Overview
The WeTutor Virtual Classroom contains the tools described below to enable tutors and students to share and interact with content and other learning materials.

While all users can interact with these tools, only a tutor can launch a tool. If a tutor wants to allow a student to launch a tool (for example, to upload a student document), the tutor will need to change the student’s status to “presenter” by clicking on the student’s WeTutor ID in the classroom Participants list, and then selecting “Make Presenter.”

You can use all of these tools within one classroom session, and switch back and forth among them.

Whiteboard
The whiteboard enables users to type, freehand write and draw, work with shapes and more. A user will instantly see what the other user does on the whiteboard.

Useful tips and features:

• Click on the various buttons to try the features for typing, freehand writing or drawing, zooming, shapes and more.

• In a text box, you can paste text that you copied from other documents or applications (just copy & paste, and then you can edit the text).

• The red dot button turns on mouse tracking so that the other user can see what you are pointing at with your mouse.

• Individual items in the whiteboard can be deleted by selecting them and then clicking your keyboard’s Delete key.

• By clicking the bottom arrows, you can create and use multiple whiteboards.

Documents
A user can upload PowerPoint or PDF documents. Once uploaded, the documents are presented in a whiteboard so that all users can interact with the document such as typing or drawing on the document.

Web Pages
The tutor can select one or more web pages to share with a student. This is useful for sharing educational web content including web videos.

Computer Screen
The tutor can share his or her computer screen with a student. This is useful for sharing learning material that cannot be shared via the other tools (such as Word documents). The user sharing a computer screen will have to install a small and safe browser plug-in.

Preparing Content
Currently, a tutor can only access a student's classroom after the student has requested to start a session. So it is not possible for a tutor to enter the classroom ahead of time and prepare materials. A tutor can, however, practice using a classroom by opening a practice classroom from his or her Start Tutoring page.

Saving Content
A student's classroom will automatically save whiteboard content, but not shared documents or web pages. So when the same tutor and student have another session, the whiteboard will display any content from the prior session (which can then be deleted if necessary).

Text Chat
The right side of the classroom has a text chat tool that can be used by all users. Simply type in the bottom window and click your keyboard’s Return or Enter key.

Video and Audio
The classroom provides a video call or video chat feature enabling each user to stream video and/or audio to the other users. For video, this requires a web camera. For audio, this requires either a headset, or speakers and a microphone. See Useful Accessories below to learn more about these accessories.

Useful tips and features:

• When you first open the classroom, you will be prompted to click Allow or Deny to enable the video and audio streaming feature. If you clicked Deny and later want to change to Allow, you should right-click on the video & audio broadcast window, click Settings, and then select Allow.

• You have full control over your video and audio. Roll your mouse over the video & audio broadcast window to open the settings panel. Here you can mute your video, your audio, or both.

• You can move around the broadcast windows if they are in the way of the other tools. Simply click on the top part of the window and drag the window.

• If you hear audio echo noise, ask the other user to turn down their volume or to use a headset (see Useful Accessories below for more about headsets).

If you’re using a Mac and cannot see your own video, the browser Flash may not have correctly detected your built-in camera. To correct this, right-click (or control-click) on your video broadcast window, click Settings, click on the camera symbol, and then in the menu select USB Video Class Video.

After a tutor opens a classroom, the student will be automatically prompted to join via a Join Classroom button.

In addition, our classroom has a separate feature for emailing invitations to users outside of WeTutor, such as the student's parent or even the student's school teacher.

To invite another user, click on the Invite button below the Participants list. You can then choose to have WeTutor send the email or to send the email yourself using your computer’s email program such as Outlook. The maximum total number of users, including the tutor, in a classroom is 5 (and only up to 3 can stream video and audio at the same time).

The Classroom only requires broadband Internet and a standard computer – monitor, keyboard and mouse. As discussed in Useful Accessories below, in some cases, you may benefit from a web camera, headset and/or pen tablet.

Computer & Internet Requirements

• Broadband Internet access (e.g., DSL or Cable)

• Windows XP or Vista, or Mac OSX

• Internet Explorer 6 or 7, Firefox or Safari.

• The Classroom does not require users to download any software. To share a computer screen, the user will need to install a small and safe browser plug-in.

Useful Accessories

• Headset: While your computer may have speakers and a microphone, a headset will improve your audio experience. A good headset, with a USB connector for greater clarity, can cost $15 to $30. Click here for a popular headset on Amazon.com.

• Web camera: A web camera is necessary to stream your video to another user. Many computers, including Macs and some Dells, have built-in cameras. If you need to buy a camera, click here for a popular $30 web camera on Amazon.com.

• Tablet pen: While you can use the whiteboard with your mouse, if you heavily use the freehand tool to draw or write, you might prefer using a tablet pen. At an electronics store, ask the staff if they have a tablet pen that you can test. For example, click here for a popular $65 table pen on Amazon.com.

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