Features of Google Jamboard: 5 awesome features

Jamboard is another awesome COLLABORATION tool from Google with so many great features. All of the Jams (Jamboard files) live in Google Drive. Try creating a fresh Jam by going to jam.new This post will highlight the following 5 features of Google Jamboard.

1) Up to 20 Frames

Jamboard has multiple “pages.” The pages are called frames. Look at the top center of your Jam to find a rectangle that shows what frame you are out of all of the frames. The default is 1/1. Click on the Frame Bar icon to see a thumbnail of all the frames and access the feature to add additional frames to your Jam.

The expanded frame bar feature is available by clicking rectangle that shows which frame you are on. It will expand and show you your up to 20 frames in Jamboard and where you can add another frame.

There is a 20 frame maximum!

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2) Drive Reads Sticky Notes

All Jams save to Google Drive. If you have added textboxes or Sticky Notes to the Jam you can search Google Drive for keywords and your Jams will show up. Notice in the screenshot below I searched for cat. Two Jam’s came up, neither had the word cat in the title. After your brainstorm session, if you forgot to rename the Jam, or if you forgot what Jam you used, this feature will save you! Simply search Google Drive for a word you typed in the Jam to still be able to find it.

Untitled Jams still save to Google Drive

3) Items Have Layers

The order you add items to the frame is the layer the item will appear on. Use the 3 dots menu in the upper right of any object to change the order of the item.

select "order >" to find the order changing options of the item. This feature allows you to change what layer of the Jam the item is on.

Try the keyboard shortcut Control Shift Up arrow or Control Shift Down arrow to quickly pull an item to the front or back layer.

two sticky notes on a Jam changing layers

4) Pen is ALWAYS on the Top Layer

Pictures, Shapes, Text boxes, and Sticky Notes all have layers. The pen strokes feature in a Google Jamboard Jam are ALWAYS on the top layer. Notice there is no 3 dots menu for the pen strokes like there are on other Jam items.

Even when you bring a sticky note to the top layer, the pen strokes feature is still on top of it

After scribbling over 2 Sticky Notes and using Control Shift Up arrow on each note, notice the green scribble is always on top.

You can NOT move or drag pen strokes on the Jam.

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5) Paste Images

Unlike Google Slides you can NOT drag images onto a Google Jamboard Jam. You need to click on the image icon in the side toolbar to drag the images into the upload box. However, you can copy and paste onto the Jam frame. Use this feature when using a Chromebook and taking a screenshot, if you are quick, you can select “Copy to clipboard” and then Paste using Control V right onto the Jam frame. If you use the Bitmoji Chrome Extension you can right click and choose “Copy Image.” Use Control V to paste the Bitmoji on the frame.