Hi! My name is Theo and this is a story about the day everything changed in my classroom.

See that big chalkboard on the wall. That's where my teacher, Mrs. Lee, used to write lesson notes for me and my classmates to copy down in notebooks. 

I didn't love the chalkboard. Some kids were allergic to the chalk dust and it would make them sneeze. 

Also, Mrs. Lee is kind of short and couldn't reach the top of the chalkboard, so a lot of space was wasted. Not to mention the fact that Mrs. Lee always seemed to be in the way of what we were trying to copy down from the chalkboard!

When Mrs. Lee ran out of space, she had to erase everything quickly and write on top of a now messy board.

Then one day, Mrs. Lee had a very peculiar piece of technology, sitting on a rolling metal cart in the center of the classroom. My classmates and I were quite curious. What is this thing?

She told us that it was called an overhead projector, then she turned out the lights!

 Source: https://osa.magnet.fsu.edu/terms/instruments.html

When she explained how it worked she said, "The overhead projector displays images from transparencies that I lay on this platform. Below the platform, there is either an elliptical mirror or a plastic Fresnel lens that creates an image to project. Then a 45-degree mirror, positioned either above or below the lens, redirects the vertical beam of light horizontally toward the wall or chalk board so that you can see the image that is on the platform."

I found the science of it fascinating!

The overhead projector quickly became the hero of our classroom. Mrs. Lee used it to illustrate math problems, share fascinating stories, and showcase beautiful maps. Now she can photocopy anything onto a transparency for us to see on the board. 

Once, I saw another teacher sharing her overhead transparencies with Mrs. Lee. I bet it made it easy for Mrs. Lee to prepare lessons ahead of time for substitute teachers too!

The impact on my education has been remarkable. The dim lights along with the words and images projected overhead, capture my attention, making it easier for me to focus and understand complex ideas. 

I find myself eagerly participating in class discussions, my eyes fixed on the vivid images displayed by the overhead projector. Learning became an adventure, and every lesson feels like a journey through the light and into the unknown.

Not everything was amazing, all the time though. Sometimes, Mrs. Lee moved too quickly through the prepared overhead transparencies. Some kids found it hard to keep up with copying the lesson notes.

Also, all that plastic probably isn't very good for the environment.

Mostly though, my story with the overhead projector is one of gratitude. Thanks to Mrs. Lee and that mysterious machine, I was introduced to a new way of learning and I embraced the bright lessons that shaped my journey through school. 

Little did I know, that overhead projectors would be replaced by Interactive boards! But that is a story for another day!

Turn the page to learn more...

Did you know?

Real Photos

Glossary   

C

chalkboard   a large board with a smooth black or dark green surface that teachers write on with a piece of chalk

E

elliptical mirror curved mirrors that can redirect light from one spot to another without using extra parts.

I

Interactive board  an interactive tool for teachers and students that allows users to edit and annotate directly on the screen with a stylus or their finger. It connects to a computer and can project anything seen on the computer including videos.

O

overhead projector a piece of equipment that projects an image onto a wall or screen so that many people can see it.

T

transparency   is a thin sheet of transparent flexible material, typically polyester, onto which figures can be drawn. 

    A Christmas Carol: Summary, characters, setting. (2011, June 8). SchoolWorkHelper. https://schoolworkhelper.net/a-christmas-carol-summary-characters-setting/

    Clip art: Overhead projector color I abcteach.com. (2008, August 26). Abcteach. https://www.abcteach.com/resource/clip-art-overhead-projector-color/

    History of the classroom blackboard. (2020, May 20). Resilient Educator. https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/the-history-of-the-classroomblackboard/

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 Muttappallymyalil, J. (2016, October 3). Evolution of technology in teaching: Blackboard and beyond in medical education. PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5082488/

 Optical Society of America. (2008). Terms/Definitions: Optical instruments and systems. Exploring the Science of Light. https://osa.magnet.fsu.edu/terms/instruments.html

Overhead projector. (2023, October 18). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overhead_projector

Overhead projector. (2023, October 18). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved October 25, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overhead_projector