Google Jamboard app.

Last week, I learned about an item in Google that can easily be used as part of your distance learning instruction.  Although it is also the name of a whiteboard you can hand on the wall in the classroom, it also has a mobile version.  This is the one I'll be sharing in today's column.

The big difference between this and many mobile whiteboards is that it allows students to add material while you are teaching.

It is called Jamboard and it is part of the Google line of products.  It can be accessed through the 3 by 3 grid in the upper right corner, next to your avatar.  You get this page when you open it up.

It comes with outfitted with enough things to teach classes.  Starting with the left side of the white board, it has  four different stylus and a choice of 6 different colors so you don't have to always write in black. There is one eraser only but this white board allows you to bring in a image and it has post-it notes in five different colors.  The last thing is a laser that allows you to use the curser as a pointer to highlight something.  

Across the top is an undo button, a put it back button, a background button with choices of plain, dots, ruled paper, graph paper, a graph paper with a different background, a blue or a black background.  

It is possible to take a photo or screen shot, import it and then write on it.  As far as I can tell one cannot type or use shapes on the web based version using Safari.  If you are on Safari, you can type but only with the sticky note.  The web based version does not have all the bells and whistles if you are using it on a Mac, PC, or older device.

If you download the app for either an apple or android based device, you will get access to all the bells and whistles.

If you click on the pen, you'll see the four writing implements, six colors but you also have access to the assistive technology tools that change your writing into text, straightens out shapes and such.  I don't like the writing to text part but the second choice is actually the best for making your writing or shapes so much nicer.

The app version also allows you to bring in content from your drive, allow use of the camera, and add stickers.  They actually offer more than just stickers.

It allows you to add in other things like dialog boxes, and comic frames so you can so a bit more.  The 2x + 3 = 7 was written with a stylus, not an Apple Pencil and I chose the middle option so it looks handwritten but it is just cleaned up.  It allowed me to draw some nice shapes and place lines on the graph paper.

It was used during a webinar I attended and we could all write something on the board of the host but it had to be open to share with people otherwise, you can't access it.  Since many of us need the interactive white board during our distance lessons, you might want to give it a try.  I've heard the newer touch screen Chrome books when accessing this, have access to all the tools.

This can be used during meeting on Google Hangout or Zoom, and can be integrated into Google Classroom.  I hope this opens up some possibilities for distance learning.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.