Whiteboard Totally Explained

Everything about Whiteboard totally explained

A whiteboard (also known as a dry-erase or dry-wipe board or a pen-board) is a name for any glossy surface, most commonly colored white, where non-permanent markings can be made. Whiteboards operate analogously to chalkboards in that they allow markings to temporarily adhere to the surface of the board. The popularity of whiteboards increased rapidly in the mid-1990s and they've become a fixture in many offices, meeting rooms, school classrooms, and other work environments.
Instead of using chalk (as on chalkboards) to make the markings, a special whiteboard erase marker containing removable ink is used (see non-permanent marker). Whiteboards are constructed with one of three materials; the cheaper melamine resin, polyester coated steel and more expensive models made from enameled steel. Steel whiteboards are magnetic, so one can use magnets to affix notes or a magnetic eraser to them. Enameled steel boards are more durable than painted steel and standard melamine boards. Melamine resin and painted steel will fade to a slight gray color over time, as ink of the dry markers enters into the pores of the material. Vitreous enamel is practically impermeable for dry marker ink and will remain white throughout the lifespan of the whiteboard. Enameled, coated steel and melamine all exhibit ghosting. Ghosting occurs as a result of the solvents (usually alcohol) in dry markers that effectively make the board cleaner where there has been writing. This remains visible after the ink is wiped off, but ghosting disappears after a short time. The term whiteboard is also used metaphorically to refer to features of computer software applications that simulate whiteboards. Virtual whiteboards allow one or more people to write or draw images on a simulated canvas. This is a common feature of many virtual meeting, collaboration, and instant messaging applications. Today, the term Whiteboard is also used to refer to interactive whiteboards.

Whiteboard history

Modern whiteboards evolved from chalkboards.
   Modern day chalkboards, with their greenish cast and dustless chalk, have gone through many stages of evolution. At first, chalkboards were merely small squares of slate, framed with wood to keep them from breaking, and marked on with other shards of slate. In the early 19th century America, these rudimentary instruments were widely used in public schools, because paper was too expensive.
   A leap forward occurred when a geography teacher in Scotland was reputed to have gotten the slates off student's laps and up onto the wall. The earliest record in America shows instructors utilizing them in academic military schools, such as West Point, in 1801. Teachers no longer had to spend so much time writing individual problems and lessons on a single student's slate, but could speak to an entire class where everyone had the benefit of seeing the board.
   This revolution in educational method ran parallel to other innovations in America in railroads and mining. Slate, a dark, metamorphic rock, was mined in the states of Vermont, Maine, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and New York. It could then be transported via railroad to the thousands of prairie schools popping up across the frontier in the 1840s.
   By the 1850s, most one-room schoolhouses were outfitted with the staples: a wood burning stove, benches, and a large blackboard. In poorer or more remote schools, teachers might resort to painting a plaster wall or wooden panel with dark paint to imitate the slate. An old rag served as eraser. Each school could now accommodate more students and teach them more efficiently.
   In the 1990s, concern over allergies and other potential health risks posed by chalk dust prompted the replacement of many blackboards with whiteboards. A whiteboard, otherwise known as a dry-erase board, uses special pens to make colored marks.
   In 1993, the whiteboard was invented by Walltalkers Co.
   The first whiteboard was a melamine or enameled hardboard surface. It was the "perfect" solution to the chalkboard, except that it ghosted in a short time and wasn't easy to keep clean. The first enamel-on-steel write-on/ wipe-off magnetic whiteboard is believed to have been created by Magiboards in the UK.
   Over the last 10 years, the enamel-on-steel magnetic whiteboard has gone through many transformations, most of which are not visible to the naked eye. The surface has gotten much easier to clean. The glare has been reduced. And the cost for the product has become much more affordable. Whether it's new construction or replacement of existing chalkboards the magnetic whiteboard is by far the most popular product used in companies and schools today.
   While chalkboards were once standard, chalk is messy and the boards can be difficult to read. The dry-erase board has many advantages in that it's extremely light weight, its dry-erase markers or pens come in many colors, and the board itself is white, creating crisp, bright writing. It's also easier to erase the dry-erase board than it's a chalkboard, and there's no dust or residue to clean up.
   Dry-erase boards can easily be hung on any wall due to their light weight. Small, personal boards are very inexpensive and commonly framed in plastic. They can be affixed to the wall with simple double-sided tape, while larger boards are framed in aluminum or wood and can be hung traditionally. There is even a type of dry-erase board sold in rolls of any length, 5 feet (1.5 meters) in height, to be used as wall covering. This can be handy for working on storylines, theorems, or other highly involved projects.
   Now many whiteboards are used in countless schools and offices in the U.S.

Advantages

Whiteboard ink markings are less susceptible to external factors, such as water or accidental erasure, because the ink adheres slightly better than chalk does to chalkboards. Using markers doesn't generate the dust that comes from using and erasing chalk, allowing their use in areas containing dust-sensitive equipment. Some who are allergic to chalk or are asthmatic use whiteboards as an alternative.
A whiteboard can be used as the projecting medium for an overhead or video projector. This allows the person giving the presentation to fill in blanks, edit, underline and make comments by writing directly onto the whiteboard, which in turn shows through the projected image.

Disadvantages

Whiteboards are slightly more expensive than blackboards. In addition, only special whiteboard markers are suitable for use on whiteboards. Using other markers that resemble whiteboard markers but contain the wrong kind of ink creates markings that are hard or impossible to remove. However, some techniques have been developed, which include filling over them using a marker with the right type of removable ink and then erasing the ink; wiping the marks with acetone or alcohol; or by using board cleaning sprays or prepackaged wipes commercially available from the whiteboard manufacturers.
The white background can cause contrast problems for people with vision impairment.
With a chalkboard, you can see at a glance if you've pieces of chalk to write with. You can't tell at a glance if your dry-erase markers are working until you uncap them and try to write.

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