Who Invented the White Board?

Before the invention of the whiteboard, there were chalkboards. These were popular with teachers and students, however, many people were also allergic to chalk and its dust that flew off when erased. No one knows who invented it, but in the 1960s, the first versions began to appear, and in the late 1980s, reports of allergies to chalk began to appear. It was then that the white board began to be considered as a teaching tool.

While no one knows who invented the whiteboard, many believed it to be from China. While that cannot be known for sure, the first company to mass produce them as porcelain on steel that could be written on and cleaned on a whiteboard was Claridge Products. They had melamine and they were quite expensive. Cleaning was also difficult as images that were erased were still visible on the board and would easily wear away. The Magiboards of Great Britain then produced enamel on steel for writing / cleaning magnetic boards that were much more durable and smoother, although marker traces would appear over time and the Scots left marks. On the other hand, in the US, Michael Boone popularized the Boone Board dry erase board. They did not suffer the same problems as the previous ones. There were only many upgraded versions from various companies, but one of the biggest innovations was the reduction in surface gloss, which caused glare and became a major distraction for students. Only in the late 2000s, high-quality layers of paint were used for the surface that made writing easier.

As of now, it has been found that white boards have more advantages over chalk boards. Not only that no dust is produced, teachers often use them as their overhead projector screen, also where they can write to highlight points. There is even a greater variety of colors so teachers can emphasize their points more clearly. With that, whiteboards have become an important learning tool today.