--- Forwarded Message from Ed Dente <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 18:05:28 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Ed Dente <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #4968 Erasing Whiteboards
>In-reply-to: <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>

------------------
Since there is AV technology in the room, my unhumble opinion is that
chalkboards should be kept as far away from the room as possible. All
the pains of whiteboards don't hold a candle to the misery of AV equipment
perpetually covered in a fine layer of chalk dust, not to mention the dust
that gets into the equipment innards.
But hey, let me tell you about the teacher who mistook the ceiling
mounted movie screen open in front of our whiteboard for the whiteboard
itself, and put half a lesson in marker on the screen. (Actually
happened eight years ago.) Guess what doesn't erase from movie screens.
You almost can't win either way.
Cheers,
Ed
     "I don't wish to be rude, but I'd rather listen to Beethoven."
                              -Claude Rains (to Bette Davis)
                               <<Deception>>

 LLTI-Editor wrote:

> --- Forwarded Message from Daniel Tom <[log in to unmask]> ---
> 
> >Date:  Wed, 14 Apr 1999 10:40:28 -1000
> >From:  Daniel Tom <[log in to unmask]>
> >To:    [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Erasing Whiteboards
> 
> This may appear to be a rather mundane problem and certainly not very high
> tech.  However, it is a very real problem with our Japanese classes.  We
> have three media classrooms, all equipped with TV monitor, VCR, overhead
> projector, and taperecorder.  All are carpeted.  Due to all the media
> equipment, whiteboards were installed.  Two of these classrooms are used
> exclusively for Japanese classes.  The Japanese instructors are frequently
> writing kanji and often they have their students in pairs or in threes do
> kanji practice on the board.  Due to this heavy usage, the whiteboards
> have constant "ghosting" and "shadowing" from incomplete erasing or the
> eraser creating black smudges.  We have a supply of cleaner fluid, but it
> is very expensive and has a very strong smell and we cannot afford to
> place the bottle of fluid in the classroom to be used at the instructor's
> discretion.  It would probably be emptied in no time.  We have advised
> instructors to please erase immediately and not let the writing set on the
> board.  We have recommended using a damp cloth or paper towel to wipe the
> board as the marker ink is water soluble. Some Japanese instructors now prefer
> to use a regular classroom with a chalkboard rather than deal with the
> ghosting of the whiteboard.  They would rather put up with the chalk dust!
> How have the rest of you dealt with this problem?  Does anyone have any
> suggestions on how to solve this?  Thank you.
> 
> Daniel Tom
> Language Telecommunications, Resource & Learning Center
> University of Hawaii
> E-mail:  [log in to unmask]
> FAX:     808-956-5134
> Voice:   808-956-5118
> 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edmund N. Dente
Director, Language Media Center    Ph: 617-627-3036
Tufts University                   [log in to unmask]
Medford, MA 02155