Have you heard the news? Google is waiving bye bye to Jamboard. You essentially have a year to convert your Jamboard Jam files before they become uneditable PDF’s. The reason we loved Google Jamboard was because of the interactivity!! So what do we do now?
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The Announcement - Bye Bye Jamboard
In late 2023 Google announced they will be discontinuing Jamboard. Initially Jams will be switched to view only. After outcry, Google changed their position from deleting the Jam files from your Google Drive to changing them to PDF’s.
Why Did Google Ditch Jamboard?
I can only speculate. I have no insider information on why Google discontinued Jamboard. The writing has been on the wall, you could not add Jams to Google Classroom using the add from Drive option. Jams are not an option in the filter drop down for file type.
Jamboard Lacked Features
Can we be honest! What was cool about Jamboard is it was so simple. However, it clearly lacked some features that were needed. 20 frame limit and inability to lasso multiple items was definitely a frustration. A complete guess of mine is that the time, money, and effort to overhaul Jamboard didn’t pencil out in comparison with the number of users.
What Happens to Your Book Alice?
One must always be ready to MOVE ON. Nothing stays the same. While I am so passionate about collaborative whiteboarding that I wrote an entire book about it, Jamboard isn’t the only way to accomplish this. So the book is dead. I’ll write another one. Bye bye Jamboard.
Pedagogy First
Sure you can use digital whiteboards like Jamboard as a digital piece of paper, but that doesn’t improve learning. Same is same.
With any tool, consider the pedagogy first. Not, what can I do with the tool?
Jamboard allowed multiple people to share ideas, to brainstorm, sketch out their thoughts, in one place. We could break the barriers of being physically side by side with another person. Students can collaborate and work through difficult ideas with students in other class periods or really anywhere in the world. It breaks us from such linear thinking like a Google Doc and encourages us to be more creative. Making it easier to move our ideas around and group them to find patterns and consensus.
Filter Your Google Drive for Jams
If you have made Google Jamboard Jams in the past, you will want to find them in Google Drive. Search for type:jam
Convert Your Jams
Currently Google does not have a native way for you to convert your Jams to another product. When your files are changed to PDF’s they will be located in Google Drive. If you want to maintain interactivity, you will need to use a 3rd party and those imports will live on their platform.
Figma has come out with a converter tool that is pretty slick. Use it to easily transfer your files to FigJam.
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6 thoughts on “Bye Bye Jamboard”
We are rolling out our 12 days of Techmas in our district and the transition from Jamboard to FigJam was one of my featured tutorial videos. Thank you for sharing knowledge and RESOURCES to help build the tutorial and spread the word about how AMAZING FigJam is going to be as a “replacement” tool. SO many more options available!!! Can’t wait to continue supporting teachers next semester with this.
Yay Carla! Here is my playlist that I have been building. I’ll be putting out a lot more FigJam tips! Stay tuned. Hope you can join me Tuesday for the OTIS webinar, or catch the recording.
Looking forward to watching the recording. I have been investigating swaps for Jamboard and I feel a little overwhelmed. I have a love/hate outlook on all the amenities offered in FigJam and Canva Whiteboard. I’d love to be able to make some specific templates and lock those down, so interactions with students don’t derail because the have so many options if I give them access to collaborate. I am looking for a balance between all that is *shiny* and the actual idea sharing and collaboration that I want to make happen in my classroom.
Thank you for your comment Jody! The challenge with all of the products is none were designed solely for classroom use. So there is some functions that don’t take into consideration immature users. Take advantage of the version history and keep teaching students digital citizenship skills. Remember, they weren’t born with them but they need them!
Thank you for the converter. I loved using Jamboard and had many ( not as many as Alice) to convert. I am enjoying learning about figjam and so far like it!
I think Figma did a great job on the Jamboard to FigJam converter. I am glad you like using it.