The Whiteboard is a shared space where you and your student can write, draw and work together during your class.
Everything added to the Whiteboard appears in real time, so you can both see changes as they happen.
It is a useful tool for explaining language visually, highlighting key points, working through examples together, or giving your student a space to practise during the lesson.
How do I open the Whiteboard?
To activate the Whiteboard, simply click on the Whiteboard icon in the menu at the bottom of the screen once your call is connected.
Image: whiteboard activation icon circled in red
What can I do on the Whiteboard?
You can use the available tools to:
- Add text to the Whiteboard.
- Highlight information using colour.
- Cross out text or other content.
- Add images.
- Add arrows and shapes to organise or connect information.
- Draw freely using the pencil tool.
- Erase elements from the Whiteboard.
Any changes made by you or your student will appear for the other participant immediately.
Working together on the Whiteboard
The Whiteboard is collaborative, which means that both you and your student can add and interact with content.
There are a few important things to remember:
- You can undo your own actions, but you cannot undo an action performed by your student.
- Both you and your student can erase any element on the Whiteboard, regardless of who added it.
- Both participants can also clear the entire Whiteboard.
For this reason, take care when using the erase or clear options, particularly if you have already created content that you would like to continue using during the lesson.
Can I use the Whiteboard while sharing my screen?
You can use both screen sharing and the Whiteboard during your classes, but they cannot be active at the same time.
If you are currently sharing your screen and then activate the Whiteboard, your screen sharing will stop.
You can start sharing your screen again when you have finished using the Whiteboard.
Can students use the Whiteboard on mobile devices?
The Whiteboard is not currently available to students who join their class from a mobile device.
If your student joins from a mobile, they will see a notification explaining that the Whiteboard is not available on their device.
If this happens, you can continue your class using the other classroom tools available to you.
Can I access the Whiteboard after the class?
Not currently. Whiteboards are not saved for access after a class has ended.
If there is anything important that your student will need after the lesson, make sure you also provide it using the appropriate classroom features rather than relying on the Whiteboard remaining available.
Ideas for using the Whiteboard 💡
There are lots of ways you can incorporate the Whiteboard naturally into your classes. For example, you could use it to:
- Work with lesson content together: Add questions, sentences or short texts to the Whiteboard and invite your student to highlight, cross out or annotate them.
- Use it for language correction: Write down something your student has said and work through it together. You could ask them to identify an error, suggest a correction or think of another way to express the same idea.
- Explain grammar visually: Use text, highlighting, shapes or arrows to illustrate grammar structures and relationships.
- Organise vocabulary: Group words into categories or draw connections between related words and ideas.
- Practise written language: Ask your student to correct or complete a sentence, practise spelling or write their own examples.
- Use images as a discussion prompt: Add an image to support vocabulary work, descriptions, comparisons or conversation.
Remember that the Whiteboard is there to support the lesson, so use it whenever it helps you make an explanation clearer or gives your student another way to participate actively.