Your First 14 Days
This guide walks you through how to make the most of your free trial. By the end of 14 days, you will have a fully configured teaching setup and a clear sense of whether Loka is the right fit for your practice.
Day 1: Set Up Your Profile
Start by making Loka yours.
- Complete your educator profile -- Add your name, photo, bio, and teaching specialties. This information appears on your booking page.
- Explore the dashboard -- Take 10 minutes to click through the main sections: Sessions, Learners, Schedule, Canvas, and Settings.
- Set your timezone -- Loka uses your timezone for all scheduling. Double-check it under Settings.
Your profile is what learners see when they land on your booking page. A professional photo and a short bio go a long way.
Days 2-3: Configure Your Schedule
Set up your availability so learners can book with you.
- Set your weekly availability -- Go to Schedule > Availability and define your recurring open slots (e.g., Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).
- Block off exceptions -- Mark specific dates or times as unavailable for holidays, meetings, or personal time.
- Connect your calendar -- Sync with Google Calendar to avoid double-bookings. Go to Settings > Integrations > Google Calendar.
- Create a demo session -- Book a test session with your included learner test seat to see how the booking flow works from both sides.
Days 4-5: Run Your First Session
Experience the core of Loka -- the live teaching session.
- Start a session from your dashboard by clicking Start Session next to a booked lesson.
- Try the Living Canvas -- This is your interactive whiteboard. During a session, you can:
- Type corrections and vocabulary
- Mark items as correct or incorrect
- Add notes and examples
- Organize content by topic
- End the session and review the auto-generated Living Textbook entry that your learner receives.
You do not need a real learner to test the Canvas. Start a session with your test seat and experiment with the tools. This way you will be confident when a real student is on the other end.
Days 6-7: Invite Your First Real Learner
Time to bring in a real student.
- Send an invitation -- Go to Learners > Invite Learner and enter their email address.
- Share your booking link -- Each educator gets a unique booking URL. Send it to your learner so they can choose a time slot.
- Run a real session -- Walk through a full lesson using the Living Canvas. Pay attention to how corrections are captured and how the session summary is generated.
- Ask for feedback -- After the session, ask your learner how the booking and session experience felt. This is valuable early input.
Week 2: Explore Advanced Features
With the basics covered, dig into the features that set Loka apart.
Set Up AI Features
Loka supports AI-powered lesson preparation and feedback using your own API key.
- Go to Settings > AI Integration
- Enter your API key for either Anthropic Claude or OpenAI (or both)
- Choose your preferred provider
- Try AI Suggest on the Canvas -- it generates contextual teaching suggestions during a session
- Review AI-generated session feedback after ending a lesson
Loka does not charge for AI features. You use your own API key and pay the provider directly. This keeps costs transparent and under your control.
Review Your Analytics
- Check Analytics on your dashboard to see session counts, learner activity, and teaching patterns
- Review individual learner progress and their Living Textbook history
- Look at your busiest time slots to optimize your schedule
Explore Canvas Features
- Export to PDF -- Generate a PDF of any Canvas session for offline review
- Export to MP3 -- Convert Canvas text to audio using text-to-speech (powered by AWS Polly)
- Voice Recording -- Record audio directly in the Canvas during a session
Day 13-14: Decide on Your Plan
Before your trial expires, take stock of what you have built.
Ask yourself:
- Did the session flow feel natural?
- Are my learners finding the booking process easy?
- Do I want the AI features for ongoing use?
- How many learner seats do I need?
Your options:
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| DIY | $6/month | Independent educators managing everything themselves |
| DFY | $29/month | Educators who want setup help and technical support |
| Aspire | $199/month | Educators building a teaching business with founder coaching |
See Upgrading Your Plan for a full breakdown of what each plan includes.
Everything you created during the trial -- sessions, learner records, Canvas history, settings -- is preserved when you upgrade. Nothing is lost.
What If I Need More Time?
If 14 days was not enough, contact us and we will work something out. We would rather you make the right decision than a rushed one.
Next Steps
- Upgrading Your Plan -- Compare plans and choose the right fit
- Educator Dashboard Guide -- Deep dive into every dashboard feature
- Learner Guide -- Share this with your students