Cleaning an ActivBoard

[rexboggs5]

Hi folks

I have just purchased my first IWB - an ActivBoard (still to arrive). Getting very excited!

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum for this question - please advise if there is a better one.

As I understand it, one _can_ write on an ActivBoard with an ordinary marker but the board should be cleaned with a whiteboard cleaner and not just erased.

True?

If so, is there a commonly available product that you use to do this? I could purchase whiteboard cleaner from an educational supplier but it might be that Windex is as good (or even better). And a whole lot cheaper.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Cheers

Rex Boggs
Glenmore High School
Rockhampton QLD
Australia

[Margaret Allen]

Hi Rexboggs,

Welcome aboard!! :D

Although you can write on an Activboard with an ordinary marker.... we would not recommend that you do this on a regular basis. It is obvious from looking at a conventional whiteboard that continuous lines and smears will eventually start to soak into the surface. We have made our boards less able to cope with continuous use of a marker by making it much more of a MATT finish, so that glare is less of an issue. Some other makes of boards do suggest that they can be used with regular markers frequently, but I think you will find that their surfaces are much more shiny therefore much less friendly to students! :eek: as the resulting glare back from the projector is much more apparent, also with any marks that become stubborn these will also be much more obvious with a light shining on the surface.

With the number of drywipe pens I used to have available in my class (one if I was lucky :D ) with Activstudio and Activprimary you have copious numbers of widths as well as an infinite number of colours!

I think the cleaner we recommend is Nobocleaner, but not sure if this is available in Australia...

Hope this answers your questions +wave+

[Charlotte]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggghhhhh what a horrible idea!!! If anyone goes within 10 feet of my IWB with a dry wipe pen I attack! :(
It would be just my luck that some dozy teacher would use a permanent marker on it instead - this used to happen frequently when we had dry wipe boards.....
The pupils are really good at reminding newbies or supply teachers to only use the 'magic' pen. :D

[Alison]

;) Charlotte I know how you feel! Unfortunately one of my teachers did just that with a permanent marker. He got as far as one number of the date before the kids literally exploded. He was grovelling to me for days after, but luckily I did manage to get it off! We used to have a little sign blu tacked to the sides of the board with a no pen sign (imagine no smoking!) Now we don't seem to have any trouble. (Hmm...do you think that's tempting fate?!) :D

[Charlotte]

Tempting fate - - I think so Alison!! Top tip for you - nail varnish remover works a treat!! I love the way the kids will defend the board at all costs!! +wave+

[Dug]

I did once hear of a board that was that bluey purple colour due to over use of the dry wipe pen. Although my favourite 'Luddite on IWB' story is the use of a conventional OHP machine to project onto Promethean board.

[Alison]

Dug, that's my favourite story yet! Hah! :p Must remember not to mention that one to some members of staff, who still lament the demise of the OHP.

Nail varnish remover! That's brilliant! And what an excuse to buy it with school money! :D

[Peter Lambert]

Nail varnish remover is just posh Acetone. The Chemmy lab will have buckets of it ;)

[daverosthorn]

Dug, that's my favourite story yet! Hah! :p Must remember not to mention that one to some members of staff, who still lament the demise of the OHP.

Friggin' hate OHPs - had someone ask me if I had one today. :mad:

[Alison]

Pete, we're a Primary! No Chemmy lab I'm afraid.

I've managed to put another nail in the coffin of the OHP at our school. We've no more of the sheets to put on it (don't know how that forgot to be ordered!) and I simply 'encourage' them to use a laptop attached to a projector instead. ;)

[Dug]

While we're on an OHP-type thread...I cannot recommend strongly enough a 'visualiser'/document camera type device. If people aren't familiar, its a device that is rather like a glorified webcam that you can position above the thing you want projected: object (fir cone, minibeast, shell etc etc), book (for reading along or capturing with the AP camera tool to make a flipchart version of a book/text), work of art (child's or otherwise), piece of children's writing etc etc. This is then projected on your board in real time and can be annotated etc using the AP desktop tools. It is an amazing piece of kit. We started with a Samsung (very expensive but very good) and have just bought 7 more for nursery - Y6. The more recent acquisitions are cheaper and made by Avermedia (Avervision 130) and cost about £300 each - you do need the special light attachment to avoid a 'dim' image. From an ICT perspective, aside from the IWB itself, I reckon this little beauty has had the biggest impact on my practice and the children's learning.

[kpbooth]

It took me two years to convice our librarian to let me check out an AV cart WITHOUT the overhead. She said that it was a package deal, so I'd check out the OHP and put it on the floor in the corner of the classroom and prayed that no one would fall over it and break it so that I could turn it in at the end of the year. Maybe falling over and breaking it wouldn't have been such a bad idea...

[Alison]

Dug, I've been to see a school that uses visualisers in every classroom and I loved them! We were told they're about £1000 each though and we can't afford them for at least another year, until the new school is up and running. The insurers paid for the building, but none of the equipment. (We had a massive fire 4 years ago) Since my head, in his infinite wisdom, decided he wasn't going to cable the new school I said I'd pay for it from the ICT budget. £20,000 later I have no money left! Can you really get them for £300 now?! I want one :D

[Dug]

You can indeed Alison. Hope the links work.
Avervision 130:
http://www.averm.co.uk/avermedia/aver/products_documentcamera_avervision130.asp
We bought ours from RM:
http://www.rm.com/Primary/Products/Product.asp?cref=PD402747&position=4
£294.50 + light attachment (£85.50)
Almost worth dipping into your own pocket! Only joking. Although I used to do much of the children's work stuff using my own scanner for years. You wouldn't believe how motivating it can be if you promise some of the kids they can scan and project their work on completion. Even reluctant writers get stuck in and it's a great plenary.

[Dug]

Whoops meant to say light 'module' (£66.50). The light box is £85.50.