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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010
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12

Writing's on the Wall for the Chalkboard

Some still attached, but whiteboards now rule classrooms

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(Newser) – If today’s kids don’t know what a record is, tomorrow’s won’t likely know what a chalkboard is, at least in the classroom. Whiteboards, without the lung- and computer-choking dust (to say nothing of their immunity to scratching nails) are taking over, with one supplier of both telling ABC News that whiteboards now make up 99% of overall stock. “My only memories are associated with pain and misery,” says one relieved student.

Some teachers are still attached, though, and education funding being what it is, the relics are going to be around a while yet. ABC’s Xorje Olivares can’t resist: “So, how much longer? Even if we were told to stay after school and write that question out more than 100 times, we don’t yet know the answer.”

A chalkboard.
A chalkboard.   (Wikimedia Commons)
A blank chalkboard.
A blank chalkboard.   (Wikimedia Commons)
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12 comments
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Hip
Oct 31, 09 7:16 AM CDT
Whiteboards shouldn't get too comfortable at the top...our (public) school has a Smart Board in every classroom. http://smarttech.com/ Reply
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ClingingToHope
Oct 31, 09 7:20 AM CDT
There is something soothing about chalk boards. You can clean them so they are almost like new. Whiteboards get stained from the markers. And what about the fumes from the whiteboard markers? They probably contribute to global warming :-) Reply
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Fondue
Oct 31, 09 9:16 AM CDT
You are probably correct ClingingToHope, considering everything we do contributes and affects our environment.
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IN RESPONSE:
Sayyiduna
Nov 1, 09 12:59 AM CDT
Every moment you sit there breathing contributes to global warming. It's a question of whether the outcome is worth the increase in greenhouse gases, not whether we can avoid them all together. I'm pretty sure the process for creating chalk requires gypsum which in itself requires deep mining and quarrying (both high in pollutants) and chalk boards are usually made of slate which produces more industrial waste than whiteboards or markers. Consider that whiteboards are mostly processed or recycled wood with a thin sheet of gloss over them. Most permanent markers also use alcohol and other chemicals which are more environmentally friendly than chalk or slate.
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offspringdude235
Oct 31, 09 8:07 AM CDT
Smartboards are the future most definitely... Reply
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