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Running the lesson · App Library

Open any app. Use it together, shoulder to shoulder.

The App Library in Pencil Spaces puts more than 1,000 apps inside your Space, from IXL and Kahoot to Google Docs and Google Maps. Open one on the board and everyone uses it together. You see what your students do, they see what you do, and the app waits where you left it.

Your student says, “I have IXL due tonight.” Open IXL from the App Library and it’s on the board you share. You watch each answer as they type it and point to the step that went wrong, with no screen share and no second tab.

A student asks, “Where does the Nile start?” Open Google Maps on the board and the whole class explores the same map, zooming and panning together. Nobody leaves the Space for another tab, so every student stays with you.

A participant asks, “Can we try it in the real tool?” Open the web app on the board and the whole group clicks through it with you, next to the video and your notes. Nobody gets lost switching windows.

A student asks, “Where is Mount Everest?” Open Google Maps on the board at the front of the room. Students who join the Space from their laptops explore the same map you do, so everyone is looking at the same place.

The group wants to see the real dashboard. Open it on the shared screen at the front of the room, and participants follow along on their laptops in the same page. A click from anyone moves it for everyone.

Your child says, “I have to finish my IXL.” Open it in your Space at the kitchen table instead of a browser full of tabs. You see each answer as it goes in, and if dinner interrupts, it waits on the same question.

Free for 2 weeks on any paid plan. No credit card required.

Your Space · Board 1 Apps and tools

App Library

Search apps
IXL
Kahoot
Google Docs
Google Maps
Web Viewer
Timer
IXL···

Question 7 of 10

3x + 4 = 19

x =5Submit
Maya
Google Maps···
You Maya
Two apps side by side on one board, with everyone working in both.

Why it matters

Every extra tab is a way out.

Most lessons run on five tabs: the call, the board, the practice app, the doc and the video. Every switch stops the lesson, and every tab is somewhere a student can drift. Next lesson, you start over: the link, the sign-in, the scroll back to your place.

On a video call, the app lives in another tab. Your student shares their screen, and you watch a video of it while you read out where to click. You can’t point at anything, and one notification later they’re somewhere else.

In an online class, every app is a link in the chat. Thirty students open thirty tabs, a few land in the wrong place, and one shared screen can’t show you who is stuck.

In a virtual workshop, the tool you’re teaching lives in another window. You share your screen, participants watch, and by the time they try it themselves, some of them have lost the thread.

In the classroom, an app means a web address on the board and thirty laptops opening it. A few students type it wrong, a few open something else, and from the front of the room you can’t tell which.

At an in-person workshop, the tool you’re teaching is on the shared screen and on every laptop, each in a different state. You walk the room to see who’s on the right page.

Homework apps live in the same browser as everything else. One tab is practice and the next is a video, and you only find out which when you lean over.

The usual way

  1. 1Paste the link in the chat.
  2. 2Ask your student to share their screen.
  3. 3Read out where to click while you watch.
  4. 4Next lesson, paste the link again and find your place.
  1. 1Paste the link in the chat.
  2. 2Wait while everyone opens it in a new tab.
  3. 3Ask who’s stuck, then ask again.
  4. 4Share your screen to show where to click.
  1. 1Share your screen and demo the tool.
  2. 2Paste the link in the chat.
  3. 3Wait while everyone signs in on their own.
  4. 4Help the participants who landed somewhere else.
  1. 1Write the web address on the board.
  2. 2Wait while thirty students type it.
  3. 3Walk the rows to see who’s on the right page.
  4. 4Do it all again next class.
  1. 1Show the tool on the shared screen.
  2. 2Read out the web address.
  3. 3Walk the room to see who’s on the right page.
  4. 4Do it again after the break.
  1. 1Open the homework site in a new tab.
  2. 2Find the sign-in again.
  3. 3Lean over to check it’s the right tab.
  4. 4Start from the top next time.

With the App Library

  1. 1Open the app from the App Library.
  2. 2Work in it together, on the board you share.
  3. 3Next lesson, it’s right where you left it.
  1. 1Open the app on the board.
  2. 2The whole class uses it inside the Space.
  3. 3You see the same app your students do.
  1. 1Open the tool on the board.
  2. 2Everyone clicks through it with you.
  3. 3It stays in the workshop Space for next time.
  1. 1Open the app on the board at the front.
  2. 2Students open the same Space on their laptops.
  3. 3Everyone works in the same app, and it’s still there next class.
  1. 1Open the tool in your workshop Space.
  2. 2Participants join on their laptops.
  3. 3One page, the same for the whole room.
  1. 1Open the app in your Space.
  2. 2Sit with your child and look at the same page.
  3. 3Next time, it opens on the same question.

What changes

What changes when the app lives in your Space.

No tab to drift to

The app opens inside the Space, so nobody needs a second tab.

See every step

Everyone sees the same app. You see what students do, and they see what you do.

Everyone sees the same app. You see what participants do, and they see what you do.

You see each answer as your child works, without leaning over.

Shoulder to shoulder

Apps made for one person become shared. Everyone can click, scroll and type.

Right where you left it

Apps stay on the board, on the same page and the same spot, for next time.

As if you were sitting side by side, using the same app.

No tab to drift to

One Space. No second tab.

When an app opens in another tab, the lesson is one click from a video, a game or a group chat. In Pencil Spaces the app sits on the board, next to everything else you teach with, so staying on task is the easy path.

When every student opens the app in their own tab, every other tab is one click away. In Pencil Spaces the app sits on the board, so the class works in one place and staying on task is the easy path.

When participants open a tool in their own windows, email and messages are one click away. In Pencil Spaces the tool sits in the workshop Space, so the group works in one place.

When homework opens in a browser, videos and games are one tab away. In your Space the app sits on the board, so practice stays practice.

If a student switches to another tab anyway, Tuned In lets you know.

See every step

See what they see, as it happens.

Everyone in the Space works in the same app, so there’s nothing to share and nothing to describe. Open several apps side by side on one board. Then draw on top of any of them with the pen, highlighter or laser pointer to show exactly where to look.

Everyone in the Space works in the same tool, so there’s nothing to share and nothing to describe. Open several side by side on one board. Then draw on top with the pen, highlighter or laser pointer to show exactly where to click.

You and your child work in the same app, so you see each answer as it goes in. Open two apps side by side, and circle the step that tripped them up.

Apps side by side, a highlight on one and the laser pointer on the other.

Shoulder to shoulder

Apps built for one, used by everyone.

Most web apps were built for one person at one screen. Open them in Pencil Spaces and they become shared. Put Google Maps on the board and everyone can pan, zoom and search the same map, as if sitting side by side.

On its own

One person

One person drives. Everyone else watches.

In your Space

You Maya Leo

Everyone can move the map, live. Nobody waits for a turn.

Try it in your next lesson

Try it in your next class

Try it in your next workshop

Try it at home

Put Google Maps on the board and trace a river from its source to the sea, together.

Put Google Maps on the board and let your student lead the way along the river while you follow and ask questions.

Put Google Maps on the board and ask the class to find the fastest route between two cities. Everyone can move the map.

Open the tool you’re teaching on the board and let each participant find one thing that matters to their work.

Put Google Maps on the board at the front and have students find the source of the Nile from their laptops.

Open the tool you’re teaching on the shared screen and let one participant drive while the room follows along.

Put Google Maps on the board and plan the weekend walk together, from the kitchen table.

Right where you left it

Come back to the same page.

Apps stay on the board after everyone leaves. Next lesson, each one opens on the same page, scrolled to the same spot. You pick up mid-thought instead of hunting for your place.

Apps stay on the board after everyone leaves. Next class, each one opens on the same page, scrolled to the same spot. You pick up mid-thought instead of hunting for your place.

Apps stay on the board after everyone leaves. Next workshop, each one opens on the same page, scrolled to the same spot. The group picks up mid-thought instead of hunting for its place.

Apps stay on the board after you close the laptop. Next time, each one opens on the same page, scrolled to the same spot, so practice picks up where it stopped.

Want students to keep practicing between lessons? Make the app always available, and they can open it even when you’re not in the Space.

Want students to keep practicing between classes? Make the app always available, and they can open it even when you’re not in the Space.

Want participants to come back to it after the workshop? Make the app always available, and they can open it even when you’re not in the Space.

Make an app always available, and your child can practice in the Space on their own.

In the library

The apps teachers use, right on the board.

The tools your team uses, right on the board.

The apps your child uses, right on the board.

More than 1,000 apps open on the board in one click. Here are a few teachers reach for first.

More than 1,000 apps and tools open on the board in one click. Here are a few trainers reach for first.

More than 1,000 apps open on the board in one click. Here are a few families reach for first.

Practice and quizzes

Skills practice, quizzes and games the whole group plays at once.

IXLDesmosKahootQuizletWaygroundWordle

Quizzes and icebreakers

Quick checks and games the whole group plays at once.

KahootWordle

Docs, sheets and slides

Teach from the files you already have, and edit them together.

Google DocsGoogle SheetsGoogle SlidesPowerPointOneDrive

Maps and the open web

Explore any place or page together. Type any address into the Web Viewer.

Google MapsWiktionaryWeb Viewer

Polls and timers

Check understanding and keep time without leaving the board.

PollTimerStopwatch

Your school’s platforms

Open your learning platform in the Space, so assignments sit next to the lesson.

Canvas

AI chats

Ask AI on the board, where everyone sees every question and every answer.

ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Coding

Write and run code together, in 10 languages.

Code Editor · coming soon

Your own apps

Have developers? Build Custom Apps that appear under Your institution’s apps.

Not in the library? Type any web address into a Web Viewer and it opens on the board, shared like everything else.

Everything it does

Everything you need to teach with apps.

The App Library sits behind the Apps and tools button in every Space. Here’s what you can do once an app is on the board.

Find it fast

Search the library by name, or press ⌘K anywhere in your Space, type the app and press Return.

Side by side

Open several apps on one board. Each Web Viewer keeps its own tabs.

Draw on top

Mark up any app with the pen, highlighter, shapes, stickies or laser pointer.

Full screen

Expand an app to fill the screen. It stays live, and you can still draw on it.

Private apps

Insert an app only you can see, such as your notes or the answers. Make it public when you’re ready.

Always available

Choose whether an app can be used when you’re not in the Space, or only while you’re there.

Any website

Type an address into a Web Viewer to open any site or web tool on the board.

Your own apps

Custom Apps your developers build appear in the library under Your institution’s apps.

Before, during and after

Ready before they arrive. Still there when they leave.

Before the lesson

Before class

Before the workshop

Before practice

Set up the board ahead of time

Open the apps you’ll need before the lesson starts. They’re waiting on the board when everyone arrives.

Open the apps you’ll need before class starts. They’re waiting on the board when students arrive.

Open the tools you’ll need before the workshop starts. They’re waiting on the board when participants arrive.

Open tonight’s practice app before your child sits down. It’s waiting on the board.

During the lesson

During class

During the workshop

During practice

Work in it together

Everyone uses the same app. Draw on top to point at the step that matters.

After the lesson

After class

After the workshop

After practice

Pick up where you stopped

Apps stay where you left them. Make one always available for practice between lessons.

Apps stay where you left them. Make one always available for practice between classes.

Apps stay where you left them. Make one always available so participants can come back to it after the workshop.

The app waits on the same question until next time.

Getting started

Open any app in seconds.

Apps and tools

The button on your toolbar. Click View All and the full library opens on the left.

⌘K

Press it anywhere in your Space, type the app’s name and press Return.

··· › Insert as private app

Open an app only you can see. Choose Make public from its menu when you’re ready.

Not in the library? Open a Web Viewer from the same menu and type the address.

For schools and teams

One library for every teacher.

Nothing to roll out

No software on any device.

Apps open inside the Space, in the browser, so there’s nothing to install or update.

Your call

Only the apps you approve.

Switch an app on once and it appears in every teacher’s Space. Anything you haven’t reviewed stays off.

Your own tools

Your apps, next to ours.

Build Custom Apps for your school and they appear under Your institution’s apps, after a security review.

Get a demo

For tutoring companies

One library for every tutor.

Nothing to set up

Nothing for families to install.

Apps open inside the Space, in the browser, so students join with nothing new on their laptops.

Your call

Only the apps you approve.

Switch an app on once and it appears in every tutor’s Space. Anything you haven’t reviewed stays off.

Your own tools

Your apps, next to ours.

Build Custom Apps for your company and they appear under Your institution’s apps, after a security review.

Get a demo

For training teams

One library for every trainer.

Nothing to install

No setup on participants’ laptops.

Apps open inside the Space, in the browser, so the first exercise starts on time.

Your call

Only the apps you approve.

Switch an app on once and it appears in every trainer’s Space. Anything you haven’t reviewed stays off.

Your own tools

Your apps, next to ours.

Build Custom Apps for your team and they appear under Your institution’s apps, after a security review.

Get a demo

260 million

minutes of live learning

162+

countries

4.8

on G2

For app makers

Built an app teachers love? Put it in every lesson.

When your app is in the App Library, teachers find it where they teach. It opens on the board in one click and gets used live, by everyone in the Space at once.

Found where teachers teach

Your app sits in the App Library, where teachers open it on the board in one click.

One keystroke away

Teachers press ⌘K, type your app’s name and it’s on the board.

Used together, live

Everyone in the Space uses your app side by side, at the same time. Pencil Spaces is used in 162+ countries.

Email hello@pencilspaces.com with your app’s name and a link to it.

Questions

Your App Library questions, answered.

What is the App Library in Pencil Spaces?

The App Library is where you open apps inside any Space, from IXL and Kahoot to Google Docs and Google Maps. Pick one and it appears on the board, where everyone in the Space can see and use it. Find it under Apps and tools on your toolbar, or press ⌘K and type the app’s name.

Does anyone have to leave Pencil Spaces to use an app?

No. The app opens inside the Space, next to the board and everything else you teach with, so nobody needs another tab or window. Everyone sees the same app, so you can tell when someone is stuck without asking them to describe what they see.

Can everyone use the same app at the same time?

Yes. Everyone in the Space can click, scroll and type in the same app, even one built for a single person. Put Google Maps on the board and everyone can pan and zoom the same map, as if you were sitting side by side. You can also open several apps side by side on one board.

Will the app be where we left it next time?

Yes. Apps stay on the board after everyone leaves, so next time each one is on the same page and scrolled to the same spot. To let people keep working between visits, make the app always available. They can open it even when you’re not in the Space.

Can I open an app only I can see?

Yes. In the App Library, click the three dots beside an app and choose Insert as private app. It opens on your board but stays hidden from everyone else, which suits answer keys and your own notes. When you’re ready, choose Make public from the app’s menu.

What if the app I need isn’t in the library?

Open it in a Web Viewer: type the address and the site opens on the board, shared like any other app. If your organization builds its own tools, Custom Apps puts them in the library under Your institution’s apps. App makers can email hello@pencilspaces.com to be listed.

Bring every app into your next lesson.

Bring every app into your next class.

Bring every app into your next workshop.

Bring every app to the kitchen table.

New to Pencil Spaces

Put your first app on the board.

Create a Space, open Apps and tools and pick an app. Everyone who joins can use it with you.

Free for 2 weeks on any paid plan. No credit card required.

Already teaching in Pencil Spaces

It’s already in your Space.

Click Apps and tools on your toolbar, or press ⌘K and type an app’s name.