The Whiteboard Eraser
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As we all know, the common whiteboard eraser, or duster as some call it, is a necessity in the modern class room. Whiteboards are widely used in today’s teachings, and are literally the centrepiece of learning. It is something the people of today have grown to accept as part of our learning environments. The generations before have developed from sticks and stones, to paper, to the blackboard and chalk; but never did they imagine something so innovative, so convenient and so effective. The whiteboard, markers and of course our trusty whiteboard erasing companion, are powerful learning assistants, and have truly made learning much easier as compared to the days of generations past.
My essay will be focusing not so much on learning or the whiteboard, but more of the humble whiteboard eraser. It is an instrument so used, yet we would never notice until we need it, and it is only then we find it missing from the bottom of the whiteboard. When the whiteboard was first invented, markers were used to write on it. At first, people used tissue and cloth to erase the marked lines, formulae and writing. It was soon found to be much of a hassle, as more often than not, the cloth would be missing, or it was really dirty. At some point, we would find that the cloth would become a filthy rag, and would be abused by the students who throw it at their peers. The solution for that was none other than tissue paper. How ingenious it seemed at that point of time! However, as global warming, recycling, forest conservation and littering issues started to be made known to the public, it suddenly dawned on people that maybe it wasn’t such a great idea after all.
In the summer of 1995, a brilliant Economics teacher finally came up with a method to clean the whiteboard effectively. Dubbed as the father of ingenious learning, this man (who is still called as such, simply because no one knows who he really is) had taken great pains to invent something that would change the way we cleaned our whiteboards, forever. He had taken an old broken spectacle case and stuffed it with cloth. Try to envision with me now, this man (let’s just call him John), taking his old broken-into-half spectacle case, stuffing cloth into it, was the innovator of one of the most used yet ignored items in today’s classrooms. The idea was suddenly widespread! Soon, the first whiteboard eraser was patented, and was mass produced shortly after. The birth of the whiteboard eraser, a huge advancement for all of mankind’s learning.
There are so many kinds of whiteboard erasers today. As of recent, we have seen many improvements made to John’s model. For example, some erasers can now hold markers! Also, magnets have been placed on the back of the erasers to enable them to stick to the board, providing greater convenience for the user. With the sudden growth of China, we have seen much reproduction of the same item, although it lacks creativity or any logic. What I don’t really understand however, is why we have stopped improving John’s model. Such ingenuity should be passed on, no?
China has greatly aided in the globalization we now see in the world. Much more people now have whiteboard erasers to use, with as many as 15 million such products being produced every single day! But the question that is left hanging in my head is: why isn’t it improving anymore? We have seen the slight modifications done to the erasers, but why can’t it be improved further? I'm sure much more can be done, and much work can be applied to bring out the potential in John’s model and its successors. For one, the current whiteboard eraser I now have has magnets on its back. Why didn’t anyone think of putting the magnets into the cloth, so that the front, which is the part used to clean the board, is stuck onto the board instead? Then I wouldn’t have to dirty my hands by grabbing the dirty cloth part of the duster just to use it. Why, this defeats the whole purpose of inventing the eraser! The irony of it all.
If the purpose of an invention is defeated, it no longer has a purpose, and its reason is lost. By contradicting its objective, we are indirectly insulting and disrespecting the inventor. We should definitely do something about this problem, and I think the only way is for creative intervention to come into play, overpowering the forces of blind mass production.
In conclusion, I personally feel that inventors and change makers should consider the rationale behind something before attempting to make a change. Don’t jump right into things just because at first glance it seems novel. Think, before you act.
Thank you for your time.
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This topic doesn't seem to belong here. Anyway, it is neither cheap or easy to come out with invention. It is also not because inventors never think before they invent. Most of the time it is because people think too much and never act!
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10 words summary can?
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<ahem> How is Lee Kuan Yew involved in this, please?
P.S. This thread was first in Speakers Corner.
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I know it seems irrelevant here. But well, I actually wrote this about the lift upgrading going on and all.
http://todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC090714-0000082/Opposition-wards-get-LUP-invite
You see, I live in a EA HDB. The flats in my block were meant to be for 3 generations under one roof, meaning the grans, the working adults and the kids. Unfortunately, even after much upgrading for HDBs, my flat was left out. This left me pondering quite a bit actually. My flat does not have even a single lift, and at 4 storeys high, though not much to young people, it is quite a climb, especially if you have the elderly and very young kids living there. Despite the mass upgrading of lifts, isn't the point of lift upgrading totally missed if it doesn't help the initial target group of people? I am referring to the people who need it most, which would be the very young and the elderly.
Just like the whiteboard eraser, lift upgrading was a great idea. Unfortunately, its purpose has been lost to some extent.
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since when did whiteboard eraser=lift upgrading?
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is this a threat?
u telling me u got all our ip address n names on a whiteboard viewed by your team in some gov building is it?
u threaten to wipe us off so easily like a whiteboard marker thing?
we arent white board ink....we are more permanent than permanent ink!more like words riveted to yer dumb board!
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What? I was just drawing a parallel. And terminator, its meant to voice my disatisfaction of the lift upgrading scheme.
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Originally posted by tERMINATOR20000000:
is this a threat?
u telling me u got all our ip address n names on a whiteboard viewed by your team in some gov building is it?
u threaten to wipe us off so easily like a whiteboard marker thing?
we arent white board ink....we are more permanent than permanent ink!more like words riveted to yer dumb board!
wha!!, no joke, terminator also can get angry hor. Use Delete All lah, so troublesome -
Originally posted by Skyeos:
What? I was just drawing a parallel. And terminator, its meant to voice my disatisfaction of the lift upgrading scheme.
what is the problem with lift upgrading scheme, nowaday govt give what, you better take it, otherwise after the election, there will be nothing to take but give only, so be glad that they are uplifting the lift, even if they dun want to do it, you also tiam tiam.Uplift bra