So, this morning I was thinking about dry erase markers.
For those whose profession doesn't demand much interaction with these writing utensils, there are a couple things you need to know:
1-They are so much better than chalk.
2-But they die much more quickly than chalk.
3- Especially when used on a cheap dry erase board.
4-UGA has cheap dry erase boards.
Presumably, this was an effort to save UGA money. Those of us who can do basic math know, however, that buying one more expensive board, which will last five times as long as its cheap alternative, will ultimately save you more money. And it won't destroy my dry erase markers so quickly, which will save me money, too.
So that is the background information; here's what I was thinking about this morning:
On Tuesday, I somewhat accidentally kept a brand-new dry erase marker that I found in one of my classrooms.
Okay, I did it on purpose because I had left all my markers at home except for one, which the UGA dry erase boards had already bled to death. I tried to justfiy my actions by recalling all the markers I have accidentally left in classrooms that had disappeared when I went to retrieve them.
This brand-new marker then, without warning, began to die a slow and streaky death as I tried to write my students' homework on the board this morning, a mere two days after its very first use.
Then I thought of how the wands in Harry Potter could recognize their true owners and never worked quite as well for other wizards.
(At this point I'd like to point out that it was barely 8:00, and I hadn't had time to finish my coffee this morning. And maybe deep down I do consider myself a wizard who, with my trusty dry erase markers, can magically impart learning to unwilling and oblivious students.)
For a moment, I almost believed that, like a magic wand, this particular marker knew I wasn't its true owner, and, in accordance with some cosmic code of justice regarding stolen teaching resources, it was sabotaging my attempt to write my students' homework on the board. I kind of liked the idea because I think I have stolen far fewer markers than have been stolen from me....
Then, I decided, "No, it's just these cheap dry erase boards at UGA."
And as I was blogging about this whole thinking process, I realized that the real question is not, "Why do dry erase markers die so fast?"
The real question is, "Why in the world are they called 'dry erase' markers?" Last time I checked, chalk uses a dry eraser, too.
sometimes sweet. sometimes sour.
6 comments:
Did you realize, that if you put a link on facebook to your blog, people will start reading it again! ;) Very cool observation. I have a dry erase board in my office, and my problem isn't markers dying, it's that they won't erase. Boo.
i've had that problem, too! ironically, the trick sometimes is to buy that dry erase board cleaner spray, which then makes the whole process of erasing NOT DRY.
Jenna! You are back here. Good. Good to read you. I miss you, my friend! I'll be in Athens second week of May. Will you be around?
i will do everything in my power to be around that week! i should be anyway because grades will be due...
Heck yes. You should start a petition. Stage a sit-in. Call for a peaceful demonstration. (as long as you also promise to ask for fingernail brushes in the bathrooms to get the gunk out from under our nails after using those things!)
you, my friend, are very creative :)!!! what a joy to read your posts! the true question should be, "why do we steal stuff and feel the need to justify it? :)" i do the SAME thing!
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