I am continuing to teach remotely and still discovering new ways to use different Google Suite programs to help my students learn best. I have found that using Jamboard is a really great way to teach math skills. Not only does it make prep easy, but it offers visuals and an interactive component. Whether you are remote or in-person, using technology can be helpful in aiding students’ learning and understanding. Here are five ways I use Jamboard in my math instruction…

1. Counting

Jamboard is easy to prep for lessons and practice on counting out items from a larger set. This Jamboard has a black background because I have a student that benefits from high contrast visuals, but you can make the background a variety of different colors. I have the number they are counting out in the upper left-hand corner and I put two choices of “items” to count (this month is snowmen and snowflakes). I copy and paste slightly more than the numbers I am targeting so students have to focus on when to stop counting.  After you set up one, all you need to do is duplicate the board and change the number in the upper left hand corner.  I usually just present my screen and the students and I will count out the items out loud as I drag and drop the items within the square. You could also share the Jamboard with students or their parents to make it a more interactive experience, while sharing your screen. 

2. Math Meeting

I have used slides for Math Meeting, but setting up a Jamboard not only makes it easier to prep, but allows you to add to and adjust as needed. I have added the questions that I ask and the complete sentence starter in order to not only target math skills, but also help students develop communication and question answering skills. This can be shared with students to complete if they have the technology skills to do so. I have one master that I copy from day to day. Saving the Math Meeting Jamboards from different days could help with data collection if students completed it on their own. Another way I would like to utilize Math Meeting on Jamboard is to have it at a paraprofessional-run breakout room.  

3. Money

I set up a Jamboard so it would be easy to put together a variety of coin combinations on the spot.  I found that using Slides there was a lot of upfront prep required and it was harder to adjust on the spot. I put a “stack” of each type of coin with touchpoints on the righthand side of the board so I could drag and drop the coins in the square easily and quickly.  I make copies of this template in case I don’t have time to “clean-up” and drag all the coins back in their stacks. This Jamboard can also be used to put out coins when given the amount of money. Depending on the levels of technology literacy in your classroom, you  could share the Jamboard with students or parents or give each student their own Jamboard and watch them complete it through Go Guardian. 

4. Word Problems

I feel like using Jamboard is a game changer for teaching students to do word problems! Teaching word problems can be difficult, but I created a template in order to help students remember all of the steps. I create a spaces for a number sentence, their answer and a workspace to import Google Image pictures.  There is even a space on the side to have the key word refence charts. In the classroom, we would usually use manipulatives or pictures to solve word problems, but I think the students like and benefit from using the real images. 

5. Data, Charts & Graphs

This year, many of my students have goals related to creating charts and graphs using data. Jamboard makes it easy to manipulate the board in order to create surveys using pictures and a variety of shapes and colors. Currently, we are doing a Special Olympics jumping jack challenge for January.  Using the the Jamboard in order to create the pictograph  graph while I drag and drop the pictures is really easy and another way to offer a visual and interactive component for students. Jamboard also has graph paper backgrounds in order to set up different types of graphs (line graph, bar graph). While this is something new we are working on in class, I am looking forward to setting up a pictograph chart in order to have students take a survey, collect data and show that information using a pictograph. 

I hope you are inspired to use Jamboard for math concepts you are teaching in your remote or in-person classrooms. If you have any ways you like using Jamboard in with your students. Stay safe and healthy!