Tip #888: Jamboard to the Rescue!

“A good tool improves the way you work. A great tool improves the way you think.”  Jeff Duntemann

I am going to facilitate a 50-minute virtual program on peer-to-peer collaborative problem-solving in a few weeks. Did I mention that there will be 50-75 executive managers in attendance?

The Challenge

My challenge is how to manage the activity I want to use to obtain buy-in to the idea of involving others in problem-finding.

I’d like to separate the participants into four groups based on the letter of their first names so each group can answer a different question at the same time. I’ve seen it done using Adobe Connect, which has the capability to present four chat windows on one screen.

However, I will be using Zoom, which doesn’t have that capability. The alternative, which is splitting a PowerPoint slide into four quadrants, doesn’t leave enough room for the large number of participants to respond.

Jamboard to the Rescue!

My client suggested that I use Jamboard, which is an interactive business whiteboard. I can create four Jamboards, one for each question so there is plenty of room for responses. Each participant group can answer their question on the relevant Jamboard at the same time.

I’ll have them use the sticky note response feature to add color and interest to the activity. When the participants are done writing, I will be able to scroll through each Jamboard to highlight key responses. It’s a perfect solution!

Mentimeter Adds Pizzazz

Not satisfied with just introducing me to one new (to me) digital tool, my lifelong-learning-loving client also suggested that I use Mentimeter to add some pizzazz to a poll. I had previously experienced Mentimeter as a participant and loved it but had never considered actually using it.

Mentimeter gives you the option to create polls and quizzes that the participants answer using their phones. They just sign in to menti.com and enter a code. It is possible to have their responses show up as text or a word cloud.

A word cloud is a cluster of words depicted in different sizes and colors. The more frequent a word is used, the bigger and bolder the text becomes. I’ve opted to use a two-question poll with a word cloud for each question’s responses. This will be a highly engaging and colorful way to conclude this short program.

Two Great Digital Tools

Thanks to my innovative client, I now have two wonderful tools to engage my training participants. Both work with virtual programs, and Mentimeter also works with classroom programs. I’ll be as excited as my participants when they use them!

Question: How have you used Jamboard and Mentimeter?

May your learning be sweet-and safe,

Deborah

#digitaltools #virtualprograms

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