How do you best replicate the classroom whiteboard when teaching in either hybrid or full zoom modality? 

This is a question many of us have been trying to solve for over the past year given how central the whiteboard often is to the teaching/learning experience.

After trying several alternatives (including onscreen zoom annotation; a separate tablet with drawing functionality; and even trying an actual whiteboard from home)…I’ve found that for me, a document camera has become my favorite way to go.

This is the document camera that I am using (apparently it’s the one all the grade school teachers use over zoom to project and write in workbook pages).  $89–super easy, just plug into your USB (no software to download, nothing to install)… then point it down at a piece of blank paper which becomes your “whiteboard” to write/draw on.  Some 8 1/2″ x 11″ plain copy paper and a set of decent markers (I use these) and you’re ready to go.

To use in Zoom, just go to the “Share Screen” setting, click the Advanced tab then click the Document Camera option.  Very easy to toggle back and forth between my slides and this.  And almost no lag–what you write renders near instantly over zoom.  (It can also be used as a second web cam too if you want another camera angle of yourself to toggle between this and your main camera).

Good demo from a grade school teacher here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJLYwWMI2Wg