Ad-Hoc Blank Blackboards
Sometimes a lesson takes an unplanned turn — a great question comes up, you want to work through an extra example, or you simply need a fresh blank space to write on. BlackboardView lets you insert a brand-new, completely blank blackboard at any point during a live lesson, without any advance preparation.
When to Use This
- A student asks a question worth working through on the board.
- You want to demonstrate one more example beyond what you planned.
- You need blank space for improvised class discussion or brainstorming.
- You simply run out of prepared cards but want to keep teaching from a fresh board.
How to Add One
- While teaching, look for the ”+ New Blackboard” button (available at any time during a session, not just between cards).
- Tap it.
- You’ll be asked how many columns you’d like — this decides how the new blackboard is divided (for example, 2 columns if you want to compare two things side by side). If you’re not sure, 1 column (a single, full-width space) is the default and works well for most improvised needs.
- Confirm your choice.
BlackboardView immediately creates a new, completely blank card with that many columns and takes you straight to it — inserted right after the card you were just on, so your place in the lesson is preserved.
Writing on Your New Blackboard
Each column of your new blackboard starts out empty, with a single hotspot (”+” button) ready to go. Tap it just like any other hotspot to start writing — see Using Hotspots for the full details on how that works. Whatever you type appears live on both your iPad and the projected screen.
Does This Get Saved?
Ad-hoc blackboards work through the exact same save process as hotspot additions. Nothing is written to your lesson file automatically during class. When you finish teaching, if you created any ad-hoc blackboards (or added any hotspot content), you’ll be asked:
“Save additions to file?”
- Yes — the new blackboard becomes a permanent card in your lesson file, ready to appear again next time you teach it (with everything you wrote on it, or blank again if you want to reuse the space).
- No — the ad-hoc blackboard disappears completely once you leave the session, as if it never happened. Your original file is untouched.
What’s Next
- Using Hotspots — how tapping into a blank spot to add content works
- Multi-Column Layout — more on how columns are displayed
- Saving and Reopening Files — how saved additions get written back to your file