Dry-erase Boards
Dry-erase boards or whiteboards gained popularity in the mid-1980’s to replace chalkboards. They both provide the same end result – a board that allows markings to temporarily adhere to its surface. The chalk dust from the original chalkboard was posing potential health risks as well as causing allergic reactions to become more prominent in some students. Since markers are used on dry-erase boards, the dust created by chalk is eliminated. These boards have proven to be much more user-friendly, thus more commonplace in offices, meeting rooms, classrooms, etc.
When dry-erase boards first came out, they were very expensive because they were made of melamine. Next, they used enamel-on-steel. The current trend is porcelain steel magnetic dry-erase boards. These surfaces are very durable and highly scratch resistant. They can also be cleaned easily.
The only type of markers that should be used on dry-erase boards are the special whiteboard markers. These markers come in various colors, so writing on whiteboards can be more pleasing to the eye that the white on black of a traditional blackboard.
Keep in mind that using other markers, like permanent markers, creates markings that are hard or impossible to remove. However, some techniques have been developed to get rid of unwanted marks. Filling over them with the proper type of removable ink marker and then erasing the mark; wiping the marks with acetone or alcohol; or by using special cleaning sprays or prepackaged wipes available from the manufacturers of dry-erase boards.
There are a few downfalls to using dry-erase boards. The strong odor of the markers is one of them. For people who have environmental allergies, this odor can be offensive to them. They have available on the market, more expensive, less odor markers for those cases. These boards can also cause contrast problems for visually-impaired individuals. Be careful when using the dry-erase markers, the stains on clothing is virtually impossible to get out.
When taking into consideration all the pros and cons of the dry-erase boards, why would anyone ever want to go back to chalk dust filled classrooms?