Digital Whiteboard for Teachers: What It Is and Isn't
If you have searched for a digital whiteboard for teachers, you have probably found two very different things wearing the same name. Some are infinite blank canvases for brainstorming; others are built for live teaching. ClassKite is the second kind: smart board teaching built around your own lesson pages. You upload a PDF, write on it live, and students who have it open can follow your page and watch your writing. This guide explains what that does and what it does not do.
What the whiteboard does in ClassKite
In ClassKite you teach on top of your own pages instead of starting with an empty board. The starting point is the material you already use.
- Upload a PDF and annotate it live with pen annotation: pressure-sensitive, calligraphy-style ink, with continuous scroll through the document.
- Students who switch to your board view see your writing as you add it, on the same page as you.
- "Follow-me" page sync moves students who have the same PDF open to the page you are on as you move through the lesson.
- Full-screen present mode keeps the focus on the page.
- From the same lesson you can push auto-marked practice and watch responses arrive on the Live Student Grid.
- Students join free in the browser with a join code. There is no app to install.
You build the questions by hand, by bulk import, or by AI-drafting questions that you review before use. The pen, continuous scroll and follow-me sync are all available on the free Teacher Basic plan.
What it doesn't do
Some features that general-purpose whiteboard tools advertise are not part of ClassKite.
- There is no infinite blank canvas for brainstorming; you teach from real lesson pages.
- There is no template library; the tools are pens, a highlighter, shapes (rectangle, ellipse, arrow), text boxes and sticky notes.
- Students do not draw on your board. You annotate and they can watch your board; each student can write on their own layer, which classmates never see.
- There is no video, no screen mirroring and no remote control of student devices.
- It does not generate lesson plans. The AI drafts questions only, and it does not read your PDF.
- There are no homework due dates and no SIS integration, and the Gradebook totals only the work ClassKite marked.
Knowing this up front helps you choose the right tool. If you want to teach from your materials and check understanding live, this fits; if you want a collaborative sketchpad, it does not.
Start teaching from your own PDFs: create a class, share the join code and write on your first lesson.
Frequently asked questions
Is the pen annotation free?
Yes. Teacher Basic is free and includes whiteboard teaching with pressure-sensitive ink, continuous scroll, follow-me sync, hand-written questions and live practice, with students joining free by join code. It limits the size of each PDF and the number of topics per class. Compare the plans to see where those limits sit.
Do students draw on the board too?
Not on yours. The teacher annotates the page and students can follow that view on their devices. Each student can write on their own layer of the page, which classmates never see, and they answer the auto-marked practice you push.
What do I need a paid plan for?
AI question drafting, unlimited bulk import and class analytics (reports, the Live Student Grid and CSV export) are on Teacher Plus and the School plan, which also allow larger PDFs and unlimited topics.
Related reading: an interactive whiteboard you teach from your PDFs, what ClassKite is in plain terms, and the Live Student Grid feature page.