Materials generators help teachers and students create paper and online instructionals materials. Using materials generators, teachers can create things for their school or classroom, like award certificates, flyers, and lesson plans. There are different types of material generators, which are:
Desktop Publishing Software
Desktop publishing software is very useful for teachers and students to create paper materials like flyers and brochures. Using this software is a great way to keep parents informed about things going on in the classroom. Students can also use it to learn about visual design and to play around with it. Students will love creating their own things on this software, and their self-esteem will get a boost upon seeing their own creations printed out on paper. To make sure you have quality software, there is some criteria you should look for. The program should be simple and easy to use, as well as have enough customization that the students can make their projects their own, but not too much that students spend hours trying to find their favorite font or grapics. When actually using the software, make sure to proofread when finished, and to make sure colors look nice and don't clash with each other.
Web Design Software
Web design software is software that is used to create your own website online. These programs allow for people to use text, graphics, and colors to make the website unique to each person. Teachers can create their own sites to keep parents informed about day to day activities, as well as upcoming homework, tests, and projects. Students would also have fun creating their own websites, and this would be a good project for teachers to give to students. Making students do research about a specific topic that may be on a test, and then creating a website for that topic could be great for creating study tools for students.
Interactive Whiteboard Activity Software
An interactive whiteboard is an electronic version of a regular whiteboard that is connected to the computer and can be interacted with an electronic pen. These whiteboards can be used for lessons, virtual field trips, and more. Students love writing on the board and may become more engaged if they get to have a chance to write on it. Notes and lessons that are written down on the interactive whiteboard may be saved and used another day. Students will also enjoy taking virtual field trips, using the electronic pen to be able to maneuver the screen to look at different things.
Test and Rubric Generators
Every teacher uses tests and rubrics, and it can be draining to have to continue to create tests and rubrics every year, and keep them up to date as well, along with all of the other things that teachers have to do. Using online test and rubric generators is great, because it can save a lot of time. When using the generators, teachers can follow prompts that will allow them to put in information so that the generator can create a test or rubric for the teacher to print out and use. The test generators can also create answer keys for the teacher to print out and use when grading tests.
Worksheet and Puzzle Generators
Worksheet and puzzle generators work the same way as test and rubric generators. The teacher inputs some information and the worksheet or puzzle is printed out for the teacher. Worksheets can be used to print out practice problems instead of test questions, while puzzles can be a fun alternative to worksheets. Deciding on which one to use, however, can depend on the content. Worksheets work well with any type of content, but puzzles are geared more towards learning words and definitions. Using these generators can help save on time.
Individualized Education Program (IEP) Generators
By federal legislation, such as IDEA and the ADA, it is required for schools to set up an IEP for students with specials needs. This allows for students with special needs to have their needs met in the classroom. IEP generators are tools that can help teachers to create these IEP by following prompts on the screen. Doing this using software can help a teacher get through creating IEP's quicker.
Graphic Document Makers
This kind of software can help teachers create highly graphic materials, such as awards and greeting cards. They offer clipart and a set of predesigned templates that teachers and students can all use, and they can even add in their own content. Although most of the time awards are handed out by the schools themselves, teachers could create their own awards ceremony in the classroom, in which each student gets their own reward for something they did that year, Using a graphic document maker can make awards more fun and interesting for students.
PDF and Form Makers
PDF software helps people to view documents as images, so that anyone can see the document online as it was originally designed to look. PDF makers are often used with form makers, because teachers find it easier to create forms and then turn them into a PDF to be filled out on the screen. Forms make it easier to collect data from students, parents, and other faculty members, or to implement surveys. Teachers can store form templates for later use.