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1440
The Printing Press
Link text Before the invention of the printing press, all educational reading materials were prohibitively expensive; they had to be handwritten and were usually gilded with ornate designs. The individuals who made them were almost always catholic monks, so the only perspectives available on paper were those of the catholic church. Most scholars believe that this invention played an important part in the protestant reformation. -
The Slide Rule
The Slide Rule was first introduced in 1654 by Robert Bissaker. It was the first version of the modern calculator, and remained in use in some classrooms until the 1970s. -
The Pencil
https://pencils.com/pencil-history/ Nuremberg, Germany was the birthplace of the first mass-produced pencils in 1662. Individuals had been using graphite wrapped in string since the Roman era to make barely readable notes on papyrus, but more readable and inexpensive iterations were made during this time. -
The Chalkboard
https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/reference-material/the-history-of-the-classroom-blackboard/ James Pillans invents the first modern chalk board by mounting a large piece of slate on his classroom wall, thus allowing him to only write in one place in a font large enough for all to see. In a time when paper was expensive and many students were required to copy the words of their teachers on pieces of wood, the simple invention was revolutionary. -
The Typewriter
The first typewriter was built by the Italian inventor Pellegrino Turri in 1808 for his blind friend Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzano. It was not commercially available until 1870. The invention served its purpose as a way to assist in the education and communication of the visually impaired, but it obviously was of great use to many others. Many people believe the invention lead to more lower income women staying in school to learn to type, instead of becoming factory workers. -
The Radio
The radio was used to broadcast lessons from one part of the world to another. Now people all over the country were able to hear the words of experts they may never have encountered in their whole life time. The school board in New York City was the first to use the radio for this purpose. -
The Film Projector
http://www.mavam.com/lance/theatre_slides.pdf
The film projector played audio over still images which had to be changed manually by a teacher or presenter. This invention made the lives of teachers much easier, and allowed students to view photos of real world occurrences as they learned about them. -
The Overhead Projector
This technology was invented to explain battle plans to officers in the military during World War 2. It soon became used in classroom all over the world because it allowed teachers to mark pictures without permanently damaging them. -
Headphones
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-partial-history-of-headphones-4693742/
Students did not have to read to study independently anymore. Now auditory learners were able to review recorded lectures on their own. Headphones were not portable at this time and had to be placed in "language labs" which typically only existed in school libraries. -
The Photocopier
This was revolutionary for teachers. They no longer needed to waste time by copying homework problems on the board, and then waiting for students to copy them down, or spend tons of money on hundreds of copies from publishers. Now worksheets and readings could be distributed quickly, easily and cheaply. -
Microfilm
The device was used in libraries to search through newspaper archives and other publications for research. Only recently have archives become digitized, leaving microfilm obsolete. -
The Calculator
Finally, students were able to perform more complicated mathematical calculations at a faster pace. This was one of the most controversial pieces of technology to ever enter the classroom. Parents everywhere were concerned that students would never learn long division. To the chagrin of students everywhere, the parents were wrong. -
The Scantron
The scantron made it easier to grade exams quickly and accurately, improving the ability of school districts to collect data on student performance and achievement. The invention had the unintended consequence of massive increases in national and statewide high stakes testing. Tests are now being moved to online mediums, so this would have occurred eventually anyways. -
The Desktop Computer
Apple released the Apple II desktop computer which allowed students to learn using computer games. Content was accessed through floppy disks because the early desktops did not have internet access. Students were able to type reports and soon the typewriter became obsolete. -
The Internet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8K49dD52WA
Before this time only NASA was able to access this interconnected web of communication. Soon, information could be shared across borders with the entire world with just a couple of clicks. The internet would move from ethernet to wifi, improving in speed and availability. -
The ipad
With the invention of the first tablet, teachers were able to use software designed to assist all students in learning a variety of ways. Students are able to review materials at any given time in their preferred medium.
