Why I’m Obsessed with Using Mini Whiteboards in my Classroom
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As I’ve written about before, I always try my best to be a paperless classroom! Once all my students were back in the classroom, I was so excited to get back to using my mini whiteboards, as these are a big reason why I don’t really need paper during my lessons. Let me explain!
First, where can you get mini whiteboards? My department has them on hand, so I’ve always had a class set and replacements when I need them. However, if you are on a budget, there are many affordable options on Amazon. It’s even cheaper to go to Home Depot, get a large piece of whiteboard, and have them cut it for you. When I first started teaching and I was on an extremely tight budget, I simply used page protectors with white cardstock slipped inside. Worked like a charm! Also, instead of spending money on whiteboard erasers, I simply bought a jumbo pack of inexpensive black childrens socks and brought them home often to wash them. Get yourself a set of mini whiteboard markers (the thinner ones are easier to use), and you’re ready to rock! Here’s how I make use of these awesome tools in my classroom every day.
For Pop-Up Grammar!
There are so many ways to use whiteboards to practice with the tedious business of grammar. Instead of handing out worksheets, I make a quick game with verbs my students recognize and virtual dice. Students quickly do the exercises on their whiteboards and then we move on. I’ve also had lots of success with digital subject pronoun spinners (check out these free ones I made on Flippity for French, Italian, and Spanish!)
To Practice with Listening
One of my favorite features of tech tools like Nearpod or Sketchpad is the draw feature. There are so many ways to practice with listening and vocabulary using non-linguistic modes like drawings, and many studies indicate that these types of learning experiences help students to more easily access content and promote equitable learning experiences (Williams & Tang, 2020). Enter - the whiteboard! This allows students to do the “draw” feature in the classroom without their computers. It’s an easy way to start or end the lesson with a quick vocabulary review on the fly. You can describe what someone is wearing, what they’re doing, where they’re going, etc. Students can draw what you’re describing, or even describe what a peer describes in small groups. If you have more time, you can do longer descriptions, or more than one description for them to draw.
To Practice with Writing
You can just as easily “reverse” the previous drawing activity by putting a picture on the board and having students write a short paragraph on their whiteboards for you or a peer to read and critique. Even when I have students that hate writing, they never complain when they’re doing it on a white board. Correcting their work with markers just feels a little less upsetting, and writing just feels so much less tedious!
When You Didn’t Print That Worksheet You Meant to Print!
Whiteboards are such a lifesaver when you can’t or didn’t have a chance to print a worksheet or other activity. Rather than scrambling for scraps of paper, have student write numbers one through X on their whiteboards, throw the worksheet on the board, and have them answer the questions on their whiteboards. You just saved time and paper! When you’re done going over the activity, they erase and put the whiteboard away, and no one asks “Are you collecting these? Are these being graded?” It’s a win-win!
Do you use whiteboards in your classroom? What are your favorite strategies for using them? Comment below or comment on our Instagram @esteemlearning!
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References
Williams, M., & Tang, K. S. (2020). The implications of the non-linguistic modes of meaning for language learners in science: a review. International Journal of Science Education, 42(7), 1041-1067. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2020.1748249
