An online whiteboard is a blank space where people can write, share, and interact on the board in real time. Tutors can use it for tutoring. There are many whiteboards on the internet created for online courses. When tutoring online, whiteboards can enhance your online tutoring lessons. A couple of uses of whiteboards online include a collaboration tool or a formative assessment. No matter which way you use the board, it can improve and enhance your tutoring lessons. Below, you will find the best free online whiteboards for tutoring.
Free Online Whiteboard for Tutoring – Features
There are a few features to look for when choosing an online whiteboard for tutoring. First is compatibility with online video and lesson recording. These two features will encourage student focus and attention. It is also handy to connect your pen tablet for online tutoring to show handwritten notes on the board. If a student misses a lesson, you can send the recording, and they will be able to catch up.
Another feature to look for is document upload. If you plan to work through a worksheet or read a passage together, many whiteboards will allow you to upload the document so both students and tutors can view it simultaneously. You want an online whiteboard that is easy to use, has screen recording, is convenient, more engaging, and prevents students from getting lost during the tutoring session.
There are many reasons why you should use an online whiteboard for tutoring classes. Classrooms become borderless when using a whiteboard. Whiteboards are convenient. Everyone can see it and write text and draw pictures on the board in real time. A whiteboard is more engaging and replicates real life in the classroom. Using an online whiteboard during a good tutoring session online or in the classroom will prevent students from getting lost. Anyone can access the board on any device. An online whiteboard allows both students and tutors to express their thoughts adequately.
We will share our favorite free online whiteboards, which are easy to use and come with features that make them the best whiteboard.
1. Whiteboard. fi
Whiteboard.fi is our favorite free online whiteboard. Using this whiteboard for tutoring is instant as there is no login or account needed. You create a class, and students join your tutoring class using a room code. This room code changes every time you use it to help with safe use. Whiteboard.fi encourages safety because no personal information is collected, stored, or shared. It deletes all data after the room closes. The room automatically closes after 120 minutes of inactivity, or the tutor can close it after the tutoring lesson. The third safety feature offered is access. The tutor has full access to who enters the room through the waiting lobby and then allows you to lock the room to prevent new users from joining.
The features are why it’s at the top of our list. You can ask students questions, and the students will answer their Whiteboard. Then, you can see the answer instantly and give feedback. Other features include inserting images, backgrounds, arrows, shapes, and text. A new math tool was added in May 2020 to enter symbols, expressions, or equations with the math editor. Also, new in May 2020 is the feature to save the whiteboard as a PDF. This allows you to send the tutoring lesson to absent students or reuse the lesson. Whiteboard.fi has a color palette, undo/redo, easy-to-draw shapes with a straight-line tool, text edit, demo walkthrough, accessible on all platforms, and multi-user lessons. The company supports its users with how-to videos and blog posts.
Whiteboard.fi was created as an instant formative assessment tool that allows the tutor to give real-time, instantaneous feedback and a quick overview. Created by an IT consultant who is also a web developer who previously taught elementary school, The mission is to support teachers and tutors. “It’s not about the tools -it’s about the teachers. But the best teachers should have the best tools!” Users and supporters of education can donate through Patreon. These donations help improve the service. In May 2020, Whiteboard .fi add a new math tool and the ability to save your classroom as a PDF. The constant improvements and updates is another reason we love Whiteboard.fi.
2. Liveboard for Tutoring
With 250K tutors, Liveboard is a useful tool for tutors. Unlike Whiteboard.fi, itoffers five different packages with a free package. The free package is fundamental and only allows two participants per session. However, the free package does give you unlimited boards, unlimited groups, and PDF export. Liveboard is excellent for tutors by design. The design is for students, individuals, and side-by-side collaborators. Another difference between Liveboard and Whiteboard.fi is the need for an account. It does require you to register for an account. However, it is very useful. Tutors can record, export, and share lessons. Students can learn and interact in real-time.
Liveboard is flexible, simple, and reliable. The creation is relaxed and interactive. Tutors can create groups and virtual classrooms and have full control over who gets to access their boards. They invite students to join the online tutoring session, which allows them to ask questions directly, and the students answer.
Liveboard has many features. You can create multi-page boards from PDFs. Storage is a feature that allows you to keep lessons in one place and reuse them. It gives you instant feedback on any device. Using Google Sign-In, you can easily use Liveboard and its features. There is a dotted background great for math, a smooth pen, a mobile app, online support, and handwriting recognition. You can upload images to help teach your lessons. You have color choices and are able to make adjustments. If you make a mistake or want to fix something you did, you can use your computer quick key to undo and redo.
Liveboard is not at the top of our list because it is fundamental, and you have to pay for all of the features. The basic package is useful and will help better your online tutoring sessions.
3. Ziteboard
You can get started with Ziteboard right away. When you go to ziteboard.com, a yellow button says, “Start Drawing Now.” This button will take you to the online whiteboard. The online whiteboard has words and pictures that you have to delete away. If you create a starter account, you won’t have to remove the images when you open an online whiteboard.
A starter account gives you three whiteboards, unlimited shares, unlimited collaborators, limited data traffic, and three basic colors. The website offers real-time collaboration with public online boards. Tutors can import low-resolution images and integrate chat with audio and video. If you want to boost your online tutoring sessions, use Ziteboard. Students will collaborate and be able to collaborate visually.
Our favorite feature is the infinite amount of whiteboard space you have. You drag the screen across, and a new white space appears. If you want to go back to what you wrote, you pull the other way to where you were. Like the other online whiteboards on this list, Ziteboard allows you to export and use it on multiple devices.
We like the sticky notes, wireframing tool, white-label service, graph plotter add-on, and the smart shape tool. The wireframing tool allows you to sketch, do freehand drawing, do line smoothing, and do shape recognition during your tutoring session. Other whiteboards online will enable you to add text; however, this website has the easiest way to add text. You click and then start typing, and it will add it in. The rubber tool will allow you to delete anything you add to change your mind or make a mistake. The infinite space and text tools make Ziteboard an excellent online whiteboard for online tutoring.
4. AWW: An Online Whiteboard
Much like Ziteboard, you can get started instantly. Just go to awwapp, and you will get started. No account is needed and easily accessible. There are packages and accounts that you can create. The free part of this online whiteboard is actually on the business side. A free account gives you essential tools, board sharing, and basic chat. You can also export your online whiteboard, but it will have a watermark. The app works cohesively with Zoom. It is as simple as writing on a regular board. You can write, draw, and add color on the board to your lessons. AWW allows you to follow up on the students’ progress in real-time.
If you want your students to become doers and not just watchers, AWW is for you. As the tutor, you can have multiple students work with you to write on the online whiteboard. You can create and customize lesson templates in advance and on the go. Besides the ability to get started immediately, one of AWW’s best aspects is the FAQ section. There are six different categories they have sorted all FAQs. If you are struggling with using AWW, visit this section, and questions will help you out. AWW also has many video tutorials to help. AWW is very user-friendly, and you can get started right away.
5. Twiddla
Twiddla’s design is more business-based than online tutoring-based, but it works for instruction. The site does have an educational side, but it is not free. You will work as a guest for free, but it is limited. The guest package gives you 10 participants in the meeting with a 20-minute limit. After 20 minutes, you can log out and sign back in as a new guest and continue; however, you will lose all your work and have to invite your students again, so plan accordingly if you decide to use Twiddla.
You can share images, documents, and emails and annotate on top of the document to make changes. This would be great for a worksheet. You can also screen capture. Before you decide you want to use Twiddla, you can try it out. They have a public whiteboard that allows you to see all of the functions. The presentation is more appropriate for older students.
Twiddla has many of the same features as other whiteboards online, including drawing, selecting, erasing, making shapes, and text on the board. Etherpad is a feature strictly on Twiddla. This feature is the chat feature. You can chat with all viewers/students at one time. To share with students, give them the link that shows in the share section. What we like best about Twiddla is immediate access.
6. Miro
Designed for business but usable for online tutoring, Miro is fast, free, and simple to use. You can collaborate with your students anytime, anywhere. Over 5 million people use Miro because it is efficient with an infinite canvas. You do have to create an account, but this account will give you access to sticky notes, digital markers, and shapes. The site does offer different packages that give you more access. You get three editable boards, core integrations, unlimited team members, and anonymous board viewers in the free package.
One of the features that make Miro stand out is the templates. These templates are great graphic organizers to use while tutoring. Other features include video conferencing, screen sharing, presentation mode, and multiple software integration. Miro works well with Zoom and Slack. You can add images and files lightning-fast. One of our favorite digitized handwriting. If you take a picture of your writing on sticky notes, Miro will instantly convert it to digital sticky notes. Miro claims it encourages collaboration without constraints. We would say they accomplish this mission.
Conclusion
From our favorite online whiteboards for tutoring on this list, we think that Whiteboard.fi is the best whiteboard. We love the support the creator gives teachers. We love the features and the user-friendly platform. Most importantly, it is entirely free and easy to use.
Whether Whiteboard.fi works for you or you choose another, we know you will enjoy the addition to your lessons. Students will be more engaged and find it easier to follow you. Students can collaborate, and you can complete formative assessments to see what more needs to be taught. To make your lessons more productive and engaging, try adding an online whiteboard to your lessons. If you can not find a suitable free online whiteboard for you, you may want to consider an interactive whiteboard. You can use those for remote classes as well as for classes in person. Connect them to your laptop or projector.
Thank for these online resources
You are welcome 🙂 I hope this article helps.