Two years ago my building implemented a one-to-one technology initiative, giving kindergarten through fifth grade students their own iPad or MacBook. With this new technology in the classroom, I am always on the lookout for new ways for students to publish their writings digitally. 

I recently attended a technology conference and learned about Lucidpress.com. Lucidpress is a free, web based publisher that includes a variety of artistic, user friendly templates that when completed can be saved to Google Drive.

Signing up for teachers and students is easy! Simply go to Lucidpress and enter your name and email address. If your district is a Google Apps for Education district, students can click the “Sign up with Google” button. If your students do not have their own email addresses, they can use the Gmail +1 trick to sign in. Once logged in, click “Create” and choose “Document.” From there, students can choose from over thirty digital templates to find the best fit to support their writing.

My students enjoy using the newspaper and book templates to assemble their writings. Some students choose to type on the template the entire time, while others opt to type in Google Drive and then paste their work on the template. No matter which drafting option they choose, students find the process easy to accomplish and gratifying.

Once the Lucidpress templates are completed and saved as a PDF, students can log into another free website, FlipSnack.com, which transforms PDFs, and other files, into flipping eBooks. These eBooks can then be embedded in the students’ online portfolios as a way to document their accomplishment and growth.

The possibilities of digitally publishing student work using Lucidpress and FlipSnack are endless. Whether you are looking for a web based platform for students to publish their work, or a unique way to transform the typical typed student work into a flipping eBook, I encourage you to check out these digital publishing tools.

Stephanie Laird