Over the last few years, teachers have come to LOVE Google Jamboard!

But just when we settled into using it regularly, Google decided to take it away! BOO!

Have no fear! My friend, Tom Mullaney, is an expert on FigJam–your Jamboard alternative with endless possibilities!

Tom has been kind enough to share ideas from his TCEA conference presentation with us.

No TCEA FOMO for Shake Up Learning readers!

[ctt template=”1″ link=”p45Oj” via=”yes” ]Say Hello to FigJam: Your Jamboard Alternative with Endless Possibilities (guest post by @TomEMullaney)[/ctt]

by guest author, Tom Mullaney

App Smashing with FigJam is going down RIGHT NOW at booth #2339 with @TomEMullaney He’s a Fig deal!! 🎉 #FigmaEdu #FigJamFunhouse #FigJam #TCEA #TCEA24 pic.twitter.com/ws1EScGiRx

— Alex @ Figma Edu (@Alex_FigmaEdu) February 5, 2024

Google’s announcement that Jamboard is going away can cause teachers concern. All that work is gone, right? The good news is that one replacement option, FigJam, has an import from Jamboard feature. It also has App Smashing that solves a persistent problem: Students have too many tabs open on 11-inch Chromebooks.

App-Smashing with FigJam (YouTube Presentation by Tom Mullaney)

Say Hello to FigJam

FigJam is Figma’s collaborative whiteboard. Unlike Jamboard, it pairs with apps and websites teachers use. Students can use these apps directly in a FigJam, enabling one-tab learning instead of multiple-tab confusion.

Here are educational apps and websites students can use directly in FigJams.

Google Docs

Copy a Google Doc’s sharing URL and paste it into FigJam. Students can see the Doc in the FigJam and even edit it. Teachers can use this to have students enter responses to items in the FigJam.

Google Slides

Teachers can add their Google Slides to a FigJam, allowing students to use sticky notes to answer a prompt related to the slides. Students can also edit a collaborative Slide presentation in a FigJam. 

YouTube

Copy a YouTube link and paste it into a FigJam. Students can watch it directly in the FigJam. Students can watch at their own pace and respond to a related prompt in sticky notes.

Google Books Ngram Viewer

Google Books Ngram Viewer compares the usage of terms in printed materials from 1500 to the present. It is a good resource for spurring student inquiry and questions about data and vocabulary terms. Copy an Ngram chart’s embed link and paste it into a FigJam. Students can interact with the chart directly in the FigJam. 

NPR Audio

NPR audio segments cover a wide range of content teachers teach students. Copy any NPR audio file’s embed link and paste it into a FigJam. Students can play and replay audio and respond to prompts with sticky notes.

ThingLink

ThingLink is a web-based app that allows students and teachers to add interactive “hotspots” to images. Copy a ThingLink’s sharing link and paste it into a FigJam. Students can click on hotspots in the ThingLink to see the link content, such as images, videos, and text.

Felt Maps

Felt is a collaborative web-based mapping app similar to Google My Maps but with more features such as drawing, comments, text, YouTube videos, and hyperlinks. Copy a Felt map’s sharing link and paste it into a FigJam. Students can navigate the map and adjust the zoom right in the FigJam. Any maps students and teachers create can prompt collaborative activities in FigJam.

Other FigJams

One final edtech app smashes with FigJam: FigJam itself! Copy a FigJam’s sharing link and paste it into another FigJam. Collaborators can navigate the embedded FigJam and adjust the zoom. Students and teachers can embed FigJams to refer to prior learning and activities.

Conclusion

Students and teachers regularly use apps and websites for student creation and consumption. Accessing these in a collaborative file allows clarity instead of confusion. FigJam empowers collaboration and interaction with multiple files in one place. 

How will you App Smash with FigJam?

About Tom Mullaney

Tom Mullaney (he/him) is a former teacher who uses his Special Education and Instructional Design background to help teachers design inclusive lessons with creativity, collaboration, and fun. Tom’s education experience includes Special Education, Social Studies, educational technology coaching, and digital design. Contact him on Twitter, @TomEMullaney, or via e-mail, mistermullaney@gmail.com.

 

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