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Christopher Scholes Invents QWERTY
After creating a successful typewriter, Christopher Scholes continued upon his work. One such improvement was the QWERTY key layout. At first this layout was created to prevent the excessive sticking of keys that users experience while using his typewriter. Needless to say that this was a success and computer keyboards world wide use the layout that Scholes created over 100 years ago and now it is used in the schools and the workforce as a tool of creating projects. -
IBM announces the first solid-state calculator
The IBM 608 is the first commercially available computer containing no vacuum tubes. The device is announced in April 1955, but is not released for sale until 1957. This device marks a change in direction for educational technology because students were able to accurately produce correct answers from a device that was designed for counting instead of using an abacus. -
Vocational Education Act
The VEA made it possible during the evolutionary process for people to ascertain the proper job traninging needed in order to sucessfully complete the job. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
ESEA (or some form of it) is still in effect today. Title grants are a component of ESEA. Title II grants fund many computer programs in education, since it has provisions for instructional materials. Title III funds innovation; many technology-driven programs are funded from this part of ESEA. -
Computer Aided Instruction begins to gain ground in schools
The early origins of e-Learning begin to catch on in the 1980's. Some courses are delivered via computer as students work through at their own pace. This also drives the development of the enormous infrastructure needed for educational technology. -
Ward Cunningham invents the Wiki
Wikis get a mixed reception in education, due in large part to the free-lance activity of Wikipedia. Wikis are used extensively in secondary education as a collaborative tool -
Google acquires Writely, aka GoogleDocs
Google Docs allows students to share files, live edit documents, presentations, & spreadsheets, and even chat as part of the editing process. Google Docs also keeps a revision histroy, allowing teachers to see which students did work on a document. Google Docs connects an email address to a document instead of the other way around. It simplifies collaboration between students and teachers. -
Apple releases the iPhone 2G
More and more school districts are installing infrastructure to support students' use of personal devices. Using devices like the iPhone, Android phone, and tablet, technology continues to become more and more pervasive in education. These devices continue to get smarter and cheaper.
