A whiteboard works as an interactive centerpiece in a classroom. It is where the ideas flow and the collaboration begins. It gives anyone with a dry-erase marker the power to draw the attention of the whole classroom, be it a student or the teacher. However, traditional wall-mounted whiteboards come with some limitations.
Limitations of a traditional whiteboard in a classroom
- The size of the board dictates the flow of ideas shared by teachers or students
- The bigger the whiteboard, the harder it is to carry and install
- The shape of the wall and the presence of other wall-mounted fixtures dictate the size of the whiteboard you can install
- It sticks out of the wall and the edges are just wasted space
The point is that traditional whiteboards have a limiting effect and are not nearly as fun as a writable wall.
What is a writable wall?
Simply put, it’s a wall that you can write on with dry-erase markers. You can turn any smooth regular wall into a dry-erase writable surface by applying whiteboard paint. The whiteboard paint contains specialized resin that creates a strong writable layer on top of your wall. You can apply it to an entire wall or even all walls of a classroom working around other wall-mounted fixtures like switchboards, electrical panels, etc.
How does a writable wall benefit teachers and learners?
A writable wall eliminates the limitations created by the size of a traditional whiteboard. It gives both teachers and students the freedom to interact and collaborate without the fear of running out of space.
A traditional whiteboard or blackboard for that matter comes with a sense of boredom for children. A writable wall, on the other hand, is just pure intrigue. It has enough space for little children to write their big letters and express their fantastic ideas.
Overall, the writable surface boosts collaboration, improves the quality of interaction between students and teachers, and spruces up the classroom environment.
How to choose a good whiteboard paint for your classroom?
It’s important to be cautious while choosing paint for your classroom wall especially since children are going to be around it. You should look for certain features while selecting the best whiteboard paint.
- The amount of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the paint should be well under the permissible limit.
- It should be free of harmful Perfluorochemicals like PFOA and PFOS.
- The odour should be minimal during and after the application of the paint.
- The whiteboard paint should comply with regional quality and safety regulations.
- It should come with a performance guarantee.
- The paint should be easy to apply, fast to cure, and come with DIY-friendly guides.
A leading whiteboard paint manufacturer, Smarter Surfaces, has made some giant strides in developing advanced whiteboard, magnetic, and projection surfaces for classrooms and offices. They are the long-established market leaders in the USA and expanding fast through Europe and Australia. But that’s not important.
The real reasons to go for Smarter Surfaces are that the products are environmentally friendly, comply with all safety requirements in the USA and in Europe, and come with a 10-year performance guarantee.
Basically, Smarter Surfaces ticks all the boxes. As a bonus, the products come with application kits, easy-to-follow guidelines, and video tutorials. So, you can apply it by yourself if you want.
Magnetic and projection screen whiteboard walls
Once you decide to replace the traditional wall-mounted whiteboards, you expose yourself to a host of new possibilities. For instance, you can create a magnetic whiteboard wall by applying the super magnetic paint by Smarter Surfaces underneath the whiteboard paint. Then, apart from writing on the wall, you can also stick papers, cards, etc. to it with magnets.
There is more that you can do. Apply a coat of matt whiteboard paint and get yourself a projection screen that doubles as a magnetic whiteboard. Smarter Surfaces has made it really easy by creating a three-in-one wallpaper. You can write on it, project on it, and stick magnets to it, and all at the same time. It just takes the classroom experience to a new height.
Why not have colorful writable walls?
Well, there is no reason you can’t have a colored writable wall. All you need is a clear whiteboard paint that turns a wall in any color of your choice into a dry-erase writable surface. If your pupils are excited about a whiteboard wall, wait till you create it in a fun colour like a light shade of blue or pink.
The bottom line is that it’s getting harder and harder to retain the attention of the kids in a classroom and teachers can use any help they can get. A writable wall with additional qualities like projectability piques their interest and encourages them to collaborate and participate. So, why not take that chance?
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