Student collaboration is so important in our Adult ED classrooms, especially in the virtual classroom. Fortunately, there are a lot of amazing free tech options available to help us. One of my newer favorites is Google Jamboard.
If you are not familiar with it, it is "a cloud-based app that enables visual collaboration between users in real-time." (TeachThought Staff, 2021) I see it as a free and easy to use version of Padlet. What I really like is that participants do NOT need a Google account to participate.
Recently, Rachel Riggs led a Coffee Break discussion on "So Many Edtech Tools, So Little Time" where she guided participants through the entire discussion using the Jamboard. I loved how she used it as participants were able to engage with the entire presentation.
I love seeing all of the different ways it can be used! Please share how you use Jamboard in your classes or PD sessions!
Source: What is Google Jamboard?
Comments
Hi Ashly and all, Jamboard is a great tool. As you noted, it's super helpful that registration is not needed to participate in a Jamboard activity. We've used this digital tool in a variety of ways with teachers. For example, we brainstormed ideas for problem-based lessons that would be relevant to learners. We also used it to give teachers the opportunity to highlight what they learned from a year-long PD experience --and what they would value in the coming year.
With adult learners, I've used Jamboard during remote teaching to assess prior knowledge. For instance, prior to reading about Gandhi's salt tax protest march to the sea, I asked learners to create sticky notes on Jamboard related to what they already knew about Gandhi. Before beginning a unit on the US Civil War, learners shared what they knew about that part of US history. This was a great way for me to build on learners' prior knowledge during the lesson. We also used Jamboard with a Venn diagram as a listening comprehension activity after viewing a NASA YouTube video featuring climate scientists Joe MacGregor and Michelle Gierach.
While I've been using Jamboard remotely, it can certainly be used during in-person PD events and classes, too.
I'd love to hear more examples for using Jamboard.
Cheers, Susan Finn Miller
Moderator, English Language Acquisition CoP
Love it! Thank you for sharing, Susan!
Dear Ashly, Susan, and All,
Thank you for sharing your ideas about Google Jamboard. I agree that it is a great collaborative tool. I was first introduced to Jamboard at an online workshop I attended with NYS TESOL. We watched video segments, and then we were encouraged to write our thoughts afterwards. Amazing how the juxtaposition of thoughts created an online wall of art texts.
I liked how it was used during the workshop, so I used it with my class as well. The semester was almost ending, so we had shared our thoughts about the pandemic through a Cinquain poetry, a modernized version which is based on a word count of words of a certain type.
Line 1 has one word (the title).
Line 2 has two words that describe the title.
Line 3 has three words that tell the action.(-ing verbs)
Line 4 has four (or three) words that express the feeling about the subject
Line 5 has one word which recalls the title (synonym).
For example:
Quarantine
quiet, busy
working, writing, thinking
my own space
Solitude
The first frame of our class Jamboard displayed the above example and another one with the instruction. The students scrolled sideways and picked a blank frame. The Jamboard was assigned for a day class, and it was left open for the class to use until the end of the spring cycle. The students were given time to edit and contribute more of their thoughts about the Pandemic.
My class and I used the Jamboard remotely only once, but, as Susan had mentioned, the board can also be used during in-person classes. I will certainly use it again...Thanks again, Ashley and Susan.
Best to all,
Margaret Ibasco
ESL Instructor
Hello Ashly, Susan, and Margaret,
This is beginning to be a great discussion. I have a suggestion and a request below.
Suggestion to everyone reading this discussion: Susan titled her post this way: "Using Jamboard to assess prior knowledge" which I find very helpful. She included the tool and the purpose. This means that people who use the LINCS Search feature and type "assess prior knowledge" will learn that one way to assess prior knowledge is to use jamboard. Leading with an instructional purpose or goal in the title will help them find this terrific suggestion.
Request: Margaret, I love your description of how you and your students use Jamboard to write poems. I also loved learning about the modernized version of a Cinquain form of poetry, "based on a word count of words of a certain type." Most helpful is to read the poem structure and the terrific example. Using this structure and Jamboard for students to share their thoughts and feelings about the pandemic is brilliant! Could you share (a link to?) more of your students Cinquains about their experience of the pandemic? It is so important to integrate expressive arts into adult ESL/ESOL and other kinds of adult education classes, especially when -- as in the pandemic -- there are stresses, emotions, aspirations, new ideas and feelings that must be expressed -- and shared. Thank you!
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail,com
After posting my message about how to title posts, I realized didn't follow my own advice! Those who received it in their email probably had a good chuckle about that. However, here's a LINCS tip: you can edit your posts, including the title, which is what I just did so the title now does say what my post was about.
David. J. Rosen
Hi David and All,
As a follow up to my writing and to your request, here's the link to our class Jamboard.
The board features individual examples from the class. Some of the students used their mobiles phones to attend the class, so it was quite a challenge to write their poetry during class time. I just let them write their submissions on paper. They get to me through screenshots (F10).
The students' words may be simple, but they mean a lot to them to express their thoughts about the pandemic and other significant topics....Thank you for the response.
Best,
Margaret
ESL Instructor