Inside: Transforming all those beloved PDF worksheets into interactive digital activities that work perfectly for online piano lessons! This practical tutorial shows you exactly how to use the GoodNotes app to let students write directly on worksheets using their iPad, eliminating the need for printing while maintaining all the engagement of hands-on activities. You’ll discover simple steps for importing, sharing, and collecting completed worksheets digitally, plus alternatives for students who don’t have iPads. Your online lessons will feel just as interactive and productive when you can seamlessly incorporate all your favorite worksheet activities into the virtual classroom!

Transitioning from in-person to online piano lessons, I realized very quickly that I needed a way to make PDF worksheets digital for online piano lessons.

You have all these wonderful PDF worksheets that you’ve purchased over the past few years, and you love printing them to use during piano lessons. But what about online lessons? How can you keep using those printable worksheets that you love and depend on, now that your students are no longer in the same room as you?

I’m going to show you an easy way for your students to write on those PDF worksheets without having to print them out! Your students can use them on their iPad during online piano lessons or as homework. You can set this up quickly and simply with the GoodNotes app for iPad. Read the simple steps below and watch the tutorial video to see just how easy it is.

What You and Your Students Will Need to Make PDF Worksheets Digital for Online Piano Lessons:

• iPad
• GoodNotes app for iPad (or other PDF annotation app such as Notability, etc.)
• PDF worksheets obtained legally from a variety of sources:
  • My online store
  • My TpT store
    • All of my resources include a studio license and permission to email the resources to your students. See the Distance Learning Terms of Use for more information.
    • Check the terms of use for any other worksheets you purchase. They may not allow emailing/sharing them with students. 

IMPORTANT: These worksheets and screen shots may not be shared with anyone other than your current students. When you purchase the worksheets, you purchase a single-teacher studio license. All other teachers/individuals besides yourself and your students must purchase a legal copy of the resource from one of my stores. Worksheets may not be used on OutSchool. Read the full terms here. 

How Does it Work to Make PDF Worksheets Digital for Online Piano Lessons?

1. You’ll purchase a resource (or use one you’ve already purchased) and download it to your computer or iPad.
2. Send/email/Dropbox the resource to your student. Delete the answer keys first!
3. Have the student import the resource into the GoodNotes app for iPad.
4. The student will use the pen tool to write on the worksheets digitally.
5. Then the student can email a screen shot of the completed page to you, or export it as a PDF file and send it to you.
6. The student could also screen share their iPad with you so you can check their work.
7. Alternately, you can share your own iPad/GoodNotes screen in Zoom and let your student annotate on the worksheet in the online piano lesson. This works well if a student doesn’t own an iPad.

Watch this tutorial video to see how to do it, and then you can easily show your students what to do so they can import the resources into the GoodNotes App on their iPads.

Tutorial Video for How to Make PDF Worksheets Digital for Online Piano Lessons:

Here are some of my favorite music worksheets that can be completed quickly during a lesson, or for homework:

• Worksheets in my store
• Worksheets in my TpT store
• Worksheets used in the video: Bach to the Basics 1

That’s all there is to it! Now you can still use all those wonderful PDF resources that you’ve purchased over the years, without having to print them out.

Other blog posts for online teaching

• Teaching Tips: How to Teach Online Piano Lessons
• 5 Online Activities for Online Piano Lessons
• Teaching Pre-Recorded Video Piano Lessons: A Free Mini-Course

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