NotebookCast

Free!

NotebookCast is a free, online whiteboard that multiple users can engage in real time. To begin, users will first need to register with the website. At this point, users can click the “Create an online whiteboard” button and enter information for their board (e.g., Nick Name and the board’s size, title, and description). The whiteboard will then load, and users can add and customize lines, text, shapes in a variety of colors and widths to it with the “Tools” and “Shapes” menu at the top of the screen. After adding a piece of content to the whiteboard, users will need to click the “Check” button before the content will appear on the whiteboard.

To upload an image onto the whiteboard, users must first click the “Image” button on the bottom of the screen, choose the “Upload new images” button, choose the file they wish to upload from their computer, and pause to let the website upload it. At this point, users can adjust where they want the image to appear and then click the “Check” button on the screen to add it to the whiteboard.

If users wish to share their whiteboard, they can click the “Invite” button on the top of the screen and send other users either the whiteboard access code or its URL address. The invited users will need to enter the information into their browser, and the board will launch. Before they can engage the board, the invited users will need to enter their name and then they will have access to the board. Once users have access, they will be able to view and add content to the whiteboard in real time.

When finished creating a whiteboard, users can save it by clicking the “Tools” menu and choosing the “Board Capture” option. The website will then take a screenshot of the board and download it directly to the user’s computer. Also, users can click the “Tools” menu to access a “laser pointer” they can use to highlight information on the board.

Instructional Ideas for NotebookCast

1. Teachers can write a prompt and/or upload an image to a whiteboard created in this website and share it via a URL link with their students. Students can then respond by adding text in response to the prompt.
2. Teachers can create or upload a diagram to a whiteboard about a topic and then share it with their students. Teachers can then explain that diagram to their students and use the laser pointer option under the “Tools” menu to highlight important components in the diagram.
3. After creating a whiteboard, teachers can use the “Board Capture” tool to save it. Teachers can then post the whiteboard to another web tool, such as Dotstorming or Padlet, so it can be used at another time.
4. If teachers wish to create an online lecture, they can launch a screencasting website, such as Screencast-O-Matic, and record themselves discussing the topic. That recording can then be posted to a class website.
5. In small groups, one student can create a whiteboard and share it with the group. Next, students can create a product (e.g., advertisement, infographic, graphic organizer, etc.) and then save it via a “Board Capture” once they are finished. Students can then share their work by posting it to a class website or sending it to their teacher over email for grading.

Screenshots of NotebookCast