Zoom Whiteboard

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Teachers can use Zoom’s Share Screen to share anything on their computer screen with students. Teachers can also use a shared “whiteboard” with students. Whether sharing a presentation, photograph or whiteboard, Zoom’s annotation tools can help teachers keep their “live” class sessions active and engaging for students. 

   Teaching Strategies

Whiteboard Activities

• Use for a brainstorming exercise to collect student ideas for a solution to a problem.
• Use as a “warm up” activity with a “What do we know?” (K) and/or “What do we want or need to know?” (W). Also, as a “wrap up” activity to assess “What did we learn?” (L). Try to set clear expectations for contributing to the whiteboard, e.g. “I'm looking for at least 1 suggestion from each of you,” so the experience is engaging and equitable.
• Use as graphic organizer for whole class practice or formative assessment tasks. For example, draw a vertical line down the middle of the whiteboard and ask for “EXAMPLES” of parallelograms on one side. “NON-EXAMPLES” on the other. Ask for either drawn shapes or written text (or both). 

Annotation Activities

During a class screen share illustrations, photos, or diagrams and have students label parts, circle key characteristics, or highlight specific features. Some examples for use are illustrated below:

• ELA: Ask students to highlight all of the contractions seen in a passage.
  
  • Draw a line to connect each homophone pair. Then call on individual students to give a verbal definition of each word in a pair Make sure students are unmuted when they speak.
  • When reviewing a passage, ask students to underline each instance of the authors use of DIALOGUE.
    
• Math: Define the shapes that are parallelograms? Circle each one in red. Draw an X over those that are not parallelograms.
• Science: Label the body parts of these 3 insects.
  • Number the stages of the life cycle of a butterfly in the correct order.

Be Creative! Pair Annotation & Chat Activities

• Screen share a picture of a painting or piece of art, a political cartoon, or an historical photograph. Instruct students to, “Study this image for 60 seconds. Then, highlight or circle 1 thing you notice and post in the chat why you selected it.” 
• Use for a brainstorming exercise to collect student ideas for a solution to a problem.
• Use as a “warm up” activity with a “What do we know?” (K) and/or “What do we want or need to know?” (W). Also, as a “wrap up” activity for quick “What did we learn?” (L). Set clear expectations for contributing to the whiteboard, e.g. “I'm looking for at least 1 suggestion from each of you.”
• Use as graphic organizer for whole class practice or formative assessment tasks. For example, draw a vertical line down the middle of the whiteboard and ask for “EXAMPLES” of parallelograms on one side. “NON-EXAMPLES” on the other. Ask for either drawn shapes or written text (or both). 

  Functions & Features

Enable Annotation

The annotation feature has to be turned on in your Zoom account before you can use any annotation features with screen share materials or whiteboards in your meetings. 

1. Sign in to your Zoom account at www.zoom.us.

2. Go to your Settings > Meeting tab and verify that Annotation is enabled. 

Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked by your school or district and you will need to check with your district’s Zoom administrator. 

Share a Whiteboard

Creating a whiteboard is easy! When you click the Share Screen button, click on the Whiteboard option. This will create and share a whiteboard to all students in your Zoom session. NOTE: click More in the screen share control toolbar to Disable/Enable Attendee Annotation & Show Names of Annotators. 
  

Learn more: Sharing a Whiteboard 

 

Meeting Annotations

When you start a screen share or whiteboard

1. Click More in the screen share button controls for  annotation settings: 

• Allow/Disable Participants Annotation: Allow or prevent the participants from annotating on your shared screen. 

• Show/Hide Names of Annotators: Show or hide the participants' name when they are annotating. If set to show, the participant’s name will briefly display beside their annotation. 
 
  

2. Click the SECURITY button to turn off/on the ability for participants to “Annotate on Shared Content.”

  

Annotation Tools

  
Zoom’s Annotation Tools

After sharing your screen or whiteboard, annotation controls will display. If you don’t see the annotation tools, click Annotate (if you are sharing your screen) or Whiteboard (if you are sharing a whiteboard). 



Students access their annotation tools when viewing a shared screen or whiteboard by clicking View Options > Annotate at the top. 

    

 

Learn more: Using Annotation Tools  

    Teaching Tips

DON’T FORGET! When you start screen sharing in Zoom, consider disabling the ability for participant annotation right away and/or select to “show” names of annotators. Just remember to re-enable participant annotation when you begin whiteboard or annotation activities with students.