Boards

BOARD
- a thin, flat, rectangular piece of wood or other stiff material used for various purposes.

1. Chalkboards

These are the most common instructional media found in classrooms, rural and urban alike. Chalkboards, once called blackboards, come in a variety of colors but the most common is green. A chalk is used for writing on its surface.

Advantages
a. It is generally suitable for different age groups, class size, and subject matter       
b. No special skill is needed to be able to use it
c. It is not dependent on electricity
d. It is economical and reusable

Limitations
a. It does not provide a permanent record
b. If it is not well-situated, viewing the contents of the board and reaching the top of the board becomes a problem
c. Good handwriting and knowledge on proper spelling is a necessity
d. Some information cannot be presented well using a chalkboard
e. Chalk dust can trigger asthma or respiratory problem.


2. Whiteboards and Magnetic Boards

Whiteboards and magnetic boards (also sometimes called multipurpose boards) are those with a glossy surface, commonly white in color, where non-permanent markings are made with the use of special felt pens.
Advantages
a. Using markers does not generate dust that comes from using and erasing chalk
b. Whiteboard marker is easier to hold and write with compared to chalk and marking     a whiteboard takes less time

Limitations
a. It is more expensive than chalkboard and only special whiteboard markers are suitable for use on whiteboard
b. The white background can cause problems to those with vision impairment
c. Left-handed persons may find it difficult to write on these boards because left-handed individuals usually write with their hand curved around the pen therefore causing their hand to drag across the strokes previously made.

Tips for Effective Use of Chalkboard, Whiteboard, and Magnetic Board
a. Prepare a board plan. Identify parts of the lesson that can be enhanced with visuals and important enough to emphasize board work.
b. Always start with a clean slate.
c. Write the outline of the day’s lesson on the board so that students can use it for reference.
d. Write clearly and legibly; think of the students who are seated at the farthest part of the classroom. Test if all the students can see what is written on the board by looking at the board work from all sides of the classroom.
e. A glare on the board might be a problem to your students; closing the door or window or a curtain on the window may solve it
f. Words are easier to read when written in print than in script.
g. Write neatly and horizontally, from the left side of the board going right. Fill a panel at a time and always start writing from the top to the bottom.
h. Do not crowd the board with too much information for your students might fail to see the key ideas.
i. Decide on how to emphasize various points --- underline, draw boxes or circles, or use colored chalk or marker.
j. Use masking tape when posting something on the board. NEVER use scotch tape, double sided tape, glue, paste or thumbtacks as they easily destroy the board’s surface.
k. For a writing exercise, lines on the board are needed.
l. Erase all unrelated material because other work on the board distracts attention.
m. Keep erasers clean and erase the writings on the board with straight up and down strokes rather than in circles.
n. Give students time to copy what you have written.
o. Remember the cardinal rule in using the board: “Talk to the students, not to the board”.
p. Always clean the board after use, leaving it ready for the next user.


3. Cloth Boards (Felt, Flannel, and Carpet)

This is a piece of plywood or heavy cardboard covered with either felt, flannel or carpet. The fuzzy surface of a felt, flannel, or carpet allows visual materials with appropriate backing to adhere.


Cloth boards are portable, simple to use, durable, colorful and attractive. These kinds of boards are best use for drills, positioning exercise, describing flow patterns, explaining relationships, and for short term display.

Tips for Effective Use of Cloth Boards
a. Place the board where all of your learners can have a good view of it.
b. Since these kinds of boards are small group media, you may sit down as you present, with learners seated on chairs or on the floor in a semicircle.
c. Secure the board on an easel or lean it against a solid surface to ensure that it will not move during your presentation
d. Arrange display materials in proper presentation order.
e. As you place the items on the board, press them against the cloth and shift it slightly to cause the two surfaces to interact and adhere.
f. “Talk to the students, not to the board” and maintain eye contact.
g. Store materials in a marked box.

4. Hook-and Loop Boards (Velcro Boards)

In creating a hook- and-loop board, a plywood or heavy cardboard is covered with a nylon loop material and the nylon hooks are adhered on the back of the instructional materials to be displayed on the board. These boards are used in a similar fashion with cloth boards. Its edge over the cloth boards is that it has enough holding power to cause even heavy materials to stay on the board.



5. Pegboards

Pegboards are made of tempered masonite with 1/8-inch holes drilled 1 inch apart. These boards are used in displaying three-dimensional objects or heavy materials with the use of hooks inserted into the board.



6. Bulletin Boards

“Bulletin boards are generally not used directly in instruction but tend to be a supplement” (Kemp, J. & Smellie, D., 1994). They are used to introduce or follow up lessons presented. These boards are usually designed as an instructional device that can carry a message without the presence of a teacher. Other uses for bulletin boards are the following: for displaying notices and announcements, classroom rules and procedures, seasonal items and student work.

Factors to Consider when Choosing an Area for Bulletin Boards
a. Select a place where there is steady student traffic
b. Avoid corners
c. Avoid wall behind a desk
d. Select a well-lighted place
e. Place board on the wall at the reading level of your learners

Tips for a Successful Bulletin Board Display
a. Always update the information displayed
b. Ensure that the display is neat and accurate
c. Make sure that there is a balance between text and graphics or pictures
d. Make sure that the size of the text can be read from a distance or the graphics or pictures can be seen from a distance


Ways to use a Flannel Board

Story Telling Board
The most common use for a flannel board (also called felt board) is for retelling simple stories from a book or making up stories of our own.

Counting Board
Small and large boards are often converted into counting or math boards. Its preferable to use them because the materials (like buttons or dominoes) don’t slide easily off or around the boards.

Graphing Board
We can use a large flannel board as a graphing board .
Estimating Board
A flannel board can be use to estimate numbers as can be seen in this photo.

Patterning Board
The felt board makes a great surface for making patterns as well. When our pattern goes a little long and we need more space, we just put our pattern boards together.

Sorting Board
We are often using our flannel board as a canvas for sorting felt or real objects.

Game Board
And the flannel board makes a great game board.

Lap Board
We often refer to our smaller flannel boards as “Lap Boards”. This is because the children can hold them in their lap to work with while we are sitting as a large group on the floor….

Creativity Board
The flannel board offers lots of opportunities to be creative. Whether it is putting together a candy cane out of felt pieces or making a design of paper hearts, the ideas for being creative on a flannel board are endless.

Collection Board

we often refer to our flannel boards as our collection boards. We use them to set out collections of leaves or rocks to admire and observe and discuss our collections with each other.