What You Can Do With the Canvas
- Draw diagrams and solve problems visually
- Share your screen in real-time with students
- Import images and PDFs
- Save and reuse lesson boards
- Record sessions with canvas activity
- Use AI to generate visual content
Getting Started with the Canvas
Accessing the Canvas
- From your dashboard, click "Materials" or "New Canvas"
- Choose to create a new board or open an existing one
- The canvas opens in full-screen mode for maximum workspace
Essential Drawing Tools
Selection Tool (V)
Click and drag to select objects. Hold Shift to select multiple items.
Pen Tool (P)
Freehand drawing. Great for writing equations or sketching diagrams.
Rectangle Tool (R)
Draw rectangles and squares. Hold Shift for perfect squares.
Ellipse Tool (O)
Create circles and ellipses. Hold Shift for perfect circles.
Text Tool (T)
Add text labels and explanations. Double-click to edit existing text.
Eraser Tool (E)
Click on objects to delete them. Or select and press Delete key.
💡 Pro Tip: Use keyboard shortcuts! Press the letter in parentheses to quickly switch tools.
Copy and Paste Support
The canvas fully supports copying and pasting both text and images, making it easy to bring in content from anywhere.
Text from Anywhere
- • Copy text from websites, documents, or chat
- • Paste directly onto the canvas (Ctrl/Cmd + V)
- • Maintains formatting and special characters
- • Perfect for math equations and formulas
Images & Screenshots
- • Copy images from web browsers
- • Paste screenshots directly (Ctrl/Cmd + V)
- • Drag and drop image files
- • Great for reference materials and examples
💡 Pro Tip: Use Ctrl/Cmd + C to copy selected elements, Ctrl/Cmd + X to cut, and Ctrl/Cmd + V to paste. You can even copy content between different canvas boards!
Sharing and Real-time Collaboration
Share your canvas with students for interactive lessons. Multiple users can work on the same board simultaneously.
How to Share Your Board
- Click the "Share" button in the top toolbar
- Choose your sharing preference:
- • View Only: Students can watch but not edit
- • Can Edit: Students can draw and interact
- Copy the shareable link
- Send the link to your students via email or chat
Real-time Interactivity
- Live Cursor Tracking: See where everyone is pointing in real-time
- Instant Updates: Changes appear immediately for all participants
- Collaborative Drawing: Multiple people can draw simultaneously
- No Installation: Students just click the link - works in any browser
✨ Perfect for Online Tutoring: Share your screen via Google Meet or Zoom while students follow along on their own devices. They can ask questions by drawing or pointing, making lessons truly interactive!
Advanced Features
Adding Images
Import diagrams, problems, or reference materials directly to your canvas.
- Click the Image icon in the toolbar
- Choose "Upload from computer" or "Paste from clipboard"
- Position and resize the image as needed
- Images are automatically saved with your board
Customizing Appearance
Make your content visually clear and organized.
- • Colors: Use different colors to categorize information
- • Line styles: Solid, dashed, or dotted lines
- • Fill: Add background colors to shapes
- • Text size: Emphasize important points with larger text
Saving and Organizing
Your work is automatically saved, but you can also:
- • Name your boards descriptively (e.g., "Algebra - Quadratic Equations")
- • Create templates for recurring lesson types
- • Duplicate boards to create variations
- • Export as PDF for sharing
Teaching with the Canvas
Real-time Sharing
When you share your canvas with a student, they see your changes instantly:
- Click "Share" button in the top toolbar
- Copy the share link and send it to your student
- Student opens the link in their browser (no account needed)
- They see everything you draw in real-time
- Optional: Allow student editing for interactive problem-solving
Pro Tips for Effective Teaching
🎯 Organization
- • Use consistent colors (e.g., red for important)
- • Create sections with rectangles as backgrounds
- • Number your steps clearly
⚡ Speed
- • Prepare complex diagrams before the lesson
- • Use copy-paste for repetitive elements
- • Master keyboard shortcuts
👁️ Clarity
- • Write larger than you think necessary
- • Use high contrast colors
- • Leave whitespace between concepts
💾 Reusability
- • Save common examples as templates
- • Build a library of diagrams
- • Export important boards as PDFs
Essential Keyboard Shortcuts
VPROTECtrl/Cmd + ZCtrl/Cmd + YCtrl/Cmd + CCtrl/Cmd + VDelete/BackspaceCtrl/Cmd + ATroubleshooting Common Issues
Clear browser cache and refresh. Use Chrome/Edge for best performance.
Ensure they're using the share link, not trying to access directly.
Check the autosave indicator. Work is saved every 5 seconds automatically.