a writing board

It looks like a whiteboard, WB, as opposed to the old fashioned/obsolete blackboard.



It depends on the thing and the process. A screen is 'rolled up', a rigid whiteboard could be retracted/put back/ [there are others that escape me now] if it was done with an electrically powered/mechanical motion.

If it is/was done by hand it would simply be 'pushed up'. Is there a space for the whiteboard to disappear into?

Thank you, JTT.

um...I was referring to something like this: in a lecture theatre, every seat is equipped with a board like thing vertically positioned, and after sitting down, the sitter can 'turn up' this board like thing to write things on paper on. What do native speakers call it?

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/drop%20leaf

For what it's worth WB , here's how found the term

http://onelook.com/?w=*&loc=revfp2&clue=board+hinged+chair+writing

Oooooh I see, WB. I was completely out to lunch, wasn't I?

1. There is a board near a lecture theatre seat, what do native speakers call it? Is it a 'writing board'?

My fault, but this may have made your directions more explicit.

1. There is a board attached to each theater lecture seat, what do native speakers call it? Is it a 'writing board'?

I really don't know what they're called.

'turn up your drop leaf' would certainly be a possibility, as would 'bring up that thingy there'. The reverse - put back/fold down/return one's drop leaf to the storage position.

Or maybe in this case "fold up" or "fold out"

What's wrong with "raise" and "lower"?

Nothing at all. Damn good suggestions, C.

We used to call such a thing a "writing surface" as in:
"Students, please put your your writing surfaces in place, open your SAT envelopes and prepare to begin at my signal."

Also known as "desk top", 'work space', "work area" and (slang) "drop top".

Different teachers used different terms.

Joe(That was fifty years ago)Nation