Ed Artifact
The writing’s on the wall: The history of the whiteboard
BY MARINA BARBOPOULOS
In a world where innovation can feel overwhelming, the whiteboard remains a familiar and easy-to-use tool. It is arguably one of the most underrated classroom resources. The whiteboard can be used for various purposes, such as studying, brainstorming or even doodling.
So, let’s step back and see how the whiteboard came to be.
In the late 1950s, photographer Martin Heit reportedly discovered that he could write on film negatives with a marker and then wipe the markings away. This sparked the idea of a reusable writing surface. Around the same time, Albert Stallion, who worked in the steel industry, recognized that enameled steel could serve as a durable, writable surface. While the exact origins of the whiteboard remain debatable, these early innovations laid the foundation for the tool we know today.
Despite Heit’s efforts to sell the product, he struggled to gain traction. Eventually, he sold his idea to Dri-Mark, a company that would help popularize the whiteboard by promoting it as a “less messy” alternative to traditional chalkboards—eliminating issues like chalk marks on clothes and the discomfort of clapping erasers together and spreading dust everywhere.
Whiteboards have proved to help students with academic retention and interaction with their lessons. The colored markers on the board help key information stand out, especially for visual learners. Physically writing notes can also help a person remember the material better.
These boards have allowed the classroom to be modernized, while still valuing tried and true tactics of learning and education.
The whiteboard’s popularity is still very much alive today. Elementary schools, high schools and universities across the country use them daily despite the introduction of more advanced technologies, such as interactive smartboards and digital collaboration tools.
The whiteboard is a testament that some things always stay in style and stand the test of time. Its lasting presence in classrooms proves that simplicity and functionality will always have a place in the ever-evolving world of education.