I have supposedly destroyed one. When my class was in the room with the board, a pencil mark about 3/8" long and less than a mm thick appeared on the board. Now I have been told that the board is destroyed and has a dent it in. How do you get pencil marks off. Or any kind of mark? How are these boards cleaned? I sure can't find a dent in it. I have seen the board in operation since the mark appeared so it sure doesn't seem destroyed.
Help! Thoughts? Advice?
I didn't know what you were talking about, so I did a wee bit of research. Maybe what I found can influence your own opinion:
What is an interactive whiteboard?
Interactive whiteboards are a revolutionary way to share information on your PC with your customers & colleagues or pupils in the classroom, training room or presentation room. By connecting any Windows based PC & data projector, an interactive whiteboard provides you with a powerful information and presentation tool. Share information with your audience quickly and easily and keep your audience's attention focused on your content.
Improve interaction between you and your audience, resulting in greater retention of the information you deliver. Interact with your Windows desktop and your applications. Use annotation tools to enhance your presentation.
Take notes using the electronic flip chart, share applications and ideas across different locations with video conferencing software, data conferencing software such as Windows NetMeeting, or even share web browsing.
Background
The Promethean Technologies group (formally TDS) has over 20 years experience in designing and manufacturing digitizer products for use in design, mapping and graphics applications. Based on this well-established, proven technology, the PRESENTA board has been updated to meet the requirements of all group presentations whether in classrooms, meeting rooms, training rooms etc. The PRESENTA board is manufactured in a 100,000 square foot purpose built plant in Blackburn, Lancashire.
Tried and tested in the toughest environments. including the classroom.
Maybe you have a class of clean, well behaved little angels? Or maybe not?
Either way, our Activboard is designed to cope. It's just another of the advantages of having our kit designed by teachers. And then tested to the highest degree.
Made with a solid screen, little kids, or big ones, can safely lean on it or rest their hands against it when writing. Dirty or paint smeared hands make no difference to its performance.
Kick it... hit it... throw a coin at it... stick a compass in it... it'll still carry on working.
We even heard of one accidentally moved on a car roof in a downpour - with no ill effect. (Though, please note, comprehensive though the warranties are, this would be excluded!)
It'll also happily cope with temperature changes. So, for example, heat in an uncooled classroom over the long Summer break won't... break it. Even at Uluru (Ayers Rock).
The secret? Sitting behind the screens is our specially designed electromagnetic grid.
It's unaffected by any damage to the screen surface.
And, by crosschecking three separate sets of co-ordinates, it allows incredible accuracy. On-screen tools, such as protractors, for example, can measure down to a single degree.
While our mouse pen writes just like a pen. And, with cursor, rollover, and click functions, acts just like a mouse. Minus, of course, those nasty squeaking noises... from chalk.
Thank you for the research. I had looked for a wee bit last evening, but then I just got tired of thinking about the whole situation and went to bed to read.
Sounds like I have a hysterical woman on my hands -- the one who declared that the ActivBoard was destroyed. Actually, I just took a nice pink eraser to the mark. Came off beautifully. There must be a way to clean these things. On regular white boards we use Windex. On chalk boards (yes, we still have some) of course we just use a wet rag or sponge. On overhead transparencies I use a water spritzer and a paper towel. there HAS to be a way to clean the surface of an ActivBoard.
Maybe I'll do some research later when there's something good on TV in the background.
Howdy!
Thoughts: don't throw yourself off a cliff over this! Not yet, anyway.
According to their helpful website, this thing should be tougher than a pencil mark.
You could call or email them and ask about cleaning it, or anything else you've been told is supposed to have "destroyed" it. They say kids can touch it and lean on it, etc., so it would appear to be rather difficult to actually "destroy" one.
R/Sandy
Yeah, really!!! The teacher who "owns" the room told my class they damaged it. Then she went and ranted and raved in the assistant principal's office with the door closed. How do I know she was ranting and raving -- others couldn't help but hear the yelling throughout the entire office.
I had kids in my class asking if they had to pay for the board. I was sure the principal told us these things cost ten thousand dollars each. She was able to get grant money for only two this year. There must be one heck of a markup for selling these things to school districts.
How the little pencil mark got there is a mystery. A kid could have purposely put it there. (The "owner" hung a paper, handwritten sign on it that said "DO NOT WRITE ON THIS BOARD." The assistant principal told her to do that. I told the assistant principal that the note could have been worked differently so as not to actually encourage one of my more obstinate
4th graders not to just do it anyway.) I could have accidentally done it too -- I talk with my hands but try not to when I'm holding a pencil and clipboard!I think I have been BS'd all the way around. And it's disgusting that some teacher would try to scare kids that way -- making them think they have to pay for it.
Sounds off to me, I do believe in teaching kids respect for items, but if something of that value really did get damaged that easily, then it shouldn't be left out, it would need some kind of protective cover for when it's not in use.
Anne
Really!!!! I've found out that the surface is extra-durable Formica. Can't be dented, and the hysterical woman says there is a dent in it. And I couldn't find a dent in it when I rubbed my hand over it. It can be cleaned with non-abrasives. It's FORMICA for crying out loud!!! (oops, sorry) Regular white board markers are not recommended but can be used. And there are directions everywhere under the sun (so I found out after a few cups of coffee) about how to care for the board. It's even strong enough for kids to lean against.
The board is huge. It's mounted to the wall. It covers more than the space of a regular chalkboard or whiteboard. The way it is mounted on the wall, it sticks out about a foot or so. I'll hang a big old sheet over it when I'm in that room next. That won't be until June. The teacher announced to my class that she would let me use the board but the students would not be allowed to. That kind of defeats the purpose of the whole thing if students can't use it. And I'm not quite sure where she got the authority to make or announce such a decision.
Hummmmm, maybe I will ask that the board be removed and put in storage while I'm in there.
I'll find out exactly how big it is and maybe go to a thrift store and buy a huge colorful sheet. I'd love for a parent to ask why it's covered. The administration is not getting involved.
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