Useful Tool for Student Collaboration

I think that this resource is alright. It gets the basic task done but that's it. There is nothing too impressive about its features, especially when compared to other digital whiteboard resources like Jamboard. I do enjoy its real-time collaborative features. It is also a pretty straightforward resource, which means that there won't be much of a learning curve. A disadvantage to this platform is the need for a membership which is $50 per year. While this might not seem like much, the thing to consider is simply that there are not enough "wow" factors to this resource that I wouldn't be able to find for free on other platforms.

Scribble Together Whiteboard seems to be a great resource for appealing to a wide variety of learners and ensuring opportunities for collaboration and creating. Once you sign up for an account on the website, you can essentially create multiple different whiteboards, where you can draw pictures, write text, insert photos, and even share whiteboards with other people and students. I particularly like the visual learning aspect that Scribble Together Whiteboard seems to offer for students. Instead of a boring, lecture style classroom, in which a teacher uses a direct instruction approach to teach their students while they learn passively, Scribble Together Whiteboard seems to provide a more interactive way to get engaged with the material. For any type of lesson, whether it is a math lesson about fractions or an English lesson about commas, a teacher could easily project Scribble Together Whiteboard on the screen, and use the pen, pencil, and marker tools that the website provides to draw pictures, write explanations, connect ideas, make tables, and appeal to all types of learners within the classroom. This is such an appealing and engaging way for students to learn, as there are options to use different colors, images, and tools to really represent a lesson or concept, or have a specific idea stand out to the class. Simultaneously, I can also see the benefits of note-taking and learning by using Scribble Together Whiteboard. For example, if a class is practicing subtraction problems during a math lesson, instead of writing on a paper and pencil, students can use Scribble Together Whiteboard to draw a picture of what they are trying to solve, use different colors to denote the different terms, numbers, and steps, and easily use the eraser tool to fix errors or mistakes while they work. Simultaneously, this allows for a teacher to provide necessary supports and scaffolding within the classroom, as they can easily walk around the room and visually see the work that their students are completing. Additionally, I believe that Scribble Together Whiteboard provides many benefits for studying and collaboration. For any whiteboard that a student creates, they can invite other students to join their whiteboard and be able to edit or add any changes to the board. As a result, a cooperative learning environment becomes possible, where students can work together on the same board to solve a problem, draw a diagram to symbolize a concept, or correct and edit each others' work. In terms of studying for an exam or quiz, I can definitely see the benefit of using this type of tool. Students can use this website to write down important historical events they are having difficulty with remembering or depicting the main ideas, topics, or details of a book that they need to study and remember. They can use the tools to depict a graph for a science class or draw a table to use for a math assignment. They can upload pictures of their homework or assignments that they need to complete, and use the tools that the website provides to take notes, jot down important ideas, or highlight key areas to focus on. Therefore, the possibilities for studying, taking notes, and practicing lessons from school are endless for students. Simultaneously, this tool also allows for opportunities for students to express their creativity and artistic vision, even with lessons or topics that might not be related to art or drawing pictures in many ways. Also, I really appreciate how the size of the board is not limited, and it continues to expand downward as you draw and write on a whiteboard. Tools also exist for students to go backwards and forward, so they can erase work they did in the past, but click on the backwards button to go back and see what they did. Similarly, they can also go forward again and go back to the place that they were working at. Thus, this allows for students to review the work they did, learn where they made mistakes, and continue to engage with the lessons they are learning. Therefore, Scribble Together Whiteboard offers a highly adaptable, creative, and collaborative way for students to practice their schoolwork, strengthen their knowledge, and become engaged in a fun and interactive way. One critique I do have is that some students might find it difficult to use a tool like Scribble Together Whiteboard if they do not have a tablet or iPad. Although it is possible to use on a computer, its navigability and accessibility can be quite limited, as having to using a touchpad to draw a picture or write a word can be particularly challenging and time-consuming. As a result, some students might ultimately prefer to just handwrite their work, studying, or notes, since they can ultimately do many of the same tasks that Scribble Together Whiteboard provides, even if they are not as colorful, interactive, and enjoyable. Another critique is that many classrooms still have whiteboards, and in some cases, chalkboards. Thus, this type of tool is already accessible within most classrooms and does not require students to have to log onto a computer and sign up for an account. Instead, they can just look up at the board, or use markers or chalk to write and take notes on the board. However, a counter to this critique is that Scribble Together Whiteboard ultimately provides a more personalized experience. Not every student is given opportunities to write on a Whiteboard or use fun markers or colors to write down notes or ideas. Simultaneously, not every student has these types of supplies available in their home to be able to use for practicing a problem or learning a concept. Thus, Scribble Together Whiteboard ultimately mimics how a classroom is physically set-up, and it provides students with opportunities to access a whiteboard in any given context, even when not actually in-person and at school. Thus, although a few critiques exist, I ultimately found Scribble Together Whiteboard to be a highly effective educational resource.

It is a great resource as it encourages collaboration, and allows interaction between everyone. Teachers would also not have to wait for individual students to contribute, as the app allows group collaboration.