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.