Whiteboards are a staple of face-to-face classrooms. In a 1:1 classroom or during remote learning, you can still recreate that experience. Here are 15 ideas (and templates!) to get you started.
Let’s face it. When you aren’t standing right in front of your classroom, you miss your whiteboard.
It’s the hub of the room. It’s where ideas get sketched, where "lightbulb moments" are captured, and where we make thinking visible.
But as the classroom evolved, so did our tools. We’ve said some sad goodbyes lately (RIP Jamboard and the old Flipgrid whiteboard), but honestly? The tools that have stepped up to take their place are faster, smarter, and—dare I say it—more fun.
In this updated post, we’re looking at 15 ways to bring that whiteboard magic back into your 1:1, hybrid, or remote classroom. We’ve broken them down into three categories: Collaborative (the "everyone can join" boards), Individual (the "digital desk" boards), and Recording (the "flipped lesson" boards).
Have another idea for online whiteboarding ? Share it in a comment below!
🔔 Grab your FREE online whiteboard bell ringer pack!
Ready to bring more interaction to your morning routine? Grab your Online Whiteboard Bell Ringer Pack to get 5 versatile templates and 15 ready-to-use activity ideas to use with your favorite online whiteboard tool.
Whether you want to check the "vibe" of the room, dive into error analysis, or start a high-energy "Would You Rather" debate, these low-prep resources are designed to work with the digital whiteboard tool you already use.
By getting this resource, you’ll also join the Ditch That Textbook community, getting weekly inspiration,
templates, and even more classroom-ready ideas delivered straight to your inbox.
Whiteboards for collaborative learning
These tools excel when you want multiple students—or even the whole class—working together on a single digital canvas.
FigJam (Figma.com/education)
FigJam is a modern, super-collaborative whiteboard tool that feels less like "school software" and more like a creative playground. It’s perfect for mapping out complex ideas or running a class-wide brainstorm.
Padlet Sandbox (padlet.com/site/sandbox)
At its most basic level, Padlet Sandbox is a super simple collaborative whiteboard where you and your students can draw, type, and drop in media in real-time. As you get more comfortable, you can move to a second level by adding multiple "cards" and playing them in order like a slideshow or digital storybook. You can even add actions and branching logic to your content, so clicking one image jumps the student to a different card.
Screenshot from Padlet.com
Learn more: What is Padlet Sandbox?
We often think of Canva for creating beautiful graphic designs. But did you know that they have an online whiteboard option build in with tons of templates (see templates section below) or a blank whiteboard option. The online whiteboard offers the same design tools you are used to in Canva along with some cool animation tools. You can share your whiteboard as a view only or editable link for collaboration.
Learn more: Getting started with Canva
Slides/PowerPoint
If you don't have a touchscreen device, you may love this one best. Bring up an online slide (in Google Slides or in PowerPoint). Add text, images, shapes, lines, videos, etc. Use that as your whiteboard and record your screen while it's up. Note: If you have the PowerPoint desktop app, you can draw and then turn your writing into editable text, moveable shapes and math equations.
This free online whiteboard app offers lots of the features in addition to drawing such as the ability to add text, math equations, images, backgrounds, online media, dice, compass, pointer, animation and more! You can connect up to 100 people to one board or observe and coach multiple individual users.
Learn more: Whiteboard.chat help and how-tos
Get the tools, the practical ideas, and the inspiration to transform the way you use technology in the classroom!
- Lesson ideas and downloadable templates
- A companion webpage full of FREE resources (click here to access NOW)
- Brand new PIRATE engagement hooks
- Encouragement and motivation to start
Whiteboards for individual activities
Sometimes you don't want a "crowded" board. These tools give every student their own space while letting you see, and give feedback on, their progress in real-time.
Snorkl (Snorkl.app)
Snorkl is an innovative educational platform that uses AI to provide students with instant personalized feedback on their responses to questions or prompts assigned by their teachers. Students record their thinking on a digital whiteboard using various tools like drawing, highlighting, typing text, inserting equations, and uploading images, while simultaneously explaining their thought process aloud.
Learn more: 10 ways to provide instant feedback to students
Brisk Boost Whiteboard (BriskTeaching.com)
Brisk Boost now takes the visual, collaborative energy of a digital whiteboard and supercharges it with AI. Instead of just a blank canvas, you’re giving students a space where they can interact with resources, get real-time feedback from an AI tutor, and show their thinking visually. Check out my demo of Brisk's Whiteboard feature at the TCEA 26 conference.
Markify (Markifyapp.com)
Markify takes the whiteboard off the wall and puts it right on every student’s device. It allows you to push a PDF, an image, or a blank canvas to every student for individual, real-time markup. You can monitor the entire class from your dashboard and "showcase" a specific student's work to the rest of the group with a single click.
Whiteboard.fi (whiteboard.fi)
With Whitebaord.fi (now part of Kahoot!) every student gets an individual digital whiteboard, and you see their work in real-time on one central dashboard. With no student logins required, you can start a session in seconds and "push" your own board or a PDF template directly to every student device for immediate feedback.
Explain Everything or Educreations app
These apps -- Explain Everything and Educreations -- have helped teachers create instructional videos for years. Draw on a whiteboard. Record the screen and record your voice. Add images. Flip page by page. When you're done, share with a link.
Seesaw (Seesaw.com)
Elementary teachers have been the majority of its users in the past but Seesaw is a fantastic online whiteboard option for students big and small. In Seesaw you can snap pictures, draw on the screen and add text and images to label. You can also record your screen as you are giving instructions and add it to an assignment or save it as an instructional video. Seesaw is extremely easy to use and students of all ages can easily access the online whiteboard, describe their thinking and turn it in to you all within the app.
Whiteboards for recording or sharing your screen
These tools are best for "flipping" your classroom, teaching from a whiteboard or creating instructional videos where you record your voice and drawings at the same time.
Canvas chrome app (canvas.apps.chrome)
Want to jot some simple doodles on a screen? This simple app gives you several pen options, different colors and an eraser. It's great for a touchscreen device and is servicable for non-touchscreens. Its lack of features may be its best benefit: it's easy to use. Plus, it automatically saves your creations for re-using or downloading as an image.
Whiteboard app in Windows
If you have a Windows laptop (or Surface tablet), this has been waiting for you all along! Just type the word "whiteboard" in to the search next to the Windows button. It offers a variety of pens, a ruler, and a lasso to move items around. You can even add text, notes, lists, templates, images, and more.
OneNote (onenote.com)
If you have a touchscreen Windows device, this is a fantastic option. OneNote is my favorite notetaking app. Open a fresh note in OneNote to use as your online whiteboard. It's an infinite canvas, so it gets as big as you want. It integrates nicely with other Microsoft 365 products. Plus, OneNote has GREAT math options: symbols, an equation editor, and other math tools.
Learn more: Using OneNote to show what they know
Recording real whiteboards
If the real thing will work, you may not need to go digital. Grab an actual white board or a sheet of paper. Either of these options may work for you!
There's no shame in using an actual physical white board! Grab a small magnetic white board (like students put in lockers). If you have a wall-sized whiteboard, aim the camera at it and use it! Just be sure your camera is close enough -- and that you're writing big enough -- and that your marker is thick enough -- for students to see.
Online whiteboard templates
Templates can save us lots of time and are valuable resources for teaching and learning. There are tons of templates out there for many different uses and lucky for us there are online whiteboard templates too!
Canva online whiteboard templates
Canva has tons, and tons of templates including a number of online whiteboard templates, many of which are free to use. There are templates for problem solving, story writing, brainstorming and more. Some, such as the project journey, are interactive too. You can present your whiteboard directly from Canva, share a viewable link, embed on a website, or invite others to collaborate on your board. If you like the template design you can also download it as an image and add it as the background in FigJam, or Slides, or PowerPoint too!
FigJam templates
FigJam has hundreds of free templates and lesson plans at figma.com/@education. You can browse all of their classroom activities that are ready-to-use with your class. Duplicate your own copy to get started in seconds!
Slides Mania Jams and Slides template
Paula from Slides Mania has created an impressive library of FREE Google Slides and PowerPoint templates. One of her more recent additions is the Jams and Slides template which has fun activities included like finish the doodle and would you rather.
Google Slides and PowerPoint templates
As mentioned above Google Slides and PowerPoint provide a great option for an online whiteboard if you are sharing from your computer. There are loads of Google Slides and PowerPoint templates to choose from. Take a look at some of our favorites.
For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links:
Are you looking for quality, meaningful professional learning that both equips and inspires teachers?
Matt provides in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops and breakout sessions that equip, inspire and encourage teachers to create change in their classrooms. Teachers leave with loads of resources. They participate. They laugh. They see tech use and teaching in a new light. Click the link below to contact us and learn how you can bring Matt to your school or district!
Is Matt presenting near you soon? Check out his upcoming live events!
Seconded – sharetheboard rules!
I have been looking for an online tutoring service because I think we need to get extra learning resources outside the school. Beestar is my first choice of math tutoring website. It has a free math program for all students.
I log in to my google meet twice as myself, once for the meeting and the second time with a touchscreen chromebook and present from the touchscreen. Then I use Jamboard as if it were a white board in the classroom. I also create presentations on jamboard and use classroom to give each student a copy of the presentation. I put images of our reading text and add post it notes for directions or places to fill in questions. They can then highlight or underline the text evidence right on the “page” and I can see what they’ve done.
+1 to this app!
Jamboard looks quite similar, but Miro board is better IMHO.
One more to add to the list… Share a whiteboard/blackboard/flip-chart/paper live. Content is enhanced for legibility and obstacles are made “see-through.” Still in beta but already decent, methinks!
https://sharetheboard.com
Wow! All this information gave me GREAT ideas for how to record myself using a whiteboard for students to learn! Will be back to Ditch That Textbook when I have more time!
thank you for the information
I’d check the collaborative whiteboard programs — including those listed in the comments in this post — for an ability to lock the board. When it comes to showing their whiteboard, if you’re talking about remote learning, the ability to share a screen would be handled through the video conferencing program.
Are there controls with any of these websites/programs that allow you to control when/if students are allowed to draw on a classroom whiteboard and/or show their whiteboard?
In the spring rush I just just used Microsoft Paint. Only teacher could work on the screen, nothing to install, I already knew how to use it.
I missed the individual whiteboards we had used in face to face class. My adult ESL students were not very good at putting their spelling answer in chat and refraining from pressing enter until everyone had done the work. I am planning to see if Whiteboard.fi will work once my school returns my equipment. I want to see all the students work and I do not want them to see each others work.
I use a white board app called Miro
https://miro.com/
I love this free tool!
Nice, but you should include Deskle.com because it works on every browser, uses very little CPU and can get started for free with a team of up to 50 members.
A great virtual whiteboard is Deskle.com. It’s got lots of features and it runs smoothly and quickly.
[…] https://ditchthattextbook.com/online-whiteboard/ […]
Check out whiteboard.fi. Teachers can use it to demonstrate a concept to students. Or need a way for private student replies? Students can reply on their own whiteboard and it goes directly to the teacher. It’s free and no need to log in or create an account.