Aarti,
As an extension of the instructors thoughts, I think the white board is as important as is the voice and body language to convey messages and information.
Barry Westling
I agree. It gives me a pause to collect my thoughts before I proceed. On the other hand, when I draw flow charts on the white board, the students find the lecture easier to follow.
Melvin,
Any one who teaches regularly knows to put the caps back on. I always bring my own (as back up) just to be sure I'm prepared. Using different colored markers for contrast is something I think is especially beneficial to students who are trying to follow our thought patterns.
Barry Westling
They help me also. It is a good point about making sure markers are not dryed out. I have this problem all the time and i am running around looking for ones that work. I will take your advice and check markers before class or bring my own..
Tracy,
Good. I will write a quote every day with my daily objectives too.
Barry Westling
I like to write my agenda on the white board at the beginning of class so the students know what to expect.
Sandy,
Good. The white board can be like an extension of the instructors thinking process, therefore all kinds of information might be written, all of it something that reflects a thought or point the intructor wants to make.
Barry Westling
A fantastic resource..the white board is! I love to write a quote or tid-bit of information that is relevant to what we are learning, let them process it and reflect on the thought and later bring it up when it pertains to lecture to draw some back into the discussion.
Joe,
I think of the white board as an extension of the instructors thoughts, comments, and instructional emphasis. Using colored pens for contrast, it is helpful to delineate all of the necessary, important, and essential information the instructor wants students to think about.
Barry Westling
The white board can be seen as a guide or contract for the class. The student will get to see the instructors objectives and expectations. I believe that a good white board should be informative, challenging and easy to read and understand.
Bogdan,
The ubiquitous white board is such a multipurpose tool, it really comands much respect as a key component to processing and displaying the ebb and flow of most classes. From emphasizing to listing, to illustrating, to conveying, it is all purpose tool that provides enough variety to serve the needs of most instructors. Yet, it is only a tool and it's use needs to be balanced with other media and instructional resources.
Barry Westling
