When I was a high school teacher, I was always looking for new ways to engage students and promote reflection in the classroom. During the pandemic, I learned that Google Jamboard was one of the easiest digital tools to help students reflect on their learning and promote student success. Here are three ways I’ve used Google Jamboard as a reflection tool in my classroom.

Reflecting on Group Work:

Instructors can create a “Virtual Gallery Walk” with Jamboard. Each group can post their digital poster to a Jamboard slide and have each group add digital sticky notes sharing what they liked about the group’s work. In the end, they can add a sticky note to their own poster to identify what they would change next time and what they learned about working in a team. This can help students identify their strengths and areas for improvement and can encourage them to work more effectively in future group projects.

Here is a sample of my student’s Jamboard showing their golf course design and using trig to achieve a hole-in-one. Students in other groups wrote about what they noticed and wondered, and then the students from this group made adjustments before their final submission.

A student designed mini golf with measurements and angles with sticky notes with questions or comments.

Reflecting on Data and Reading Assignments:

Instructors can use Jamboard to promote reflection on understanding data and reading assignments. They can ask students to post about what they noticed and wondered about the data or readings and can facilitate a class discussion based on the posts. This approach can help students deepen their understanding of the material and give instructors valuable feedback on how well the students interpret the data and readings.

This is a sample of an activity I did with my students that had them analyze Turner’s Graph of the week. I would show my students a graph or two and have them discuss what they noticed and wondered in their groups. Then I would ask the students to post what their groups discussed on the Jamboard so we could have a whole class discussion based on what they posted.

Graph showing most polluted cities and sticky notes

Reflecting on Personal Goals:

Instructors can create a Jamboard for students to reflect on their personal goals for the semester. Students can post sticky notes sharing what they hope to achieve and how they plan to achieve it. If you want this activity to have an even greater impact, have the students create a “SMART Goal” for the semester. Instructors can then use this information to tailor their teaching approach and support students who need it. Students could also save the Jamboard as a PDF and submit it to an assignment in Canvas so they can review it at the end of the semester.

When I was teaching, I used an activity called “Glows and Grows” to help students reflect on their personal goals. I asked the students what their “Glows” were, or what they have been successful with, and what their “Grows” were, which is what they want to improve on. We revisit this activity every once in a while to track their learning goals and celebrate their progress.

glow and grow jamboard with sticky notes

Google Jamboard is an easy-to-use tool that can help promote reflection and student success in the classroom. Instructors can use it in various ways, including facilitating group work, promoting reflection on data and reading assignments, and encouraging reflection on personal goals. By incorporating Jamboard into your teaching routine, you can help your students succeed both academically and personally. 

 

For more information on using Google Jamboard, check out this blog post!

For some fun Jamboard ideas, check out  Team J’s classroom Fun post on Jamboard Ideas for your Classroom!