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Michael Jordan Gatorade Commerical- Kenneth Willman

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Michael Jordan Gatorade Commerical- Kenneth Willman

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I don't see anything out of the ordinary for any negativity. For the gatorade commerical, I don't see any mexicians, italians, indians, japanese people, asians, koreans, or guams.Its ethos because Michael Jordan is on the Gatorade commerical.

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Chronicle Community for higher ed jobs, career tools and advice

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Image: AVIDAC, Argonne's first computer, photo by U.S. Department of Energy - courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory

After 10 years, I finally gave in.

I had stopped grading assignments electronically back in 2005. What did me in was a class of 120 students writing four-page essays on Blackboard. Even though my teaching assistant scored half the papers (bless her heart), the process seemed to go on forever. I won't lie: Grading essays digitally took almost twice the time it took me to grade them by hand. After that experience, I vowed never to assess papers electronically again.

But today, many college students don't have printers, and if they do, they're almost invariably (or conveniently?) out of ink. What's more, university computer labs and student lounges now charge for paper copies, and for many undergrads, the price of higher education is already too high. Finally, we cannot deny the convenience of current technology, as almost anything - mortgage applications, license-plate renewals, birthday cards - can be sent electronically to anyone, anywhere. For those reasons, asking today's college students to submit assignments via paper is undeniably outdated. And really, who wants to be that professor?

With that in mind, I recently buckled down and returned to digital grading - with at least three stipulations.

First, I refused to use a content management system (CMS) like Blackboard, Moodle, and D2L (Desire 2 Learn). In those virtual learning environments, the content is considerably embedded - i.e., one must click on far too many links to get to where one needs to go. As well, most CMS interfaces are unattractive, and the grading modules aren't usually user-friendly.

Second, I would not allow students to submit their assignments via Microsoft Word. Word documents can take too long to open, and sometimes they bring viruses. Also, Word's review function offers too many options when, honestly, I just need one button that says comment.

Third, I would not use Google Docs. When a professor comments on a student's Google document, depending on the settings, Google automatically sends an email to the student, notifying her of your remark(s). I dislike that function because: (a) that's too many emails, (b) my comments may change as I read, and (c) students don't need to know the exact moment I'm grading their work. Also in Google Docs, students can reply to my individual comments, possibly starting a dialogue that, depending on the assignment, is unwarranted.

In short, neither educational CMSs, Microsoft Word, nor Google Docs suits my intents, aesthetics, or time.

Enter Notable PDF (now known as Kami).

Notable PDF is cloud-based annotation software. It integrates with Dropbox for opening and saving PDFs, and it has a Chrome Extension that lets you annotate PDF files from within the Chrome browser. It also works nicely with Google Drive, which, by the way, differs from Google Docs. Most simply, Notable PDF allows professors to grade digitally with little hassle.

A few reasons I prefer Notable PDF: It doesn't notify students every time you comment on their work, it keeps the student's original document and automatically creates another, and it logs your comments in the cloud. Also, as some of my above comments imply, I'm big on aesthetics. And PDFs - especially with embedded images, which I often require - are much prettier and more fun to grade than plain ol' Word documents with their dull gray margins and underlined proper nouns or misspelled words.

What follows is a tutorial on grading digitally with Notable PDF and Google Drive.

1. Have students set up a Google Drive folder to share with you ( directions here). Tip: I make individual course folders in Google Drive so everything is easy to find - with clear labels like Intro to Film, Cinema History, TV Comedy.

2. Instruct your students to upload their assignments - and emphasize that you want PDFs only - to their shared folder in Google Drive.

3. Go to your Google Drive, and locate your students' assignments.

4. Open a student's PDF file. At the top of the page, click "Open" and then "Notable PDF."

5. In Notable PDF, choose an option from the toolbar on the right. (I only use the comment bubble, but other functions like "highlighting text" and "strikethrough" are available.)

6. Place your cursor on the part of the paper you'd like to comment on, and a window will pop up. Enter your comment, and move on.

7. When you've finished commenting, select the hard-drive button in the right-hand corner to export the new file. Notable PDF allows exporting to your computer's hard drive or, for a small fee, to Google Drive. Here, you can also select how you'd like students to see your comments. Pick either Annotations on Top or Annotations on Side.

The final product, with annotations on the side, looks like this. Students will be able to see this in their Google Drive folder alongside their original file.

I will admit: Notable PDF works best for shortish, low-key assignments that don't require a great deal of editing. You can't split paragraphs or relocate images, for example. Copying and pasting words or sentences is not allowed, either. These are PDFs, after all.

Still, if you're interested in moving from grading by hand to grading by pixels, Notable PDF will get the job done. Finally, the process can go even faster with programs like TextExpander, but we'll save that for our next post.

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Image: AVIDAC, Argonne's first computer, photo by U.S. Department of Energy - courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory After 10 years, I finally gave in. I had stopped grading assignments electronically back in 2005. What did me in was a class of 120 students writing four-page essays on Blackboard.

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Bookmark various padlets for easy access.  

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Bookmark various padlets for easy access.  

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Create a Padlet folder in your bookmarks bar that has all of your padlets organized for easy access!

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Coool

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TopCat 3rd Grade Passion Project Response

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TopCat 3rd Grade Passion Project Response

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Complete the WRITE prompt by sharing something you feel passionate about and what your ideas are about how you could share that passion with others to make a difference.

After reading, respond on the Padlet using writing, video recording, or voice recording. Your response should include:

1-2 sentences about what your article was about overall.

At least 4-5 sentences about how the person/people in your article made a difference in their community.

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Padlet can be easily used to share ideas with others on certain topics and ideas. Also, padlet could be used to communicate with teachers; it would eliminate the need to raise your hand. Not only that, but padlet can be used for homework (Ex. posting lessons learned online ;

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I think Padlet is a great way to put all of your thoughts down but also read what other people have to say.
Also we could use this for notes, and not only your notes but again get ideas from other people to add on to your own notes.

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1. Padlet is good to take notes on for an upcoming test/quiz
2. We can use padlet when were working on projects (You could add videos and pictures.
3. For group discussions when were away from school.

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Teachers put the questions on padlet. Students can share their answers easily.

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See what people think about the economy today. Research about current events and see what others can find.

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When using padlet you could post videos allowing others to see it and then they could post videos concerning your video. You could also add pictures and slideshows to express your ideas.  People could also type long essays here allowing the teacher to see all their answers and not having to send and share documents everywhere.

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Padlet lets sticky notes have images, links and videos.

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Ed Tech

There's a good chance you've done the "write on a sticky note and put it on the wall" activity - or have seen it happen before.
Padlet lets those sticky notes have images, links and videos AND be available with practically any Internet-ready device.
It used to be blocked by my school's Internet filter. This school year, the powers that be have allowed it through on student devices, opening up lots of possibilities in class!

Padlet is a great place for gathering ideas, sharing them and modifying them later. It's like a living, breathing webpage. Users can add links, YouTube videos, files and images to Padlet notes. They can move and arrange them. A link to a Padlet can be shared and Padlets can be embedded into webpages.

Here are 20 ways to use Padlet in class:

15. Collect videos to share in class

Looking for FREE Tech Like A PIRATE resources?
You'll find a treasure trove of additional ideas and activities related to t ​ ​​​​he book at TechLikeAPirate.com!

Looking for some more ideas? These sites have them!
Do you have an idea of how you could use Padlet in class? Post it in a comment below!

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©2023 Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller.

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20 useful ways to use Padlet in class now

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Padlet is a web app that lets users post notes on a digital wall. The uses for this site in the classroom are virtually endless!There's a good chance

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You could use padlet when you are working on a project. Everybody's ideas would be heard and answered rather than them getting called on.

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1. Bookclub(questions-summary-important events-books they want to read next)
2. Class Discussions
3. Daily Schechule

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1. Good for projects
2. Good for notes
3. You can add a video

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Use padlet to present your ideas and others can comment and ask questions about your new idea.

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It works with Google Drive

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En la actualidad es una tendencia crear videos educativos y esto sigue aumentando debido a los grandes efectos que estos...

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Mrs. Vice on Twitter: "Next gr. level read aloud is #BFG by @roald_dahl Ss using @padlet to react and respond #edtech #authentic #purpose https://t.co/rCuMzT4Qa7"

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Mrs. Vice on Twitter: "Next gr. level read aloud is #BFG by @roald_dahl Ss using @padlet to react and respond #edtech #authentic #purpose https://t.co/rCuMzT4Qa7"

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Students using padlet to react during a read aloud.

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Next gr. level read aloud is #BFG by @roald_dahl Ss using @padlet to react and respond #edtech #authentic #purpose

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Next gr. level read aloud is #BFG by @roald_dahl Ss using @padlet to react and respond #edtech #authentic #purpose https://t.co/rCuMzT4Qa7

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Next gr. level read aloud is #BFG by @roald_dahl Ss using @padlet to react and respond #edtech #authentic #purpose pic.twitter.com/rCuMzT4Qa7
— Sarah Vice (@MrsVice1) April 26, 2016

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Next gr. level read aloud is #BFG by @roald_dahl Ss using @padlet to react and respond #edtech #authentic #purpose https://t.co/rCuMzT4Qa7

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Next gr. level read aloud is #BFG by @roald_dahl Ss using @padlet to react and respond #edtech #authentic #purpose https://t.co/rCuMzT4Qa7

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Next gr. level read aloud is #BFG by @roald_dahl Ss using @padlet to react and respond #edtech #authentic #purpose

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Blogging Prompts to Prompt A Culture of Thinking.

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Blogging Prompts to Prompt A Culture of Thinking.

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Classroom Example

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Classroom example

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About 6 years ago, a web 2.0 tool came along called 'Wallwisher' which everyone raved about and it really was the belle of the edtech ball. It was very popular indeed, but over time, it became more unpredictable and thus unreliable. As time rolled on so less and less teachers used it in the classroom.

Move forward to 2013 and Wallwisher got a rebrand. Padlet is a web based means of collating ideas and collaborating online.

Why would you want to use it?

to brainstorm ideas from a class

to collate research on a topic

to gauge understanding on a topic

to test student knowledge

to curate website links

to share information to an audience

How to use Padlet?

If you have a Google account, then good news, you can use your Google account for SSO (single sign-on) so you can be logged on quickly without having to create a brand new account (again).

Once loaded up you have a variety of options but you're going to want to choose to 'Build a wall'.

Once you've done that you're wall is ready straight away. Before you go live to the world with it however you're going to want to configure it a bit first.

First up, give your wall a title and a description and an icon to associate with the wall - there are a number of these to choose from. Next up, using the second icon down, choose 'Wallpaper'. Here you can choose a background image for your Padlet. You can add your own or there are a number of high resolution images to choose from.

Next up is your layout. The layout option is important in a classroom environment as if you have it freeform, it means that the posts on there go everywhere.

There is an option however to have the Padlet wall have streaming posts such as in the embedded example below where posts are placed one below the other:

If you look at the notifications section too you'll see that, should you wish, you can receive a daily email notification if someone posts something on your wall. For a classroom activity, you probably wouldn't want that, but there are times when that would be useful for example if you have set a Padlet up to record homework answers or links to homeworks or if you are crowdsourcing ideas such as in the example above.

Other options you might want to consider are that for sharing and you can do that via the 'Address' option. You can easily create your own vanity address for your wall which will make it easier for sharing.

This will make it much easier than sharing a wall with an address such as http://padlet.com/hydDvs34.

More configuration options in terms of visibility ensure that you can have complete control over your Padlet too...

There are lots of sharing options for Padlet as you'll see below. One of my favourite options though are the export functions. CSV and Excel formats are helpful, but the PDF option is golden. This means that you can quite easily, once completed, close the Padlet down to public addition / change. Save it as a PDF and then keep / share that document as a record of the activity on that wall. So, imagine if you're in a lesson where students have access to mobile devices.....

1. Learning activity in lesson involving Padlet

2. Save Padlet as PDF

3. Upload to Dropbox

4. Get share link - convert to QR code in QR code app / site

5. Students download PDF to their mobile device for revision / future reference

And finally, speaking of QR codes, if you're just looking to get your Padlet shared at the beginning of the lesson, it auto generates a QR code for you (as you'll see below) for you to share with your class.

So, in review, why would you use it? More importantly... why wouldn't you use it?!

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About 6 years ago, a web 2.0 tool came along called 'Wallwisher' which everyone raved about and it really was the belle of the edtech ball. It was very popular indeed, but over time, it...

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Students would be able to have large group discussions, instead of having one person be called on and talk. Instead everyone would be able to share ideas and communicate.

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Padlet: Create a Virtual Wall & Engage Your Students |

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Padlet: Create a Virtual Wall & Engage Your Students |

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Students used Padlet to gather resources that can be used when students get chromebooks next year.

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Have students post a sentence using the word of the day.  By discussing how everyone else uses it, they should gain a better understanding of the word.

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Padlet: Web 2.0 tool for the classroom! | Ms Conneally's EDRE5j Blog

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Padlet: Web 2.0 tool for the classroom! | Ms Conneally's EDRE5j Blog

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Padlet is a GREAT way for a group to collect bookmarks!

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Padlet is a GREAT way for a group to collect bookmarks!

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Found a great site and just bookmarked it?  Share it with your friends by posting to a padlet wall for your department.  Make it even easier by adding Padlet's extension to Google Chrome and have instant access to all of your padlets with one click!

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Using Padlet (f.k.a. WallWisher) across the curriculum | Mr G Online

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Using Padlet (f.k.a. WallWisher) across the curriculum | Mr G Online

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Sorry, you have been blocked from accessing Edublogs. If you feel this was done in error please contact support@edublogs.org and include the information shown below.
Public IP: 138.197.84.109
Ray ID: 815f78d7cd254316

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Education World: Five Ways to Use Padlet in Class

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Education World: Five Ways to Use Padlet in Class

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Five Ways to Use Padlet in Class | Education World

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Classroom uses for this free, online “virtual wall” are endless, but these ideas will get you started.

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Five Different Ways To Use Padlet In Your Classroom | Examiner.com

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Five Different Ways To Use Padlet In Your Classroom | Examiner.com

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12 Ways To Use Padlet In Your Classroom Tomorrow! | TeachBytes

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12 Ways To Use Padlet In Your Classroom Tomorrow! | TeachBytes

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See related links to what you are looking for.

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FLIPPED 4 SCIENCE: Padlet - Include an Online Graffiti Wall for Your Classroom

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FLIPPED 4 SCIENCE: Padlet - Include an Online Graffiti Wall for Your Classroom

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Padlet - Include an Online Graffiti Wall for Your Flipped Classroom

Padlet is a online web based "Graffiti Wall" for real time collaboration and a vehicle for the sharing of information, creating discussions and visualizing possibilities.

Padlet is very user friendly. Once you have registered for your free account, which you can do through your Google account, it is very easy to create and name your wall.

The layout menu located on the right side of the workspace allows for the options for your wallpaper, organization, privacy and notification settings.

Layout options include freeform as in the example above or in a streaming style.

Padlet can assign a url for your wall or you can personalize the url for your needs.

There are options to share the Padlet wall in a variety of ways. You can make the wall public, or you can share with specified groups. Users can view, view and share content, and view, share and edit content.

Padlet walls can be shared as a learning activity, saved PDF, u ploaded to Dropbox, shared as a link, embedded in a webpage or shared through a QR code.
START YOUR OWN PADLET WALL TODAY!

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Padlet - Include an Online Graffiti Wall for Your Classroom

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Padlet - Include an Online Graffiti Wall for Your Flipped Classroom Padlet is a online web based "Graffiti Wall" for real time collaboration and a vehicle for the sharing of information, creating discussions and visualizing possibilities. Padlet is very user friendly.

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Students find a picture and write about its connection to a story, event, etc.

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Nice job with the padlet symbolism activity today on the novel, "Night." #iamstrongchat

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Nice job with the padlet symbolism activity today on the novel, "Night." #iamstrongchat https://t.co/JRxVFmbqls

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Nice job with the padlet symbolism activity today on the novel, "Night." #iamstrongchat pic.twitter.com/JRxVFmbqls
— Karen Harrington (@KHarrington28) March 15, 2016

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Nice job with the padlet symbolism activity today on the novel, "Night." #iamstrongchat https://t.co/JRxVFmbqls

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Nice job with the padlet symbolism activity today on the novel, "Night." #iamstrongchat https://t.co/JRxVFmbqls

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Nice job with the padlet symbolism activity today on the novel, "Night." #iamstrongchat

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Create a master padlet with links to other padlets.  The other padlets contain information on specific topics that students gather.  Afterward, students look at the other padlets and then post to main padlet a summary of how the various topics fit together.

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Students can post thoughts, images, and more to describe a character. 

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Students can post thoughts, images, and more to describe a character. 

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Through words and visuals, students can post to a wall to describe what they think a character looks and sounds like, what they might be interested in, someone famous that reminds them of the character, hobbies, and so much more.

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Students can ask questions when studying. 

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Students can ask questions when studying. 

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Students can use a padlet to help each other study before a test.

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After each section, have kids post to a padlet ideas for possible test questions.

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Math idea - post various ways to complete a problem!

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Math idea - post various ways to complete a problem!

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Below are two ideas using apps, but you could also use this idea with physical blocks or graph paper that they take a photo of and upload, or even to see how many ways kids can come up with to solve a problem using different methods.

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I recently ran a CPD session for our maths department and was short of ideas; however I knew I wanted to avoid simply going through times table or division drill apps. A quick text chat with fellow ADE and good friend, Marc Faulder, pointed me in the right direction and I decided to demonstrate how you can use Padlet, and a variety of free maths apps to challenge thinking and use technology to provide stimulating, engaging and fun learning opportunities!
Set up your Padlet and pose a question

Pose your question at the top of your padlet and then invite children to join the padlet on their iPads via the self-generated QR code. They can scan straight from the IAW/screen or from a pre-printed copy or even via a link shared on your school learning network.
Think 3D
The question posed on the Padlet read:

" Using the Think 3D App OR Unifix Blocks, create your own cuboid with a volume of 18 cubes. Take photos or screen shots then open the Skitch App and draw the dimensions. How many different objects can we make with a volume of 18? Which is the longest/tallest/widest/highest? "

Students can answer the question by either using unifix cubes or the Think 3D App and then annotate over the image using Skitch:
Maths Learning Centre Apps.
The FREE apps from the maths learning centre are a revelation! There are eight available; Number Line, Number Pieces Basic, Geoboard, Number Frames, Pattern Shapes, Number Pieces, Math Vocab and Number Rack. They really are fantastic tools for the classroom and incredibly user friendly.

The example below uses the Geoboard App and the question posed on the Padlet was:

"How many different rectangles can you make with an area of 12cm²?"
Adding Work To Padlet
Once the students have drawn their rectangles, they can save to camera roll by taking a screen shot and the upload to Padlet using the upload button:

Another setting worth noting on Padlet is the ability to change the layout into a grid. This means that when students contribute their work, it automatically goes into a clear and easy to follow grid formation:

Once the work is on the board, students can be invited to present their work and question their peers understanding. Students work can be enlarger, simply by clicking on it.

Padlet really is a great classroom tool and its use should not be limited to maths. It can be used across the curriculum in a variety of different ways and I encourage you to give it a go!

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I recently ran a CPD session for our maths department and was short of ideas; however I knew I wanted to avoid simply going through times table or division drill apps. A quick text chat with fellow ADE and good friend, Marc Faulder, pointed me in the right direction and I decided to demonstrate how you...

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Kingsley 6th grade Ss prepare for @chris_rylander's visit w/@audiobooks_com & @padlet! #kgshines

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Kingsley 6th grade Ss prepare for @chris_rylander's visit w/@audiobooks_com & @padlet! #kgshines https://t.co/nvrlJB9l90

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Kingsley 6th grade Ss prepare for @chris_rylander's visit w/@audiobooks_com & @padlet! #kgshines pic.twitter.com/nvrlJB9l90
— Jamie Krier (@kglibrary58) March 15, 2016

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Kingsley 6th grade Ss prepare for @chris_rylander's visit w/@audiobooks_com & @padlet! #kgshines https://t.co/nvrlJB9l90

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Kingsley 6th grade Ss prepare for @chris_rylander's visit w/@audiobooks_com & @padlet! #kgshines https://t.co/nvrlJB9l90

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Kingsley 6th grade Ss prepare for @chris_rylander's visit w/@audiobooks_com & @padlet! #kgshines

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Students and Teacher collect Youtube tutorials for projects. 

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Students and Teacher collect Youtube tutorials for projects. 

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Teachers can collect tutorials that will be useful to complete a project, but as students come across tutorials that are not provided and teacher is busy with another student, they can find one that helps and post it to padlet wall.

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This World Cafe statement struck a chord as we had to adapt to the power outage!We still got work done!#tech @padlet

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This World Cafe statement struck a chord as we had to adapt to the power outage!We still got work done!#tech @padlet https://t.co/siqpvGAsLV

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This World Cafe statement struck a chord as we had to adapt to the power outage!We still got work done!#tech @padlet pic.twitter.com/siqpvGAsLV
— Annie Stultz (@MrsStultzPHS) March 15, 2016

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This World Cafe statement struck a chord as we had to adapt to the power outage!We still got work done!#tech @padlet https://t.co/siqpvGAsLV

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This World Cafe statement struck a chord as we had to adapt to the power outage!We still got work done!#tech @padlet https://t.co/siqpvGAsLV

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This World Cafe statement struck a chord as we had to adapt to the power outage!We still got work done!#tech @padlet

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Use Padlet to collect ideas for Professional Development

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Use Padlet to collect ideas for Professional Development

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Bookmark various padlets for easy access.  

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Bookmark various padlets for easy access.  

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Create a Padlet folder in your bookmarks bar that has all of your padlets organized for easy access!

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Students can use to track learning throughout course.  

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Students can use to track learning throughout course.  

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Students can create padlets at the beginning of a course and post work, resources, weekly learning reflections and more to chart their learning. Students could even have one padlet linked to other padlets for each of those tasks.

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Use Padlet for peer and teacher support during projects.  

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Use Padlet for peer and teacher support during projects.  

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Have students post questions that the teacher or any other student can answer.  Students can also post answers to questions they find solutions to, tutorials that were helpful, etc.

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Have kids post what they know about a topic before beginning a unit.  Then, have them revisit the Padlet at the end to see what has changed and what can be added.

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Add google drawing background with areas for students to place posts. 

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Add google drawing background with areas for students to place posts. 

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Never done it, but how about creating a google drawing containing a grid or circles labeled with categories.  Then students can put in resources or post comments and organize them by category. :)

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Have students post a class takeaway, quickly learn what your students thought was important for the day and see if it matches your lesson objective.

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Have students create infographics in an app like piktochart at the beginning of the year to describe themselves and their interests, and then post those infographics to a padlet to help students get to know each other.  

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Have students create infographics in an app like piktochart at the beginning of the year to describe themselves and their interests, and then post those infographics to a padlet to help students get to know each other.  

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Use the map theme and have kids place posts on the map related to the various parts of world they are discussing. 

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Use the map theme and have kids place posts on the map related to the various parts of world they are discussing. 

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Match My Graph & Crowd Sourcing Challenges | Mr. Orr is a Geek.com

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Match My Graph & Crowd Sourcing Challenges | Mr. Orr is a Geek.com

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Cool idea for math class.  Students post own challenges to match a function using Desmos.

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Match My Graph & Crowd Sourcing Challenges | Mr. Orr is a Geek.com

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Here's a quick synapsis of an activity from my Advanced Functions class with transformations of trig functions. We used a Custom Polygraph from Desmos to generate talk/discussion on key properties of trig functions (Students have previously dealt with trig functions in grade 11). I overheard students asking questions about x-intercepts, period, and amplitude.

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Using @Padlet to motivate @AbingdonGIFT Ss to reflect on their own learning @APSGifted #bestpractices

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Using @Padlet to motivate @AbingdonGIFT Ss to reflect on their own learning @APSGifted #bestpractices https://t.co/loF4HVxAg3

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Using @Padlet to motivate @AbingdonGIFT Ss to reflect on their own learning @APSGifted #bestpractices pic.twitter.com/loF4HVxAg3
— Jacqueline Firster ✨ (@Ed_TechK12) March 18, 2016

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Using @Padlet to motivate @AbingdonGIFT Ss to reflect on their own learning @APSGifted #bestpractices https://t.co/loF4HVxAg3

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Using @Padlet to motivate @AbingdonGIFT Ss to reflect on their own learning @APSGifted #bestpractices https://t.co/loF4HVxAg3

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Using @Padlet to motivate @AbingdonGIFT Ss to reflect on their own learning @APSGifted #bestpractices

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Grading Digitally with Notable PDF | Vitae

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Grading Digitally with Notable PDF | Vitae

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Chronicle Community for higher ed jobs, career tools and advice

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Image: AVIDAC, Argonne's first computer, photo by U.S. Department of Energy - courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory

After 10 years, I finally gave in.

I had stopped grading assignments electronically back in 2005. What did me in was a class of 120 students writing four-page essays on Blackboard. Even though my teaching assistant scored half the papers (bless her heart), the process seemed to go on forever. I won't lie: Grading essays digitally took almost twice the time it took me to grade them by hand. After that experience, I vowed never to assess papers electronically again.

But today, many college students don't have printers, and if they do, they're almost invariably (or conveniently?) out of ink. What's more, university computer labs and student lounges now charge for paper copies, and for many undergrads, the price of higher education is already too high. Finally, we cannot deny the convenience of current technology, as almost anything - mortgage applications, license-plate renewals, birthday cards - can be sent electronically to anyone, anywhere. For those reasons, asking today's college students to submit assignments via paper is undeniably outdated. And really, who wants to be that professor?

With that in mind, I recently buckled down and returned to digital grading - with at least three stipulations.

First, I refused to use a content management system (CMS) like Blackboard, Moodle, and D2L (Desire 2 Learn). In those virtual learning environments, the content is considerably embedded - i.e., one must click on far too many links to get to where one needs to go. As well, most CMS interfaces are unattractive, and the grading modules aren't usually user-friendly.

Second, I would not allow students to submit their assignments via Microsoft Word. Word documents can take too long to open, and sometimes they bring viruses. Also, Word's review function offers too many options when, honestly, I just need one button that says comment.

Third, I would not use Google Docs. When a professor comments on a student's Google document, depending on the settings, Google automatically sends an email to the student, notifying her of your remark(s). I dislike that function because: (a) that's too many emails, (b) my comments may change as I read, and (c) students don't need to know the exact moment I'm grading their work. Also in Google Docs, students can reply to my individual comments, possibly starting a dialogue that, depending on the assignment, is unwarranted.

In short, neither educational CMSs, Microsoft Word, nor Google Docs suits my intents, aesthetics, or time.

Enter Notable PDF (now known as Kami).

Notable PDF is cloud-based annotation software. It integrates with Dropbox for opening and saving PDFs, and it has a Chrome Extension that lets you annotate PDF files from within the Chrome browser. It also works nicely with Google Drive, which, by the way, differs from Google Docs. Most simply, Notable PDF allows professors to grade digitally with little hassle.

A few reasons I prefer Notable PDF: It doesn't notify students every time you comment on their work, it keeps the student's original document and automatically creates another, and it logs your comments in the cloud. Also, as some of my above comments imply, I'm big on aesthetics. And PDFs - especially with embedded images, which I often require - are much prettier and more fun to grade than plain ol' Word documents with their dull gray margins and underlined proper nouns or misspelled words.

What follows is a tutorial on grading digitally with Notable PDF and Google Drive.

1. Have students set up a Google Drive folder to share with you ( directions here). Tip: I make individual course folders in Google Drive so everything is easy to find - with clear labels like Intro to Film, Cinema History, TV Comedy.

2. Instruct your students to upload their assignments - and emphasize that you want PDFs only - to their shared folder in Google Drive.

3. Go to your Google Drive, and locate your students' assignments.

4. Open a student's PDF file. At the top of the page, click "Open" and then "Notable PDF."

5. In Notable PDF, choose an option from the toolbar on the right. (I only use the comment bubble, but other functions like "highlighting text" and "strikethrough" are available.)

6. Place your cursor on the part of the paper you'd like to comment on, and a window will pop up. Enter your comment, and move on.

7. When you've finished commenting, select the hard-drive button in the right-hand corner to export the new file. Notable PDF allows exporting to your computer's hard drive or, for a small fee, to Google Drive. Here, you can also select how you'd like students to see your comments. Pick either Annotations on Top or Annotations on Side.

The final product, with annotations on the side, looks like this. Students will be able to see this in their Google Drive folder alongside their original file.

I will admit: Notable PDF works best for shortish, low-key assignments that don't require a great deal of editing. You can't split paragraphs or relocate images, for example. Copying and pasting words or sentences is not allowed, either. These are PDFs, after all.

Still, if you're interested in moving from grading by hand to grading by pixels, Notable PDF will get the job done. Finally, the process can go even faster with programs like TextExpander, but we'll save that for our next post.

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Image: AVIDAC, Argonne's first computer, photo by U.S. Department of Energy - courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory After 10 years, I finally gave in. I had stopped grading assignments electronically back in 2005. What did me in was a class of 120 students writing four-page essays on Blackboard.