Scrolling Blackboards

[Austin Maxi]

One of my memories of my '80s schooldays was the scrolling blackboard. Two floor-to-ceiling lengths of wood hiding the runners on each side. There were three or four boards with a metal strip dividing each one, and one board always had the geometric grid lines in faded green, regardless of whether or not any Maths lessons were taught in that particular classroom. There was also a small wooden shelf attached to one of the sides for the chalk and board rubber. They were perfect for drawing rude objects on and scrolling them over and out of sight until the unsuspecting teacher used the board and rotated the hidden image back into view.

Do any schools still have the scrolling blackboard? - or have they all been phased out for whiteboards with internet access screens. Progress eh?!

.........and then there was the formica TV/Video cabinets on wheels.

[tulip]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

Yup.We had those too.Im sure one of the school's I pick up from still has free standing boards like that,but of course it's a chalk board now!


tulip

[Richard1978]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

Many of the science labs at my secondary school had those kind of blackboards.

[Trickyvee]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

All of the classrooms in my school had these. Nothing funnier than when a teacher would unwittingly get chalk on their a***. Must have been a pain writing up all those notes on the black board though.

I suppose they're using powerpoint these days. Technology moves so quickly. I felt ancient the other day when I told a laughing student that I had to do presentations on an overhead projector and physically photocopy references from books in the library when I was at uni because I didn't have internet access. Infact I didn't have a computer. I had a word processor (wots one of them?) and no mobile phone. Only about one phone per 50 students in my day eee by gum it were hard in 1998 lol.

[icynorth]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

The University of Surrey (Guildford) had a few of them in its 'Teaching Block' building as of around 3 or 4 years ago, when I attended Open University evening tutorials. They may still be there - I can't say.

[FLYING SAUCER]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

I have to admit to drawing a rude object on one of these blackboards! (Geography! snigger! snigger! Hee! Hee!)

The teacher was a small quiet Lady,and when she pulled the board down, Oh dear! A wave of amusement rippled through the classroom. I was a Form Captain you see, and was allowed access to classrooms, thats how I did it. Bad, but very funny at the time!

[Seventies Child]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

Yes, I remember that blackboard and that big tv too.

[moonvisage]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

I remember our school changing to them.The teachers were in their glory and acted so posh.From standing in one spot,and talking loudly in front of a stagnant old worn out blackboard,they suddenly swanned to and fro,before their glorious new blackboard holding their chalk in the tips of their thumb and index finger.Some teachers even stood at the sides of them,and used a long stick to point work they had previously written down out to us all.
I think the novelty began to wear off for the teachers,once they realized they had to clean huge sheets of blackboard,after they had been filled in,and they had to forcfully pull each segment up or down,which took a great effort for small lady teachers.I did catch sight of a few naughty drawings and a few swear words a few times when the blackboard was scrolled down,but they were quickly rubbed out.
It's hard to believe now,but all the teachers use to cite these revolving blackboards as the schools entry level into the modern world!

[Marine Boy]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

I recall the scrolling blackboards very well. Between about 1974 and 1979, they were all we ever used in classrooms. I work in a school now with interactive whiteboards. By the time the teacher has 'centred' the image and found the appropriate setting, they could have written out an entire lesson on a blackboard! Hah - progress!

[RetroAEROSMITH]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

For some strange reason we all used to laugh when the teacher started to write and the chalk snapped, or when they were going to rub something out and the rubber would roll from their palm onto the floor. Seem to recall teachers used to have better writing in those days as chalk was a git to write with, then to emphasise something they had to write in a different colour chalk - maybe neon blue or red - I remember the music teacher used to have a thing with 5 bits of chalk in so he could draw the lines for music.

[ClaudineJones]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

My only memory of these boards was one teacher who'd instruct us to copy what he was writing and then take great pleasure in dramatically rolling up the board to continue what he was writing before we'd finished copying what was on the previous board. He'd refuse roll it back so most of what he'd written remained a mystery - particularly as he was standing in front of what he wrote. Seemed to give him a lot of satisfaction for whatever reasons of his own.

[darren]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

Yes i remember them scrolling blackboards was probably the first time i saw anyone using chalk to write with.

The amount of timeS i saw it snap teachers would grumble

And also how they struggled when they got down to virtually none left on the bit they where using.

I tried using chalk on a blackboard and i found it rather difficult.

[Mulletino]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

The kids of today will never experience the joy of drawing a dick'n'balls on the blackboard before class and spinning it to the back so the front was full of previous lesson's stuff so the teacher would come in and spn th eboard round to great cheers from everyone.

Our Tutor Group's base was in a Lecture Theatre in the fifth year, if our House teacher came in and you were facing the wrong way talking he'd pick up the wooden handled board rubber and launch it straight at your head. You'd be happily chatting, it'd go quiet and the next thing you felt was pain as chalk dust surrounded you. Probably wouldn't get away with that stuff now.

[staffslad]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

These were in widespread use all through my secondary school, college and university life as a pupil/student. Perhaps we were all good boys and girls but I honestly can't remember anyone drawing anything rude then spinning the board round.

[big kid]

Re: Scrolling Blackboards

i remember the primary school having those.