Templates allow teachers to create and share academic content and resources with students and parents. Students and parents can respond in a variety of methods, including through a video, drawing or annotation, camera image, media upload, link upload and more.


Before learning more about adding templates to your activities, make sure you know how to create a new activity:  Creating an Activity in My Library.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Adding Templates in Activities

  • While creating an activity, click Add Template For Student Responses. 


  • Select which type of template you are wanting to create- Photo, Drawing, Video, Upload, Link.
INSTRUCTOR TIP: As a default, choose Drawing. Drawing will offer you all of the tools to create your activity.


  • This will navigate to a tool where you can draw, add image, enter text, etc. 


Adding Text:


  • To add text, click on the T symbol to the right side of the page. Then click on the page where you would like to add the text.
  • Once you have typed in the textbox, clicking outside of it will allow you to see the 3 dots (when already clicked out and wanting to access 3 dots again click on text). This will give you an overflow menu with further options to edit, manipulate, resize, add links, and more. 


TEXT Options on Overflow Menu:

  • Style: This will allow you to change the font, create border or shading for your text box.
  • Order: This will bring the text box forward (on top of other objects/text) or behind.
  • Align: This will center or align the text in the text box.
  • Link: You will be able to paste or type a link into this box. This will create a hyperlink within your template for students to click into.
  • Lock: Click Lock for any objects or text that you do not want to be moved by students. Click Unlock for any objects that students can or will be moving in the activity (drag and drop).
  • Duplicate: This will create a duplicate or second copy of the text.
  • Delete: This will delete the object from your template.
  • Click the text box and use the Sliding Color bar on the left of the screen to change the colors of the text:
  • Text can also be resized, dragged across the screen, or rotated using the green Rotate icon above the text box.


Adding Audio:


Templates gives you the option to add audio recording to your activity. (Note: Audio recording supported on the desktop version only).

  • To record audio, click the mike symbol on the right side of the screen.
  • Click Start Recording. (when prompted by the interface to )


  • Click the Done when the audio recording is complete. Click the Pause button if you need to pause the recording. Click the X if you want to discard the recording (Bloomz will ask you again if you want to discard it)


INSTRUCTOR TIP: Adding Audio will take up the entire screen, so a good tip for instructors is to add an additional slide to your template for these audio tips and suggestions.



Adding Media:


Bloomz' templates allow you to add media items, such as images from a camera or library, video uploads, live recorded videos, and upload pdfs and documents. 

  • To add image, click the camera symbol on the right side of the screen.


  • Select the type of media you would like to add to the template: Upload (File from Device), Video, Photo.
    • Upload: Upload a file from your device (pdf, video, jpeg, etc.)
    • Video: You can record a video directly on your device to add to the template. You can record up to 5 minutes of video content.


INSTRUCTOR TIP: Adding a Video will take up the entire screen, so a good tip for instructors is to add an additional slide to your template for these videos.


  • Photo: On the desktop version, you can choose a photo from your device. On the Bloomz app, you can take a photo directly from the device and add to the template.
    • After adding an image, click the image and the 3 dots below the image to display the overflow menu. This includes options to edit and manipulate your image on the template, such as:
      • Style: This will allow you to change the font, create border or shading for your text box.
      • Order: This will bring the text box forward (on top of other objects/text) or behind.
      • Align: This will center or align the text in the text box.
      • Link: You will be able to paste or type a link into this box. This will create a hyperlink within your template for students to click into.
      • Lock: Click Lock for any objects or text that you do not want to be moved by students. Click Unlock for any objects that students can or will be moving in the activity (drag and drop).
      • Duplicate: This will create a duplicate or second copy of the text.
      • Delete: This will delete the object from your template.
    • You can also drag this object to a new placement on the screen, use the text box to resize the image, or click the green Rotate icon above the image to rotate the image.

As you are creating a template, you can use tools to add shapes, arrows, add color to the background, and add links.        

  • Below the camera symbol, click the a 3 dots symbol


  •  This provides options to add shapes, arrows, change backgrounds, and add links
    •  Shape: Click Shape and then select your image to add to the template.
      • As with other media items, you can click the 3 dots to display the overflow menu with additional editing options.
      • You can also use the color slide to change the color of the shape.
      • This shape can be dragged across the screen, resized, and rotated (use the green Rotate Icon) as well.
    • Arrow: Click Arrow and click the first point of the arrow on the screen and drag to the end.
      • As with other media items, click the 3 dots below the arrow to display the overflow menu. Use the slider on the Color Bar to change the color of the arrow.
      • Use the image box to resize the arrow, drag the arrow to a new location, and use the green Rotate icon above the arrow to rotate it.
    • Background: Click Background. Scroll through the choices to select the color for the slide you are on:
    • Link: Click Link to type or paste a link to an external website. Press OK to save. 
      • This will display on your template as a blue hyperlink.
      • Click the 3 dots under the text box to open the overflow menu for additional editing options.
      • Drag, resize, and use the green Flipper icon to rotate and manipulate the link.

Drawing Tools:

  • At the bottom middle of the page, there are various brushes used for painting, highlighting the text, and more. These can be used to write, highlight, erase pictures and writing.
    • The Pointer selects your images, text, arrows, and shapes already added to the template to edit: 
    • The Pens/Highlighters are available to different sized writing/drawing. Use the Color Picker on the left side of the screen to select the color you wish to use.
    • The Eraser can be used to delete any drawing or annotation you have made on the template.


Adding Additional Slides

Teachers can add additional slides to break up the activity for students.


  • Click the Slide icon on the bottom left-hand corner of the page.
  • Click the + icon to add an additional slide.
  • The Slide icon will display which page you are currently working on.
INSTRUCTOR TIP: If there are more than 1 slide in your activity, in the Activity Student Directions, it is recommended that you remind students how many slides or pages they will have to complete.
  • To delete a page, click the - Icon and select Delete from the confirmation pop-up that appears:



Template Tools


In the top left hand corner of the page, there are various other tools teachers can use when creating a template.


  • Undo: Click the Undo arrow icon to delete or undo the previous action.
  • Redo: Click the Redo arrow icon to duplicate an action.
  • Magnify: Click the Magnify + icon to increase the size of your screen while working on a template.
  • Full Screen: Click the Full Screen icon on Completed Activities (will not perform while in draft) to project the activity on a screen for students.
  • Monitor: Click the Monitor screen icon to remove the Template tools and just view the activity/page you have created.


Additional Resources: