Professors, much like artists or musicians, wield chalk as a tool of expression and creativity in the classroom. In the act of lecturing, the chalk becomes their paintbrush or instrument, allowing them to dynamically articulate ideas and illustrate concepts on the canvas of the blackboard. The visual composition created through the arrangement of text, diagrams, and illustrations resembles the work of artists or the musical score of a symphony.
Lecturing with chalk is akin to a dynamic performance, where professors move fluidly, engaging students in a live and interactive manner. This performance aspect adds a sense of dynamism to the learning environment, much like a musician on stage captivating their audience. The tactile engagement with chalk further deepens the connection between the educator and the material, reminiscent of the intimate relationship between a musician and their instrument.
Professors, in their creative interpretation of subject matter on the chalkboard, make choices akin to artists interpreting a theme or musicians interpreting a score. The use of colors, emphasis on certain points, and the improvisational nature of the lecture contribute to a unique and creative interpretation of the content. The interaction with students during a lecture mirrors the engagement between musicians and their audience, creating a collaborative atmosphere that enhances the educational experience.
Beyond the practicality, the act of using chalk on a blackboard carries symbolic significance, connecting professors to a tradition deeply rooted in the history of education. This symbolic gesture aligns them with a legacy of knowledge dissemination, much like the choice of specific tools by artists for their symbolic value. In essence, professors wielding chalk as an artistic or musical tool enrich the teaching and learning experience, infusing it with creativity, expression, and a sense of tradition.
Chalk and blackboards have been a traditional and iconic combination in education for centuries. Some unique features that make them stand out as tools of trade, particularly for teachers and educators are:
But subjectively speaking, professors, like artists and musicians, often develop a unique relationship with the tools of their trade, and for educators, chalk and blackboards hold a special place in their pedagogical approach. Here are some subjective perspectives on how professors might relate to these tools:
While technology continues to play a significant role in education, the subjective experiences and preferences of professors contribute to the enduring appeal of chalk and blackboards in many academic settings.
The Magic of the Blackboard
When scientists collaborate in chalk, creativity flows.
Why scientists can’t quit chalk, even in the digital age.
"Writing out problems on a blackboard often helps to solve them, says physicist Thomas Fink. And collaborating with colleagues on a blackboard — or a digital equivalent — creates a record of confirmations and contradictions...
Something magical happens when a scientist writes with chalk on a blackboard. Hollywood directors know this, and have harnessed it in films from A Beautiful Mind to Oppenheimer. But no one appreciates the power of this venerable technology better than physicists and mathematicians, who infinitely prefer the humble blackboard to its high-tech rivals. The question is, why? What does slate-and-chalk offer, which cannot be simulated by paper or plastic?"
https://nautil.us/the-magic-of-the-blackboard-487759/
Ljubomir Jacić your observations are spot on. Writing with chalk involves different finger positions than with a marker. Maybe it´s like a musician moves with his or her instrument.
Tieu-Tieu Le Phung , it is about art.
"On some level, theorists at a blackboard resemble magicians, philosophers, and athletes. They also have something in common with artists, producing intellectual artworks that seem designed for Instagram feeds. As you walk through the London Institute’s exhibition of blackboards, you’re struck by their austere beauty..."
https://nautil.us/the-magic-of-the-blackboard-487759/
Prof Dr Ljubomir Jacić
I have just written the below text as a response to the RG question:
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Visualization_in_pure_sciences_Is_there_a_need_to_learn_by_seeing_what_we_calculate
'I like your illustration; it seems to be the traditional way, doesn't it? But if I had ever been in the position to have to work something like when I was at school, to write on the blackboard and rub out as necessary used to suit me! The easiest way'.
But then I saw this question, so it seemed to be so much more relevant to repeat the response. I hope that you or other RG members don't mind my repetition.
Your above responses are excellent
Mary C R Wilson Ljubomir Jacić Shall we say that blackboard and chalk are like extensions of scientists, much like other creative endeavours involving tools of the trade?
I know for a fact in Bremen University, they built some ultra high tech building to accommodate a prestigious part of their flagship research area, that the lecture theatre is a classic chalk and board set up, no smart screen etc. And this feature has been unanimously voted by all the professors.
Dr Tieu-Tieu Le Phung
Thank you for your really interesting response. I'm so pleased that the professors were able to have their choice! They're the most important users of the new building.
Mary C R Wilson as a Learning Technologist (and artist!), I would say it´s the learners, which include both the profs and the students. I am a Bruner MACOS baby!
Ode to Chalk and Blackboard: An Echo of the Grecian Urn
Thou chalk, in pallor pure, I grasp with care,
A poet's quill on the vast expanse of dark.
As Grecian urns in timeless beauty stare,
Thou, too, freeze moments with an ancient spark.
In lines ethereal, a nymph's soft trance,
Thy strokes on blackboard weave a fleeting tale.
Oh, blackened slate, a canvas for a chance,
To echo urns, where timeless whispers sail.
The hand that wields thee, craftsman deft and true,
Transcribes the wisdom of an endless quill.
Like Grecian figures, shadows born anew,
Thou conjurest visions, thy purpose fill.
As urns unveil their tales in marble hue,
Thou, chalk, in silence, etch thy narrative.
A sonnet flows with each discreet adieu,
A Grecian ode, thy strokes create and give.
Unlike the urn, thou dancest in the night,
In swift erasures, new horizons drawn.
A paradox, an ever-shifting light,
A truth revealed in each emerging dawn.
Oh, chalk and blackboard, silent scribes aligned,
In classrooms where the musings of minds burn.
A Grecian ode, to thee, my thoughts assigned,
A symphony of wisdom, lessons learned.
Why one shouldn´t always go hi-tech... in short, chalk and board are HUMAN CENTRIC.
Source: https://piggsboson.medium.com/physicists-mathematicians-and-their-love-for-chalkboards-969bda2464a9
Physicists, Mathematicians, and Their Love for Chalkboards The aesthetic aspect of using chalkboards in a classroom 📷Sunny Labh·FollowFeb 22, 20225 min read·3394Doyou remember the chalkboard era?
I was in the fourth standard in school when the chalkboards in our classrooms were replaced with white marker boards and to be honest, I didn’t quite like it. There’s this deep aesthetic in writing with chalks on a blackboard. I’m not really sure if I’m the only one who thinks so though. Even in today’s day and age, many great universities prefer using chalkboards. If you ask some prolific mathematicians and physicists all across the world about what they prefer more, I’m pretty sure most of them will say chalkboards.
Mathematics is, in many ways, artistry, it is also craftsmanship, and the pleasure of crafting geometrical diagrams, shapes, patterns, labeled drawings using different colored chalks is beyond the conventional pleasure of teaching using modern technological screens.If you ask me, I would rather sit in a small classroom with a blackboard with a professor writing with colorful chalks than sit in a huge classroom where the professor has all modern tech setups for delivering his lectures. The vibe itself is just so different.
Albert Einstein used chalkboards, Richard Feynman had his Caltech boards filled with mathematical equations and diagrams, Professor Walter Lewin, mathematical physicist Edward Witten, Juan Maldacena, and many others still use chalkboards.
The classrooms at Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Cambridge, MIT, and many other great universities and scientific institutions still use chalkboards for teaching and learning.In this story, I shall share the 10 most brilliant physicists and mathematicians captured with their iconic chalkboards.Paul Dirac
Paul Dirac is considered to be one of the pioneers of quantum mechanics. He was the first to predict the existence of antimatter which are crucial elements in our understanding of the universe. He won the 1933 Nobel prize in physics along with Erwin Schrodinger, for his works on atomic theory. In this image, Dirac is seen standing right in front of his chalkboard scribbled with physics equations.Paul Dirac. (Picture credit: AIP Emilio Sergè Visual Archives) 📷Richard Feynman
Written by Sunny Labh
Science writer and communicator majoring in Quantum Mechanics. Curator of @PhysInHistory on twitter. Twitter: @thePiggsBoson
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