Whiteboard in Microsoft Teams
Overview
Whiteboard integration in Microsoft Teams meetings lets participants of Teams meetings collaborate together on a shared digital canvas. It makes it easy to share ideas and collaborate with everyone in the same Microsoft Teams meeting.
Here are some of the key benefits of using Whiteboard in Teams:
Bring teams to gather in one inclusive space for co-creation: You can now create a new whiteboard or open up an existing one directly in a Teams meeting. There's no need to switch between apps or share your screen.
Real time collaboration across all devices: Everyone in the meeting can view and edit the board simultaneously across any device, allowing them to bring new ideas and co-create together.
Re-use an existing Whiteboard across multiple meetings: Users can choose an existing whiteboard to share in a Teams meeting. This allows you to prepare a whiteboard ahead of time or continue working iteratively on a project.
Get started with a whiteboard in a Teams meeting
You can share or create a whiteboard to make it available to all participants in a Teams meeting.
After joining a Teams meeting, click the Share icon in the share tray of that meeting.
In the Whiteboard section, select Microsoft Whiteboard.
MS whiteboard
If a whiteboard is already associated with the meeting (you created a whiteboard before the meeting or you join the same meeting again), Teams will share that board by default. You can choose a different board to share by navigating to the Home icon in the top left.
If this is your first time using Whiteboard in this meeting:
Before the Whiteboard started, you need to select who can edit it. If you want to present something in real-time without interruptions, choose “Only you can edit.”; IIf you want everyone to share their ideas or thoughts, choose “Everyone can edit.
You can choose a template for your Whiteboard.
As soon as the Whiteboard canvas has been started, Teams meeting attendees can ink and type collaboratively. To add ink, click the Pen icon, select a color, and then begin to draw, sketch, or write on the board. To add text, click the Note or Text icons, and then begin to type. These objects can be moved around on the canvas.
As instructors, you could use the “Add comment” button to attach feedback directly to your students’ posts.
Retrieve whiteboards after Teams meeting
After a Teams meeting, the whiteboard will be available to all participants who are in your organization. This allows you to continue working iteratively on a project or re-use the whiteboard in future meetings. You can find the whiteboard in three ways:
If you share a whiteboard during a Teams meeting that is being recorded, it will not be part of the recording.
The two ways mentioned above only allow you to access the most recent whiteboard used during the meeting. If multiple whiteboards were used in a Teams meeting, please refer to the method below to access all of them.
Create a whiteboard before a Teams meeting
You can create a whiteboard before your Teams meeting, which will save time during your session with students.
Create a Teams meeting via Teams app.
Click on "+ number" from the toolbar.
Click Meeting Whiteboard.
Start creating your Whiteboard for the Teams meeting.
Join Teams meeting, click "Share" button and click Whiteboard. Pre-created Whiteboard will open by default.
Creating Whiteboards for Breakout Rooms
You can create Whiteboards for breakout rooms in advance; however, they will not open by default when breakout rooms start.
If you'd like students to use a pre-created Whiteboard during their small group sessions, here’s an alternative approach:
Go to whiteboard.office.com and sign in using the same credentials you’ll use for the Teams meeting.
Create the Whiteboards in advance.
During the Teams meeting, join each breakout room and help students open the specific Whiteboard you prepared for them.
Join the breakout room.
Click the “Share” button and select “Whiteboard.”
Go through the steps to create a new Whiteboard as prompted.
Once the new Whiteboard opens, click the “Home” button in the top-left corner.
whiteboard homeThis will take you to your full list of Whiteboards associated with your Microsoft account.
Find and open the pre-created Whiteboard you want your group to use.
whiteboards
Use whiteboard in breakout rooms
Each breakout room can collaborate on its own Whiteboard, just like the main meeting.
Participants can access and continue editing their breakout room’s Whiteboard through either the Teams chat or the meeting calendar.
Instructors can access and leave comments on all breakout room Whiteboards after the meeting ends.