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Whiteboard Tools and Features

Learn about the tools available on the Lessonspace whiteboard, from drawing and collaboration to managing objects and navigating large whiteboards.

Whiteboard toolbar

When you create a whiteboard tab, you'll have access to a range of tools in the toolbar at the top of the screen. These tools let you draw, write, upload resources, and collaborate in real time.

Color picker

Choose the colors used for drawing, text and shapes. You can set separate colors for outlines and fills.

Select tool (S)

Select, move, resize and rotate objects, images and PDFs on the whiteboard.

Move canvas

Move around large whiteboards and zoom in or out.

  • Hold Shift while scrolling to move horizontally and vertically.

  • Release Shift to zoom with your mouse wheel.

  • Right-click and drag to pan around the whiteboard.

Draw and highlight (D, H)

Draw, write, or annotate directly on the whiteboard. Click the tool again to adjust the line thickness.

Hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) while drawing to create a straight line.

Eraser (E)

Erase individual objects by hovering over them and clicking once.

Shapes

Insert rectangles, circles, triangles, and lines. Select the color fill and outline in the Color Picker, or change the shape's color by clicking on it.

Hold Ctrl / Cmd while drawing to create perfect squares, circles, or equilateral triangles.

Text (T)

Insert and edit text anywhere on the whiteboard.

Equation tool

Insert mathematical equations or graphs. See the Equation Tool guide for more information.

Library

Insert ready-made resources, worksheets or files from your personal or organization Library. Find out more in our guide here.

Upload

Upload images or PDFs directly onto the whiteboard. Find our more about how to upload your documents here.

Video snapshot

Capture an image from your or your student's camera and insert it onto the whiteboard for annotation.

Use this tool to quickly capture something a student holds up to their camera, such as handwritten homework or notes.

Background

Change the background color or switch to different grid layouts.

The light yellow background can improve readability for some learners.

Undo and redo

Undo or redo your most recent changes.

Zoom

Adjust the zoom level or use Zoom to Fit to display everything on the whiteboard.

Cursor and viewport settings

Control what participants can see on the whiteboard.

You can choose to:

  • Show or hide participant cursors.

  • Show or hide cursor nameplates.

  • Show or hide viewports (the dotted outline showing where participants are looking).

Keyboard shortcuts

Click these letters on your keyboard to quickly access some tools.

S - Select tool

D - Draw tool

H - Highlight tool

E - Erase tool

T - Text tool

Working with objects

You can interact with any object on the whiteboard after selecting it.

Move, resize, and rotate

Use the Select tool to move, resize or rotate images, PDFs, and other objects.

Duplicate

Duplicate any object with a single click.

Duplicate stickers or stars to quickly reward students during a lesson.

Lock

Lock objects to prevent them from being moved, edited or deleted. This is useful for worksheets, instructions or answer keys.

Bring forward and send backward

Reorder objects by moving them in front of or behind other items. This is particularly useful for hiding answers or organizing layered activities.

Download your whiteboard

You can download any whiteboard as an image or PDF.

  1. Right-click the whiteboard tab.

  2. Select Download as Image or Download as PDF.

The entire whiteboard will be downloaded using the tab name as the file name. Students can also download whiteboards using the same steps.

Find out more about managing your tabs here.

FAQ

My students aren't seeing the same part of the whiteboard.

Enable Leading Mode so participants follow your view. Keep in mind that users with different screen sizes or resolutions may see slightly different layouts.

My student can't draw on the whiteboard.

Check that your student has permission to edit the whiteboard. If the issue persists, ask them to refresh their browser or rejoin the lesson.

The whiteboard feels slow or laggy.

This is usually caused by network connectivity. Make sure you have a stable internet connection, you're using a supported, up-to-date browser, and your device meets the minimum system requirements.

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