Dabbleboard is an interactive whiteboard that students may use to collaborate on projects and share ideas. Teachers may also use it to collaborate if face-to-face collaboration isn't an option.
The software allows the user to draw freehand images and text. It also has a feature that recognizes several shapes and seeks to "clean up" your presentation. This feature is quite useful when creating concept maps, as it recognizes circles, squares, diamonds, triangles, and lines. Users may change font size and color. Users may also move, resize, and copy/paste any information on the screen. Dabbleboard allows the use of multiple pages, and users are able to save their whiteboards online or to their computer.
The synchronous chat window (instant messaging) can be turned on and off, and provides a medium that is familiar to students. In my experience, students tend to prefer chat to phone or audio sessions. So, this works well.
Users may also upload images and documents from their computer or from the Web. This week, I have added a Dabbleboard to link to my announcement page to help students complete the mandatory collaboration activity. Typically, students attend the weekly Collaboration Station to meet their collaboration requirement. However, there are some students who are unable to attend these sessions for various reasons. If a student cannot attend, the teachers get together to find another student so that they can pair up to complete this assignment. However, it was difficult for the students to collaborate through email and phone alone. It has also been more difficult for the students to prove collaboration. Now, students may click on the new link, and see many of the same slides that are available in the Collaboration Station Elluminate sessions. I have two students "test driving" it for me this week.
Feel free to watch the one minute presentation I created that demonstrates this Web 2.0 tool.
Images from Dabbleboard.com. Recorded with Jing, and edited in iMovie.
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