EdTech Essentials: Exploring Jamboard Alternatives- Preparing for the Transition

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With the announcement that Google Jamboard will no longer be available after December 31, 2024, it’s time to start exploring alternative whiteboarding tools. Whether you use Jamboard for brainstorming sessions, collaborative projects, or virtual whiteboards in meetings, don’t worry—there are excellent alternatives ready for you to use.

Why is Jamboard Winding Down?

Google is focusing on its core content collaboration tools like Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Whiteboarding has become a highly specialized tool, and third-party platforms such as FigJam by Figma, Lucidspark by Lucid, and Miro have emerged as industry leaders, offering advanced features like an infinite canvas, use case templates and voting options.

See Google Jamboard is winding down for more information.

How to Prepare for the Change

Export your jams: Before Jamboard is discontinued, download your Jam files or migrate them to one of the supported whiteboard platforms. You can also export Jams as PDFs to preserve the content.
Check Migration Options: FigJam, Lucidspark, and Miro will support importing Jamboard files by March 2025. While your Jams may not be fully editable post-migration, these platforms offer robust alternatives for ongoing projects.

Alternative Tools You Can Use Right Now

As we prepare for Jamboard’s end-of-life, now’s the time to explore these flexible, feature-rich alternatives to keep your collaborative work flowing smoothly. Many instructors have already adopted alternative whiteboarding tools that seamlessly integrate with popular platforms:

Zoom Whiteboard: Conveniently accessible from within Fordham Zoom meetings, allowing for quick, collaborative sessions.
Padlet: An outside tool offering a flexible digital canvas where students and instructors can post text, images, videos, and more.
Google Slides: Utilize the “Insert Drawing” feature to create a simple, collaborative whiteboard inside your Fordham Google slide decks.
VoiceThread: Embedded in Blackboard, VoiceThread allows interactive discussions with comments in text, audio, or video formats on shared slides.