For decades, chalkboards, both blackboards and greenboards, were a priceless commodity for every classroom. Each was a central source for teaching and demonstration that was essential to student learning. However, the amount of chalk dust generated when writing and erasing on these heavily used boards created complications for children allergies and prevented them from being used in other environments like offices and hospitals.

The chalkboard’s limitations led to the development of the whiteboard. Creating no dust and minimal mess, these boards were not only far more suitable for the classroom, but for many additional environments as well. Today, whiteboards can be found in schools, daycares, offices, hospitals, homes, and virtually anywhere where the need for posting, delivering and organizing information for groups or personal use arises. Recently, whiteboard usage has expanded from simple information delivery to becoming a multipurpose tool that many can’t live without. The following are just a few examples of where and how whiteboards are currently being used:

• Schools
  Whether Pre-K, K-12 or colleges and universities, schools worldwide use whiteboards to deliver lectures each and every day. The most traditional method of teaching once used with chalkboards is still used today with whiteboards involving a teacher or professor writing notes on the board as they deliver their daily lessons. However, modern technology has found its place with whiteboards as many are used for interactive projector screens where information can be projected and then written on as needed. Whiteboards also are often used as bulletin boards as many are magnetic, much like chalkboards of the past.

• Offices
  Whiteboards are an essential part to many business environments. They provide a tablet for delivering pertinent information about work-flows, current tasks, and layouts. Many are used as calendars as they allow for the ease of movement from month to month by simply drawing the calendar on the board and providing a space where daily information can be written and later erased. Many use calendars in their small businesses for keeping track of shipments, brainstorming and presenting information and ideas.

• Hospitals
  Whiteboards play a big role in many hospitals especially in nurses’ stations and patient rooms. Often times they are used to keep track of which patients are in which rooms, which ones have been tended to and the schedule of staff. Small to medium sized whiteboards are often used in patient rooms to keep track of who has seen or will be tending to the patient during a given day, to track patient medications and even to communicate with patients who are unable to speak.

• At Home Use
  Whiteboards often find their place in the day-to-day affairs of a household. They are used for leaving messages for family members, keeping track of recipes, teaching children and managing calendars. With boards of endless shapes and sizes, even paint that can be used to transform a wall into a whiteboard, whiteboards have infinite possibilities in the home environment.

These are just a few of the many uses for whiteboards in today’s market. They have proven to be a priceless necessity in all walks of life and fill niches that traditional chalkboards never did. As technology continues to develop, there are new devices and sure to be many more in the future that will compete with the whiteboard. However, with its extreme versatility and affordable price tags, whiteboards are sure to find a place in the lives of many for years to come.

If you’re in need of a whiteboard or whiteboards of multiple sizes and configurations, Classroom Essentials Online has many for you to choose from. All of our whiteboards are manufactured by Ghent, one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of whiteboards and bulletin boards. We also have map rails and bulletin bars available as a perfect complement to any whiteboard purchase. For more information on whiteboards, please visit our website or call one of our helpful and friendly representatives today at (866) 404-7671.