I have yet to find a kid that does not love writing on a whiteboard.
Heck, even most adults find it kind of cool. At least, I do… even after nearly a decade of writing on them for my day job.
Ask kids to do a math problem on a sheet of paper with a pencil, and it may feel like a chore. Have them copy the exact same problem on their whiteboard, and suddenly there is an air of excitement and motivation. Maybe it’s the safety of not having to commit their thoughts to something as permanent as paper. Maybe it’s the excitement of writing on a whiteboard the way the teacher does in the classroom. Maybe it feels more like drawing than working. Maybe they just like the smell of the marker… who knows.
What I do know is that whenever I said, “Take out your whiteboards,” there was a collective sprinkle of “YES!” echoing around the room. Day after day, no matter what subject. And it’s not like I rarely used them… we used them all the time: daily for math, frequently for spelling, and oftentimes for other subjects. Still, whenever I said those magic words, the kids were raring to go, ready to write in a way that would make paper and pencil envious.
I’ll tell you what’s so great.
1. Kids are often more motivated. See above. Really, almost whatever it is you’re trying to get them to do, they do it more readily with a whiteboard.
2. It saves paper. Kids love to use it for scratch work. If you’re playing games, instead of printing up several templates, have them write it up on a whiteboard. Another version of this is to print up one template, slip it into a sheet protector to use with a dry-erase marker, and now it’s reusable!
3. Writing is temporary. Not only are kids a lot more eager to do whatever it is you’re asking them to do, but they are free to experiment. If they’re not sure how to do a problem, they can play with it on a whiteboards, whereas on paper, the same thing can feel more like they’re making mistakes. Even kids who erase and clean up their work get frustrated with eraser-burnt paper, and some are downright embarrassed about it. Whiteboards free them up to play with numbers and not worry so much about making mistakes.
4. It can be really cheap to make. Just slip a sheet of paper into a sheet protector and bam! Instant whiteboard:
Tip: Cut up a piece of felt for a reusable eraser.
There’s something special about gliding a dry-erase marker across a clean white surface, and there’s something equally satisfying about wiping it clean afterward.
In my first year of teaching, I was on the verge of buying my own class set of whiteboards because I kept finding myself in situations where I really wished my students had individual whiteboards– usually for math. I even considered making my own set by buying a bunch of melamine sheets at Home Depot or something. Thankfully, it just so happened that our principal that year had the same idea (!!!) and bought a class set of whiteboards for every class! I know I am not the only one to think that was one of the best investments ever!
I’m in the middle of a series where I’m posting math game ideas, and the next one works REALLY WELL with a whiteboard. I was actually working on that post when I realized I really needed to share what a simple and great tool these whiteboards are, so here you go! Make one or buy one
6 responses to “Whiteboards for the Win”
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This is so true! It even works on college students. I guess markers make us feel powerful? They are also more willing to put mistakes out there because it can be more easily erased 🙂
Yeah, maybe! It comes with a sense of importance or something? =)
OH, what a great idea! I just had a bunch of kids from a camp work with bee bots and I bet they would have been more motivated to work on white boards than on the paper I gave them.
(I am so grateful for your blog…this just was delivered after I worked for an hour with the kids and I am ZONKED. Nice to have a good suggestion pop into my inbox.)
xo,
Suzi
Whew, yes working with kids can be very exhausting! Hope you got to sneak a lil nap in or something :). Glad you liked the idea!
This is an awesome idea… and, speaking as a child/adult who can get semi-paralyzed when committing anything to paper… yes, this would have helped tremendously when doing school work! I’ve mostly conquered that fear, but it still pops up now and again. I’m always surprised by how much more free my artwork is on a magna-doodle as compared to regular paper.
Thanks, Dakota! I gotta say, your stuff on regular paper is pretty amazing!