What is Kami?
Kami is a Google Chrome extension that allows teachers to upload a PDF for students to annotate. Students are able to add text, highlight, draw, add shapes, etc. onto the document that was uploaded. Kami is free, however, you may upgrade to get more features.
Uses of Kami
There are a ton of different ways to use Kami. Here a few ideas I came up with/found:
- Students can look at two writings and compare them by highlighting and adding text onto both documents.
- Students can look at an image, for example, a painting, and write a review/critique on it.
- Looking at a famous inventor’s journal, students can write their thoughts in the margins, look for evidence of the scientific method, etc.
- Students can look at a map and label different places on it, as well as draw on it. For example, if they are learning about different explorers, they can draw the routes that the explorers took and label the locations.
The activities should be thoughtful and engaging, helping students work on their critical thinking skills. Making it more engaging, allows students to get more out of the experience instead of just completing a worksheet.
Pros of Using Kami
Using Kami makes it so easy for teachers to upload a PDF that students can then “write” on, and the teachers can provide feedback to the student within the document that was already annotated. It also provides an interactive experience for the students. Kami can integrate with Google Classroom, Schoology, and Canvas, making it easier for teachers to assign the work to their students.