Are chalkboards going the way of the ditto sheet (aka mimeograph)? The dusty boards in San Jose Unified are going to be replaced with whiteboards. Newer schools have them built in already. Chalk dust is wreaking havoc on computers, but students also complain of headaches from whiteboard markers. Some teachers say that the experience of chalk on a board helps kinesthetic learners better retain the knowledge. What’s next? Perhaps networked computer tablets at each desk so students can write on the “board” without leaving their seats. No chalk or fumes to deal with there. (CORRECTION: Mike Gunderloy has informed me: “Ditto/spirit duplicator is not at all the same process as Mimeograph. The first uses solvents to transfer bits of ink from a master directly to the paper, the second forces ink through holes in a wax-coated stencil on to the paper.” I suspect you may see some relevant links on his weblog soon.)