Teacher Tech blog with Alice Keeler

Paperless Is Not a Pedagogy

Alice Keeler

Creating a Mystery Spot in Google Jamboard

I have found a way to hide objects in a Google Jamboard Jam. Create mystery spots in Jamboard so students pull out hidden objects.
Creating a Mystery Spot in Google Jamboard
YouTube video

I have found a way to hide objects in a Google Jamboard Jam. Create mystery spots in Jamboard so students pull out hidden objects.

Pen Stays on Top

The key to a mystery spot is understanding that in a Google Jamboard Jam the Pen tool is always on top of objects. So if you draw on the frame any images, textboxes, or shapes will appear UNDER the pen.

Add More Pen

The trick to the mystery spot is to scribble a lot of pen onto the frame so that it creates a spot.

Use a White Pen with a White Background

Tip to either use a white pen on a white background or a black pen on a black background. This will cause your mystery spot to be invisible on the frame. My trick for creating a mystery spot in Google Jamboard is to temporarily set a background color so I can see that I have covered the spot entirely. I then switch the background to a white background (or black) so the spots disappear onto the frame.

Hide Items on the Frame

Drag images, textboxes, and Sticky Notes under the mystery spot. They will disappear on the frame.

Black pen scribbled on top of the black hat creates a mystery spot on the frame.
YouTube video

Consider the Layers

Items such as Sticky Notes, images, and textboxes layer. They are layered in the order that I added them to the frame. If I drag these items into the mystery spot, they will disappear on the frame and be hidden. Stacking them under the mystery spot they will be dragged out of the mystery spot in the reverse order of how you added them to the frame. Consider the order you want items to be revealed from behind the mystery spot by reordering the items before hiding them.

YouTube video

Convert Your Google Jamboard Jams to FigJam

Google is discontinuing Jamboard. GOOD NEWS! It is super EASY to convert your files into FigJam. Sign up for a FREE educator account at figma.com/education. Go to figma.com to import your Jamboards Jams. Check out my converted files at figma.com/@alicekeeler.

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