Available
Private Boards
A space of their own.
How do you teach?
On a shared board in a group lesson, the fastest student does the work and everyone else copies or watches. Private Boards give each student their own board inside the group lesson, so everyone does their own thinking.
In small-group tutoring, one confident student tends to answer for everyone. Give each student a private board, so you see who can actually do it on their own.
On one shared board, a class of 20 becomes three students working and seventeen watching. Each student gets a private board, so everyone works and you can check each one.
Participants copy the loudest colleague when everyone shares one board. Give each a private board for the exercise, so every person practices for real.
When students on their own devices share one board, they draw over each other or copy. Each gets a private board in the class Space, so every student does their own work.
In a workshop, individual reflection gets lost when everyone writes on one board. Each participant gets a private board on their laptop, then you bring the best ideas to the big screen.
If your children learn together, one tends to take over. Each child gets their own private board, so both do their own work.
Free for 2 weeks on any paid plan. No credit card required.
What it solves
- Afraid of being wrong in front of peers
- Rushed, held back, or work erased
Helps you
Teach better
Part of
Group teaching
The problem
On a shared board, one student does the work
Group lessons often run on one shared board. Confident students answer first, others copy or wait, and the teacher can’t tell who understands and who is following along.
The usual way
Teachers ask students to work on paper and hold it up to the camera, or send separate worksheets. It’s slow to check and hard to discuss together.
How Pencil Spaces solves it
Private boards give each student an individual workspace within a group lesson. Students work on their own, and the teacher can see and help each one.
What changes
Individual work in group classes. Every student does their own work, even in a group lesson.
Learn more
What it looks like
In practice
In a group of six, the teacher gives each student a private board for three practice problems. She checks each board, then shares one good answer with the group.
In a 1:1 lesson
Your group of three solves the same problem on private boards. Two get it; one doesn’t. You spend two minutes with her while the others try the next one.
In a group class
You give 20 students private boards for an exit question. In a minute you can see which students got it and who needs help tomorrow.
In a virtual training
Each participant drafts their own customer reply on a private board. You read a few and discuss the strongest with the group.
In your classroom
Students each sketch a food web on a private board on their Chromebooks. You walk the room, then put two different answers on the classroom display.
In the training room
Participants list their own top three risks on private boards. You collect the patterns and build the group list on the big screen.
At home
Your twins practice spelling on separate private boards. Each writes their own words, and neither copies the other.
