View Modes: Notes, Blackboard, and Both
While teaching, BlackboardView lets you choose how your iPad screen is divided between your private notes and the content being projected. This is controlled by a simple three-way switch at the top of the teaching screen.
The Three Modes
Look for a segmented control (a row of three buttons) near the top of the screen while you’re teaching:
| Mode | What you see on your iPad |
|---|---|
| Notes | Your private notes only, full screen |
| Blackboard | The same content that’s being projected, full screen |
| Both | Notes on the left, Blackboard on the right, side by side |
Both is the default and the one most teachers use most of the time — it lets you glance at your notes for what to say next while seeing exactly what your students are seeing on the projector, all without looking up.
Important: This Only Changes YOUR iPad Screen
Switching between Notes, Blackboard, and Both only affects what you see on your iPad. Whatever is connected to your projector or TV — see Connecting to an External Display — always shows the Blackboard content only, no matter which mode you have selected on your iPad. This is intentional: it means you can freely flip to full-screen Notes to read something in detail without worrying that your private notes will suddenly appear on the classroom screen.
When to Use Each Mode
- Both — the default choice for most of a lesson. You get a quick-glance view of your talking points right next to what the class is seeing.
- Notes — useful when you have a long block of notes to read carefully, a story to tell, or discussion questions you want full attention on, without the blackboard content taking up half your screen.
- Blackboard — useful when you want to double-check exactly what your students are seeing, at full size, especially right after adding something with a hotspot or answer reveal button.
How to Switch Modes
- While in a teaching session, look for the Notes | Blackboard | Both control at the top of the screen.
- Tap the mode you want. The change happens instantly.
- Switch back at any time — there’s no limit to how often you can change modes during a session.
Your last-used mode is remembered the next time you open the app, so you don’t need to reselect it every class.
What’s Next
- Using Hotspots — adding content live during class
- Answer Reveal Buttons — tap-to-reveal answers
- Settings Reference — adjusting text size for Notes and Blackboard independently