add text boxes to the rest. Click on the logo below to see my resources & help your distance learning activities go just that much smoother.