As Google Jamboard prepares to bid farewell in 2024, FigJam is quickly becoming the go-to digital whiteboard for educators. To help you transition smoothly, I've compiled over 30 FigJam templates and examples, perfect for various classroom activities.
Why Choose FigJam for an Instructional Tool?
Think of FigJam as an infinite digital whiteboard. The marker tool is fantastic for intuitive digital annotation and drawing tasks. The sticky notes feature is great for brainstorming and collaborating.
The whiteboard nature of FigJam provides several ways for students of any age to interact: dragging, drawing, annotating, adding text, and adding images. This is great for amplifying student voice and choice, as well as providing options for varying student needs. For example, younger students who may not write can draw, circle, and sort. Images can be provided for non-readers. Older students can label using text or the pen tool.
FigJams can be individual or collaborative. Collaborative FigJams are a great way to have students vote and share. If you are eager to dip your toes into digital collaborative activities, FigJam is perfect for both students and teachers who are new to collaborating in a digital space.
30+ FigJam for Teachers Examples and Templates
Draggin' Dots: A collaborative activity perfect for fun or anonymous sharing. Simply drag and drop your choice.
Classifying and Matching: Ideal for drawing connections or categorizing using text, images, or GIFs.
Drag and Drop: Engage students in categorizing various elements into appropriate groups.
Sorting: Simplify sorting tasks into categories using diverse media.
Voting: Utilize the sticky notes feature for collaborative voting or opinion sharing.
Annotation Station: Enhance understanding through annotation and labeling.
Getting started with FigJam is easy. Here's how to access and copy our curated templates:
Open the desired FigJam via the link below.
Log in with your FigJam account.
Select the drop down arrow next to the FigJam title in the top center of the screen.
Select “Duplicate to your drafts.”
A copy of the FigJam will be made and saved to your account.
Each template has multiple frames with various templates and examples. Simply delete any frames you don’t want. Then customize away by editing the prompts and options to fit your curriculum.
Draggin' Dots
Draggin’ Dots is designed to be a collaborative activity. It is a great introduction to digital collaboration, as students are not adding anything to the FigJam; they are simply moving their “dot” to their choice. Knowing how to drag and drop an element is the only skill needed! I love to do this activity for fun shares or shares that I want to be anonymous.
Classifying and Matching
The freeform layout of FigJam makes it ideal for classifying and matching tasks. In the provided examples, students could use the marker tool to draw lines to the correct matches, or sticky notes could be used to label the correct categories. Text, images, and even GIFs can be used to create matching and classification activities.
Drag and Drop
Similar to the classifying and matching examples, students can drag and drop text, images, and/or GIFs into the appropriate categories.
Sorting
If learners need to sort items into two categories, use these sorting templates. As with the classifying and matching examples, text, images, and even GIFs can be sorted.
Voting
Another great collaborative use of FigJam is voting. The sticky notes feature is perfect for this. Have students add their name to a sticky note and add that sticky note to their vote.
Annotation Station
Think of all the times you have students annotate or label to show their understanding. The marker feature of FigJam is amazing for this!
If you right click the image that students are annotating and select "lock," you will ensure that students can't accidentally delete or move the image.
Learn More
The Figma Community is a treasure trove of resources and ideas for using FigJam effectively. If you're feeling lost or need some inspiration, it's a great place to start. And remember, I'm here to help! If you have any questions or need assistance in integrating FigJam into your teaching, don't hesitate to reach out on social media. Let's make learning fun and interactive with FigJam!