Lesson 14 Maximizing the use of the overhead projector and the chalkboard

"I come to school daily facing this very big helpful board my teacher uses for us to clarify things!"
                                                                                                                               -Vince

           From Kindergarten up to my college life, I am well acquainted with the enormous thing flattened on the front of our classroom- the chalkboard. Over time it evolved from plain blackboard to a more environmental- friendly green board to a smoother and dustless white board.

           I am just puzzled of why most of us still call this board as a “blackboard” when in reality; its color is green already. My teacher told me that the original chalkboard is black in color and just changed to green to make it more eyes friendly. But its name did not evolve with its change; hence we still call it “blackboard” because it is the name it is first known to be.

           A chalkboard functions not only as a sturdy fixture in front of our classroom. It is the teacher’s duty to make full use of it. There are some guidelines to maximize the utility of chalkboards. Some practices are as follows:

-          -Write clearly and legibly on the board. Make all writing between 2 and 4 inches high.

-          -Have a hard copy of what you’ll be writing on the board and avoid crowding your notes.

-          -Use colored chalks to highlight key points.

-          -Don’t turn your back to your class when you write. Stand with elbow high and move along as you write.

-          -Look at your board work from all corners to ensure readability from all sides of the room.

-          -To avoid glare, use curtains on the window or mount the board a little concave on the edges.

         Very versatile equipment is the overhead projector or the OHP. With transparencies, you can do so much in so short a time. A modern form is the LCD projector which is very convenient and easy to use.