Technology Tool Jamboard

        At PLC each week my coworkers and I are always looking for new ways to spark engagement in social studies. Students often feel less interested in learning history. I have heard "Why do I have to learn history?" more times than I can remember. This week I found a solution in David Lee King's blog "Google Jamboard is Awesome!" 


        "David Lee King is the Digital Services Director at Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, where he plans, implements, and experiments with emerging technology trends" (Gupta, 2015). Jamboard can be used through an app for free and works with Zoom and Google meets. It may work with others as well, but we are a Google district, so I did not check. Jamboard is a digital whiteboard. King suggested that this is a great tool for brainstorming and mapping. He also states that there are many options within the app including: 
  • "sticky notes of different colors (you can write on the sticky notes)
  • Draw with a pen, marker, highlighter, or brush
  • Erase
  • Add an image
  • draw different shapes
  • Insert a text box
  • Use a laser pointer that can draw shapes that disappear after about 5 seconds" (King, 2021).

        As a teacher that has been teaching face-to-face and virtually simultaneously, I was immediately intrigued and thinking about the social studies engagement problem that many teachers have. I will focus on ways to use Jamboard in a 4th-grade social studies classroom.

        I think Jamboard is a great tool for checking for understanding. Each student gets an opportunity to share. The teacher could ask specific questions about content, or a question about what sticks with students the most.

        Jamboard would also be great for making a collaborative list of the pros and cons of a historical event or person. In SC 4th grade social studies classroom students study the Columbian exchange. This would be a great topic for a pros and cons list. Students could create sticky notes about the goods, diseases, and ideas exchanged. Then they could discuss whether each sticky should go under pros or cons. This could start a conversation with a higher level of thinking when students begin to think about the perspectives. The above template is available for free here. 

        Social studies teachers can assign research on events or people. Students can use Jamboard individually as a tool to make digital posters. Students can add images and text to share their information. 

        Social studies content often centers around ordering events and timelines. Jamboard is a great platform to have students order events. Thinking about the Causes of the American Revolution. The template above would be great to have students recall and represent the causes of the American Revolution. Click here to access this template. 

        Jamboard is a great tool with many ways to use in the classroom. It is easy to use and has many exciting templates. Jamboard will involve students in the lesson and allow for more engagement. 


References

ED TECH. (2020, September 2). How to use Jamboard in the classroom: 20+ tips and ideas. Ditch That Textbook. https://ditchthattextbook.com/jamboard/

Gupta, P. (2015, August 20). 20 library & librarian blogs you must follow. EdTechReview. https://edtechreview.in/news/2075-library-librarian-blogs-you-must-follow

King, D. L. (2021, May 14). Google Jamboard is awesome! David Lee King. https://davidleeking.com/google-jamboard-is-awesome/

Comments

  1. GSF Media CenterSeptember 11, 2021 at 7:03 PM

    As a current ELA teacher, I love Jamboards!! They offer so many ways students can work collaboratively, instantly and easily. I love how easy Jamboards are to create and assign, as well as the simplicity of its navigation and usage for students. With all the features like, highlighting, commenting, drawing, image uploading, the potential usage in the classrooms are vast. I love how you provided several examples of how this would function successfully in various social studies classes, and I think these same ideas could easily be translated to any content area. Finally, I like this resource a lot because it always for instant feedback, response, and collaboration of students whether instruction is face to face or virtual. Great resource and nice template examples!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GSF Media CenterSeptember 11, 2021 at 7:04 PM

      Oops forgot to attach my name. Meagan Hooks Boyd posted the above comment.

      Delete
    2. Kristinia DriggersSeptember 12, 2021 at 2:51 PM

      I feel so silly, because I taught through Google classroom and Google meets all last year and never used Jamboard. I am excited to start using them.

      Delete
  2. C. DuncanSeptember 12, 2021 at 4:52 PM

    I have heard a lot about Jamboard in the last few months, but I haven't gotten a chance to use them yet. I believe Jen Jones at HelloLiteracy uses it and does some PD with it! It looks like there are so many options for using them in an in-person class and/or a virtual class. I really appreciate you sharing so many options in your post. This is definitely one I want to look into using in my classroom! Thanks so much for sharing!

    -Carolyn Duncan

    ReplyDelete

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