Technology Tips - February 2022

                                                                                                          by Steve Woods, Instructional Technology Specialist

Google’s Jamboard is a free presentation tool that integrates interactive and collaborative elements in an easy-to-use interface. You can find Jamboard at https://jamboard.google.com, on that 9-dot Google App Launcher on most Google tools, or via free download at either the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store for mobile devices.

Jamboard’s deceptively simple interface hides a lot of its creative power, leaving it up to your imagination as to how best to share it with your class. You’ll start with a single document, or “Frame,” as Jamboard calls it. You can add up to a total of 20 Frames on a board.

You’ll find various tools, including a combination pen/marker/highlighter/brush tool with 6 simple colors, an eraser, post-it notes, image insert, shapes, text box tool, and a laser pointer. At the top center is an Expand Frame Bar button, used to add or remove Frames, or navigate through all Frames of your board.

How are Jamboards used in the classroom? As exit tickets, social-emotional learning tools, classification tools, mind maps, shout-outs, virtual manipulatives, storyboards, and more. It’s really up to you how you want to use your Jamboards. 

You can find shared Jamboard templates and ideas by visiting:

• Esther Park
• Base 10 Manipulatives from Mathématiques
• Holly Clark’s Ultimate Jamboard Templates
• Place Value - Number Find
• Second Grade Collection
• DitchThatTextbook also has a variety of templates
• Games and Puzzles and more from GiftedTawk
• ControlAltAchieve has a bunch of activities and templates for Jamboard
• Using Chrome Extensions like Bitmoji and Giphy easily allow you to add your Bitmoji character or animated images to your boards. Your students will also enjoy adding theirs when responding to Jamboard-based collaborative work.

Because it’s a Google product, Jamboards can be shared with your students using the ubiquitous Share button, or in Google Classroom by searching Drive when creating an assignment. It’s recommended to use Classroom, as students won’t be able to post completely anonymously on your boards. Plus, Classroom allows you to share a copy of your Jamboard with each student if you’d like.

Grant Opportunity: up to $2000 from We Need Diverse Books!

 

We Need Diverse Books™ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and a grassroots organization of children’s book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people. WNDB established the Educators Making a Difference Grants for educators who believe in the importance of incorporating diverse books by diverse authors into their schools, libraries, and educational organizations. These grants will provide up to $2000 per educator and can be used toward buying diverse titles, hosting diversity-focused student or community events, diversity audits of existing collections, or any other project that supports diverse literature. Eligibility Applicant must be an educator, employed in a student-facing role at least part-time where they work with students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Applicants should have a long-term position at their school, library, or organization. This is a United States-based grant so the applicant must be an educator at a US-based school or organization. Applicant must plan to use grant funds to integrate diverse literature in their classroom, through diversity audits of an existing collection, hosting diversity-focused student or community events, book purchases, author visits, activities, book clubs, school-wide reads, and other projects that support diverse literature. Applicant must provide a list of diverse titles if they plan to purchase books with grant funds. Applicant must be at least 18 years of age. The deadline to apply is March 4, 2022. For more information visit: https://diversebooks.org/programs/educators-making-a-difference-grants/