Canvas is a flexible, creative workspace for live instruction and modelling in and out of class. With Canvas, teachers can easily create an interactive whiteboard by adding images, diagrams, text, and shapes to engage students in a concept, extending classroom instruction without jumping between tools. While you teach, your students can follow along with real-time updates and a range of digital annotation tools that bring teaching, student thinking and feedback together in one seamless workflow.

Below are commonly asked questions and answers to get you started using Canvas!

Enabling Canvas

How to Enable Canvas On School Devices and Networks

🛜 Showbie's Canvas features rely on background services that must be allowed through your device and network's content filtering systems or firewall.

If your school has not used Canvas before, or if you are experiencing any issues with accessing Canvas features, please ensure your school's IT team has reviewed the following support articles depending on your data region in Showbie:

Please contact your account manager or our customer experience team if you're unsure of which data region is correct for your school.

🚨 Please ensure the Showbie app is updated to the latest version before using Canvas.

Creating, Editing, Managing and Deleting a Canvas

Creating a New Canvas

A Canvas is added to Materials and can be teacher-only, distributed to a whole class, or adapted for specific students.

Once in your assignment of choice, tap the + Icon at the top of the Materials list.
Select Canvas from the menu.
A new Untitled Canvas will be generated to the top of the Materials list. Tap on it to open and access your new canvas.

Renaming a Canvas

To rename a Canvas:

On iOS, long-press over the desired Canvas.
Tap Rename and enter the new name.
Tap Done.
On the Web, hover your curser over the desired Canvas.
Click the "..." Settings menu that appears.
Click Rename and enter the new name.
Click Save.

Pinning a Canvas

To Pin a Canvas on IOS:

Long press the appropriate Canvas.
Tap Pin. This Canvas will be now pinned to the top of your Materials list.

To Pin a Canvas on the Web:

Hover your curser over the appropriate Canvas.
Click the "..." Settings menu that appears.
Click Pin.
This Canvas will be pinned to the top of your Materials list.

Copying a Canvas

To copy a Canvas in iOS:

Long-press the desired Canvas.
Tap Make a Copy.
Click Change Destination to choose where you'd like your copy to to exist.
Once you've chosen your destination, click Copy Item.

To Copy a Canvas on the Web:

Hover your curser over the appropriate Canvas.
Click the "..." Settings menu that appears.
Click Make a Copy.
Click Change Destination to choose where you'd like your copy to to exist. Once you've chosen your destination, click Copy Item.

Downloading or Exporting a Canvas

Canvas is designed as a live, collaborative workspace where teachers and students can brainstorm, think, and build ideas together in real time. Because it functions as a living document that’s meant to evolve during instruction, Canvas doesn’t include a download or export option.

💡If you're looking for a downloadable document, you might be interested in Creating Documents & Files outside of Canvas.

Deleting a Canvas

To delete a Canvas:

On the Web, hover your curser over the appropriate Canvas.
On iOS, long-press the desired Canvas and tap Delete.
Click the "..." Settings menu that appears.
Click Delete.
Select OK if you are sure that you'd like to delete the Canvas.

Canvas Annotation Tools

The Canvas annotation tools are outlined below in the order they appear from left to right in the Annotation toolbar. Note: On web, each tool’s secondary options appear directly beneath the toolbar. On iOS, these options are displayed along the left side of the screen.

1. Pen & Highlighter Tool

When selected, you may choose both the color and width of your strokes.

On iOS, once Pen or Highlighter is selected, tap the circle icon to choose additional stroke options.

iOS view:

Web view:

2. Eraser

When selected, there are three size options to best suit the level of detail you are erasing.

3. Shapes & Lines
When selected you can choose:

To draw a square, line, arrow, circle, polygon, or polyline.
Shape color and fill color.
Thickness of shape and shape design.
On iOS, once your shape of choice is selected, tap the circle icon for customization options.
iOS view:

💡 When drawing geometric shapes, use the polyline tool!

4. Text

When selected you can use the rich-text editor to choose:

Desired font from a number of supported fonts
Font size
Bold, Italic, or Underline
Text orientation
Font color and fill color

On iOS, double-tap a completed text box to open the customization menu (for example, font and font size). For additional options, such as Bold or Light styles, tap the font menu, then select the circled “i” icon next to your chosen font.

iOS view:

Web view:

5. Sticky Notes

When selected you can choose and customize the color of the sticky note to be added to your Canvas.

6. Image

Image files can be uploaded from your web device onto the Canvas.

On iOS, images can be added from your iPad's Camera or Photo Library.

When selected, images can be:

Rotated
Resized
Moved anywhere on the Canvas

7. Undo & Redo

Available on the Web only, your last action can be undone by clicking the Undo button. It can also be brought back by clicking Redo.

✍️ Need to remove an annotation on iOS? Use the eraser!

*Another option: you can delete an annotation through the Annotations History List. Tap the Settings menu (circled ellipses), tap Document History, select the annotation you want to remove, then tap the Trash icon.

8. Selection Tool (iOS version)

When selected, one Annotation can be selected. It can then be moved across the Canvas or deleted.

Selecting Multiple Annotations at once on Web

To select one or multiple annotations at a time:

Navigate to the Selection Tools Menu.
Use the drop-down arrow to choose the Select option (will allow selection of a single annotation on the Canvas) or the Select Multiple Annotations option (to allow multiple annotations to be selected at once). They can then be moved or deleted as a group.
Tip: Make sure the Select button is clicked before use.

Viewing a List of All Annotations

Both the Web and iOS versions feature an Annotations List, keeping all your Canvas additions easily accessible. Scroll through every annotation, delete what you don’t need, or jump straight to the one that matters!

On the Web:

Click the pencil (Annotations) drop-down menu and click Annotations.
Click the Annotation you wish to view or delete. A trash can will appear when your annotation is selected, if you wish to delete it.

On iOS:

Tap the 'More Options'(...circled ellipses).
Tap Document History.
Tap the Annotation you wish to view or delete. A trash can will appear when your annotation is selected, if you wish to delete it.

Deleting Annotations

Deleting a Single Shape, Text box or Image Annotation:

Click/tap on the desired annotation to be deleted (excluding a Note).
Tap the trash can that appears.
Or, on the web, click the backspace on your keyboard to delete the entire annotation.
Click Delete to proceed with the deletion.

Deleting Pen & Highlighter Annotations:

Click/tap the Eraser icon from the Annotation Toolbar.
Select the thickness of the eraser you wish to use.
Drag the eraser over the text to erase it.

Deleting Multiple Shapes, Text boxes and Image Annotations at Once:

Click/tap the Select Multiple Annotations tool at the top right of the Canvas.
Drag and include all annotations you wish to delete as a group.
Select the Trash Can icon.
Select Delete to proceed.

✍️When using Canvas on the Web, teachers can delete a Student's:

Annotations
Text
Rectangle shape
Images

Deleting is only available on Web as of now

Screen Recording in Canvas

Screen recording is built directly into Canvas on iOS for ease of use!

To screen record a Live-Canvas session:

Tap the Record icon.
If Microphone and Camera permissions for Showbie are enabled, the recording will begin as soon as you tap the Red Record button.
Tap Save.

Once saved, your recording is automatically added to the Materials page of the Assignment where your Canvas was created. By default, recordings are set for teacher-only viewing.

Student and Teacher Activity on a Canvas

When a teacher creates a Canvas in the Materials tab of an Assignment, it will automatically populate into each student's private folder as well. Students can watch their teacher annotate Live on the Canvas, while maintaining their own editable layer to make notes and practice on.

Teachers can:

Access the student's Canvas' and make edits.
Teach interactively by writing on a shared Canvas that students see live.
Lock the Canvas resulting in the student's layers switching to read-only.
Have the main copy of the Canvas in their account.

Students can:

See the teacher's edits appear live as the lesson progresses.
Annotate, draw, or insert shapes on their own layer without affecting the teacher’s base content.
Keep their edits on the Canvas private unless the teacher chooses to review or merge them.
Keep their own edited copy in their account.