TABLE OF CONTENTS

Note: You will need to have your Zoom updated to 5.10.3 or higher to use Whiteboards in Zoom and everyone in the meeting will need to be updated to see the Whiteboard. Attendees who are using their cell phones will only be able to view the Whiteboard but won’t be able to edit. 


Accessibility: Attendees who are blind or have low vision will not be able to see the Whiteboard so important information needs to be narrated verbally and those who need to use keyboard shortcuts because of impaired mobility will not be able to navigate or utilize the Whiteboard easily. Keep that in mind when asking students to participate. 


In Zoom, you can use Whiteboards as a collaborative space in your meetings. You can set up Whiteboards ahead of your meeting to save time or you can do it during the meeting. 

Creating Whiteboards before the meeting

If you want to create a Whiteboard before your meeting, go into your Zoom portal.

  • Click “Whiteboards” in the menu on the left side of the screen. This will open a new browser window where all of your Whiteboards are stored whether created before the meeting or during the meeting.

  • To create a new Whiteboard, click "+" or "New whiteboard". You can also look through the available templates for one that’s suitable for your needs.

  • Give your Whiteboard a name and add text, pictures, graphs, etc. as needed. Your changes to the Whiteboard will be automatically saved. Learn more about adding content to your Whiteboard in the section on Whiteboard Features.

Opening Whiteboards in your Meeting

If you didn’t create your Whiteboard before the meeting, you can also create it while the meeting is in progress as well as use previously created Whiteboards. 

  • While in your Zoom meeting, click “Whiteboards”.

  • You’ll be prompted to choose whether to open an existing Whiteboard or to create a new one. If you don't see the Whiteboard option at the bottom of your Zoom screen, you may need to expand other menus or click on "Host Tools".

The button for opening Zoom Whiteboards in a Zoom meeting. 

  • Be aware that once you click New Whiteboard or choose an Existing Whiteboard, you will be sharing the Whiteboard so you won’t be able to work on it privately.

  • When you’re done using the whiteboard, click “Close Whiteboard” at the top center of the screen.

The "Close Whiteboard" button.

Whiteboard Features

The Zoom Whiteboard can be used in a variety of ways and the sheer number of options can be a little overwhelming. The best way to get to know them is to experiment, but this guide will list the main functions to give you an idea of the available tools.

Overview

  1. Presentation - When this is enacted, other participants can only see your view and can't edit. 

  2. Presenter Tools - This box opens a menu that includes a laser pointer and a timer.

  3. Comment Panel - Opens a panel where you can take notes or make comments.

  4. Zoom in/out - Since you can add objects of all shapes and sizes to the board, you may need to zoom in or out to see them properly.

  5. Mini Map - The Whiteboard canvas is essentially infinite so if you have several participants working in different areas, it can get very spread out. To move easily around a large canvas, use the Mini Map. It will pull up a miniature version of the canvas overlaid with an orange box. Move the box around to change your view of the canvas to help you find the section you are looking for. 

  6. Pages - If you don’t like having everyone on the same canvas, you can add pages to give each group their own workspace and to keep things from getting so spread out. 

  7. Content Icons - This menu of icons allows you and any collaborators to add content to your canvas. See the next section for specific types of content.

Adding Content to your Whiteboard

  • The select tool which looks like an arrowhead. Select tool - for when you need to click on or move an object on the canvas

  • The pen icon which looks like a pencil. Pen - for freehand drawing or writing

  • The shapes tool which has a circle overlaid with a square.Shapes - add customizable shapes to your canvas

  • The line icon which looks like a diagonal line. Line - create customizable lines and arrows

  • The text box icon which looks like a capital T. Text box - add text anywhere on the canvas
  •    Equations - Add equations as examples or for students to solve

  • The sticky note icon which looks like a piece of paper with one corner folded up. Sticky Notes - Add customizable squares anywhere on the canvas 

  • The comment icon which looks like a speech bubble with a plus sign in the middle of it. Comment - Add a tiny speech bubble anywhere on the canvas. This saves space if you need to leave a long comment. Hovering over the speech bubble brings up the text. Clicking on it allows participants to reply so an entire conversation can be held in a very small space

  • The frames icon which looks like a hashtag. Frames - Adding a customizable frame to the canvas also adds it to your presentation so anything you put in the frame will be like a slide in your presentation

  • The templates icon which looks like a data table.Templates - Open the full list of templates to look for inspiration

  • The upload icon which looks like a horizontal line with an arrow pointing upwards from it. Upload - Clicking this icon will open access to all of your files on your computer 

  • More Tools - The three dots at the bottom of the list of tools opens a list of advanced tools like the following:

    • Mind Map - This is a graphic organizer for brainstorming. You start with one bubble and then add others to it to create a kind of flow chart.

    • Table - add a customizable data table to your canvas

    • Kanban - add a tool for organizing tasks to your canvas with columns for To do, In progress, Done. You can add columns as needed.

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