Walls and Black Boards
The walls were occupied mainly by black boards and windows, but these were not the only things to be placed on the walls. The spacing of the black board and windows allowed for the walls to be used as a technology for literacy instruction. Windows were placed high enough so as to allow space to post maps and charts at student’s eye level that would be referred to during lessons. Students’ work was also placed above the black board, on back walls, and even hung across the room.
Perhaps the most important technology in the classroom was the black board. The first documented use of a black board is by George Baron, a math teacher at West Point, in 1801-1802. In tracing the history of the black board, Juanita Karpov notes the introduction of the black board in the 1800s to the classroom would transform instruction. It was here that learning could be made visual by the teacher.
In making black boards, wooden boards would be painted black or even boards made of slate fastened together, though these came later in the century. Sometimes walls were painted into black boards, though it was not considered a good idea to paint the entire wall black as the color could make the room dark and be hard on students’ eyes. When painting a board, it was important to find the right size board, six to eight feet long and about fout feet tall, though larger was considered better. It was also important to prepare the board so it would be smooth enough to write on. Chalk trays were made from strips of wood and installed along the bottom of the board.
In Slate and Black Board Exercises, William A. Alcott further stresses how black boards were considered a necessity. Here Alcott tells teachers where the black board should be hung--in the front of the room near the teacher’s desk and in full view for everyone to see. Multiple boards were often placed throughout the room. These were in the front of the room and also along the sides, increasing the amount of writing space. It was considered convenient if they could be moved to anywhere in the room.
As black boards continued to grow in use, additional instruction in their use and suggestions for appropriate classroom activities became available in manuals. Cailtin Wyllie explains the use of the black board in Teaching Manuals and the Black board. Manuals often told teachers how and when to use black boards. It was on the black board that teachers led the way and set the model. If the teacher was to prepare anything on the black board, it was then considered worthy of copy upon the students' slates. Such copy work was considered one of the most valuable exercises. Black boards allowed teachers not to show not only models, but also common errors. Using a black board could reduce individual instruction and save a teacher time. Often different sets of words would be placed on the black board to allow for the differing tastes of students. The teacher could draw on the black board and narrate the technique. Students could practice on their slates while the teacher walked around the room. Common mistakes could be corrected on the black board. In some cases, students did not have to copy everything from the board. instead they used the black board together.
Juanita Karpf notes how one instructor, John Goldsbury, went so far as to explain that not only did the black board make things visual to all students, it was even more valuable to see the illustration than to read or hear so many pages of explanation. By placing work on the black board, a student could have their work admired by the entire school. A teacher could step in only when needed, but the best scholars in the class could explain a subject at the black board.