Wacom and Kami for Effective Document Editing

By Wacom |
January 15, 2021

One huge challenge of teaching online is that all your favourite worksheets suddenly become useless. Whilst students can view, they can’t write on them and only a few will have a printer at home. Wouldn’t it be great if they could write directly onto the resources you use? That’s where Kami comes in.

Kami is a PDF and document annotation tool, but it goes much further than that. With Kami, transform any existing document into an interactive learning experience to make online and blended learning effective for your students.

At Wacom, we’re delighted to offer a new integration with Kami to let you use our comfortable pens with this great program. Kami is one of the five exciting new partnerships we’ve added to our education software bundle, carefully chosen to help educators make the move to online learning.

Using your Wacom pen with Kami

Both the Wacom One screen and Wacom Intuos tablet work perfectly with Kami. Simply plug it in and start enjoying the benefits.

Lots of teachers who love Kami, say they struggle to handwrite on the screen. It’s no surprise, is it? Handwriting with a mouse or roller ball isn’t much fun. Using a Wacom pen means you can make the most of the wide range of drawing tools Kami offers.

Using a Wacom pen makes handwriting legible and gives you the ability to draw, annotate, highlight, and write anywhere you like on the screen. No more throwing out old resources. Now you can create interactive documents your students will love.

Using Kami with your students

By purchasing a Kami teachers’ account, your students can access it for free. Remember, with the Wacom One and Intuos, you get three months’ free premium access to try all the features before making a purchase.

Students need their own Kami account, but don’t worry, Kami’s committed to data protection. They won’t share student data with third parties, and there’s no advertising within the program. Kami can be used on any device with an internet connection. They suggest using it with a Chromebook, Mac, Windows, or Linux device, but it also works with an iPad.

How you use Kami collaboratively depends on the teaching platform you use. It works with Google Classroom, Schoology, and Canvas. You can also use it without an online classroom system.

Specific instructions for using Kami with different learner platforms:

Often teachers struggle to give feedback to online work. Kami lets you capture formative assessment using different methods: adding a comment box, voice message, video comments, and screen capture. Use your Wacom pen to handwrite comments, highlight, and annotate straight on the work so students know exactly what they need to do.

How to use Kami

When you first open Kami, choose an existing document from your computer or Google drive, create a Google Classroom assignment, or open a blank page.

Kami Start menu choice

Whilst there’s far more you can do with Kami, let’s concentrate on three key areas you’ll use all the time:

  1. Upload existing documents to edit and adapt
  2. Set Google Classroom assignments
  3. Create new documents

1: Uploading an existing document

Kami converts Word documents, PowerPoints, and most image types. It holds all the formatting and keeps your hyperlinks unlike those cumbersome online file converters.

Equation Editor 1 updated

Use Kami’s tools to annotate, edit, and add information to existing documents. Your Wacom pen is particularly useful for handwriting edits directly on the screen. Make your marking and feedback clear for students, add notes to lesson resources, and write department meeting notes without having to type everything into an unwieldy Word document.

2: Linking your Google Classroom with Kami

If you’re using Google Classroom, Kami lets you streamline the process of setting assignments using the documents you’ve created and annotated.

Link your account with Kami. It will automatically find your classes. Attach files and schedule them to publish without any need to visit Google Classroom.

Kami Google Classroom Assignment

3: Create your own PDFs

Create engaging revision guides, worksheets, assessments, or department reports. To make a new resource, select a new page when you log into Kami. Choose a blank page, lined paper, grid, or music sheet.

Kami blank page

So how do Kami’s editing tools work?

Left-hand tool bar

The editing tools are on the left-hand side of your screen.

Kami’s tools include:

  • Dictionary: Check English word meanings in the Oxford dictionary
  • Text-to-speech: Hearing the page read is useful for struggling students
  • Mark-up: Highlighter tools to use with your Wacom pen
  • Comment: Add text, voice, or video comments anywhere on the page
  • Text box: Alter the size, font, and colour of your text
  • Equation: Symbols for science, music, and maths lessons
  • Drawing tools: Pen and erasure for easy annotation with your Wacom pen
  • Shapes: Lines and shapes in a variety of colours, line thickness, and transparency
  • Media: Add YouTube videos, Google image search, stickers, and media from your computer or Google Drive
  • Signature: Use your Wacom pen to write and save your signature

Get familiar with the different tools. Your Wacom pen can replace a mouse, so you don’t have to keep switching between them.

Top menu

Every other tool you’ll need is at top right of your screen.

You can:

  • Open an existing document from your computer, Google Drive, Box, or Dropbox
  • Save and print your projects
  • Split and merge existing PDFs and delete pages
  • Share documents with full control over editing and printing rights
  • Download to your computer or Google Drive choosing with or without annotations
  • Menu bar for further settings and viewing options
  • Help button to connect with Kami’s social media accounts, Help Center, and email support

Kami’s Educator Facebook Page

It’s worth checking out Kami’s friendly educator community on Facebook. You’ll find thousands of other teachers talking about how to use Kami for effective teaching. It’s full of helpful advice, tips and tricks from teachers already using it in their classrooms.

Kami Facebook educators group

Not on Facebook? Kami also has an active Twitter account you can follow or connect on Instagram for advice and inspiration. If you need help, check out Kami’s Help Center. It’s full of articles that cover the essential basics. Alternatively, check out their YouTube page crammed with videos for teachers and students.

Takeaways

Kami is a fantastic tool for virtual teaching, and it’s made better with the new Wacom integration. Static, inflexible worksheets become collaborative, interactive resources you can personalise for your students.

Teachers choose Wacom because they want the comfort and ease of using a pen rather than typing onto the screen. By handwriting, comments are relevant and timely. Virtual teaching can feel distant, but with Kami and Wacom you can create a personal online learning experience.

Interested in Wacom’s other exciting new education software partnerships? Find out more about our free software bundle and claim your three-months free premium access. It’s everything you need for online teaching and learning.

Related posts:

Takeaways from SISLER Create’s Connected Ink 2022 Education Session

Takeaways from SISLER Create’s Connected Ink 2022 Education Session

Three Takeaways from BRIC Foundation’s Connected Ink 2022 Education Session

Three Takeaways from BRIC Foundation’s Connected Ink 2022 Education Session

Wacom for Education: collaboration and thought leadership at FETC 2023

Wacom for Education: collaboration and thought leadership at FETC 2023

Shop the Wacom eStore*

When you shop on the Wacom eStore you get access to discounts, financing, extended warranties, and our industry-leading customer support team.

Connect with Wacom on Social

Who's your favorite Pokémon? 💦🍃🔥⚡⁣
⁣
Some nostalgic friends for #FridayFanart with amazing art by @philipsue_art. If beautiful landscapes, process videos, and art tips are your thing, Philip's page is the place to visit!⁣
⁣
#MadewithWacom #digitalart #animation #art #artprocess #fanart #pokemon #pikachu
5679 24
Digital kitchen time! 
Here's the last of @patrick_4d's digital burger tip series. We hope you tried making your own burger or at least went out and got one for sustenance 🍔🍔🍔
Thank you Patrick for making us the most delicious digital burger we could have wished for. 
#wacomwantsaburger
576 16
This is a reminder for you to embrace your geek side! 🚀

For those who spend hours designing a new skin for their character, creating 3D models of their favourite video game or programming special effects for movies.
Your art makes us proud!

How are you going to celebrate? 👇

#GeekPrideDay #Geek #ArtistsLife
842 5
Tag your other half. ✨💕⁣
⁣
We had to share the love with @yuyo.psd's heartwarming illustration. 🫶⁣
If you like the flow and colors of Yuyo's design, make sure you check out their page for more colorful artwork! 💜⁣
#MadewithWacom #digitalart #illustration #art #graphicdesign
691 8
From concept to reality, @pixebo’s home office is brought to life to create a cozy place to sit down with their Wacom Cintiq and get to work! ✨✍️

#WacomWorkspace #digitalart #homeoffice #deskgoals #wfh
1716 13
Discover the technology behind #CintiqPro24 🚀⁣
⁣
The #WacomProPen2 provides state-of-the-art creative pen technology, meaning every stroke, every move of your hand is followed with unerring accuracy. 💫⁣
⁣
Want to discover how it feels to draw with it? Check the link in bio!⁣
⁣
#Cintiqpro24 #CreativeProfessionals #CintiqPro
707 14
Colorful creative portrait by artist @valerie.loves.colors to start off your week. 🌈☀️🍃⁣
Valerie finds that people and colors give her the most inspiration. She points out that everyone is unique and vibrant in their own way, much like the color spectrum! 🎨⁣
⁣
#MadewithWacom #abstractart #digitalart #art #portrait #illustration
473 6
The importance of taking breaks ❤️

We’ve seen absolutely identified with the words of @ms.shortyj 💫 Taking care of yourself will help you grow as an artist.

Stopping is not quitting, is just taking a pause of the path to get another perspective 😉

What other things help you when you feel this way? Share it in the comments!

#Artistslife #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
1280 18
If you could design your dream workspace, how would it look like? 🚀⁣
⁣
Tell us in the comments what are your must-haves! 👇⁣
⁣
#WacomWorkspace #ArtistWorkspace
633 14
Don't mind us, we're out here dreaming of @patrick_4d's Wacom burger this weekend. Check out these juicy tips he shares to help you create the best looking digital burger ever! #wacomwantsaburger 
Are you participating in our burger challenge? Visit the link in our bio for more details and a chance to win some cool Wacom prizes.
735 11
Serene moment in time. 😌🌊 Slice of life shot and retouched by photographer @ashrafularefin. ⁣
#MadewithWacom #photography #streetphotography #OldDhaka
535 5