The image of a slate chalkboard is synonymous with a one-room schoolhouse. School buildings housed students of all ages and stages of learning. With the advent of industrialization, the economy of educating students together in one location became a  cultural necessity.

The one-room school house is characteristic of the pioneer times of North America, where portability of materials would require items to be small, lightweight and compact. “In the late 18th and early 19th century, such “slateboards” were commonly used in schools. In those days paper was expensive and hard to come by, so these mini slate blackboards provided a good substitute.” (Fernley, 2008)

With the arrival of cheaper printing processes and large scale mechanization of paper production, schools realized the economy of this writing tool.  This transition occurred as education moved to larger school buildings and school populations. The industrialization of education enabled the incorporation of the new technology of paper and pencil into the classroom.

Tools and Technologies of Slate and Notebook