Chalk goes everywhere! We get it on our hands, on our clothes, in our hair, but mostly, we breathe it in. In years past, chalk was the media of choice because it was the best choice at the time. Today, we have alternatives to traditional blackboards and chalk in the classroom.
I am extremely lucky to once again be working with a great class of highly motivated and inquisitive fourth grade students.
They work hard and want to succeed. Many of them go well above and beyond what is assigned to them, in order to enrich their own educational experience. As is the case with countless children nowadays, many of my students suffer from allergies. Children with respiratory allergies and asthma are particularly sensitive to chalk dust.
My Project
Although my school has changed many of the chalkboards to whiteboards, they did not make a total conversion in all classrooms, so our room still has a chalkboard in use. Because of this, students with a chalk allergy need to sit far away from the board, shouldn't handle erasers, and should wash hands after touching chalk. To avoid potential asthma symptoms, it's best that a student with chalk dust sensitivities not handle chalk at all. Obviously, this is not practical in an interactive classroom. Replacing our chalkboard with a whiteboard is a fairly inexpensive fix that can make a world of difference for anyone with a chalk allergy. Having three whiteboards offers advantages over chalkboards, including students' ability to clearly read the board from across the room and multi-colored markers to emphasize points or add visual appeal. To complete the conversion, we need 24 colored dry erase markers and 2 packs of cleaning wipes to keep the board clean and clear all year long.
Everyone should learn in a safe, clean and comfortable environment.
If the very tools of your education are making you itchy, causing sneezing or runny eyes, then you are not learning in the optimal environment. With a very simple fix, these children will never have to deal with chalk dust again.
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