Zoom Whiteboard Alternative for Teachers

The best Zoom whiteboard alternative for teachers is a whiteboard built for lessons, used in one of two ways: keep Zoom for the call and share the teaching board, or run the whole class on a platform that has video and the board together. Either way, you gain PDF annotation, math paper, per-student drawing control and a saved copy of the board.

A meeting whiteboard is made for meetings: a quick diagram, a list of ideas, then back to the call. A lesson asks more of a board. This guide helps you decide when Zoom's own whiteboard is enough and shows both setups step by step.

When is the Zoom whiteboard enough for teaching?

The whiteboard inside your meeting tool is enough when the board plays a small part in the lesson. Keep using it if most of these are true:

• You sketch for a few minutes, then go back to talking or slides.
• You don't need to write on your own PDFs or worksheets.
• Students rarely write on the board themselves.
• Nobody needs a copy of the board after class.

When the board is where the lesson happens, the gaps show quickly. That is the moment to add a teaching whiteboard.

What do teachers need that a meeting whiteboard does not focus on?

Teachers need a board that holds the lesson materials and lets them manage who writes. Check your current tool against this list:

• Write on your own PDFs and worksheets, page by page.
• Math Paper backgrounds such as Graph, Coordinate plane and Isometric.
• A formula tool and a calculator for math and science.
• Control over who draws, student by student, given and taken back during class.
• Several pages, so you never erase an explanation you need again.
• Save the board as a PDF for students to review.

The Educastic whiteboard covers all six. For a fuller checklist, see how to choose an online whiteboard.

Setup 1: How do you use Educastic with Zoom?

You keep your Zoom meeting and open the Educastic whiteboard next to it. This setup suits schools that require Zoom for the call. Follow these steps:

1. Start your Zoom meeting as usual.
2. In another browser tab, open Educastic and create a class with + Create Educast > Start Educast Now.
3. Load your material with Load File to Whiteboard > Upload File. Each PDF page becomes a board page.
4. Share the board in Zoom with Zoom's screen share, choosing the browser tab with Educastic.
5. Let students write when needed. Send them the Educastic link (Invite > Copy URL); students without an account choose Join As a Guest. Give one student Whiteboard Tools Access in the ATTENDEES & PRIVILEGES panel while they solve.
6. Avoid echo. Keep audio in Zoom only: mute your microphone in Educastic and mute the Educastic browser tab.
7. Save the board after class with Save Whiteboard Tab > Save as PDF.

Setup 2: How do you move the whole class off Zoom?

You run the class entirely in Educastic, which has built-in webcam video, chat and screen sharing in the same window as the whiteboard. Students open one link instead of two, and there is no echo to manage.

Moving takes one lesson to get used to. Create the class with + Create Educast, send the link, and students wait in the waiting room until you admit them. Use the record button in the top bar to record the class; the recording goes to the My Recordings tab of My Library. After class, attendance and session reports are ready in Sessions > Past. Our guide on how to record online classes covers recording in detail.

Which setup should you choose?

Choose the setup that matches your school's rules and how much your students write on the board. This table compares both:

Many teachers start with Setup 1 for a few weeks, then move to Setup 2 when students are used to the board.

Frequently asked questions

Try a teaching whiteboard in your next Zoom class

Open the Educastic online whiteboard, upload tomorrow's worksheet and share it in your next Zoom lesson using Setup 1.

Start teaching free