History of Educational Technology Timeline- EME4406

Johannes Guttenberg created the movable type printing press that allowed books to be created faster since they would not need to be copied by hand. this allowed the proliferation of knowledge to spread faster than ever before and allowed education to begin to take shape.

The primer was one of the first printed books for students. Containing 24 letters of the alphabet the book would accompany each letter with a picture and a brief descriptive phrase. Although it did attempt to serve a religious purpose, this was one of the first ways that education was standardized across the country using technology so that every student could learn the alphabet in a creative way. Check out this short video about the Primer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FXAviZoYCU

A new method of teaching began with he introduction of the sandbox in the classroom. Students were able to spell out words and learn the alphabet while the teachers were able to facilitate and monitor the students. They were the most affordable pice of educational technology at the time and were extremely popular to teach students to write and learn in an efficient way. Check out this video about how the sandbox worked! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eSGwrCaHDM

The blackboard and chalk became one of the easiest ways for teachers to present information to students in the classroom. Horace mann encouraged teachers to use this piece of technology for whole group instruction to improve the overall efficiency of the classroom and allow students to absorb more information in a short amount of time. This is one of the few examples of pieces of technology that are still in use in classrooms today, although its noise might make some cringe in the process.

The Magic Lantern was the first slide projector invented in the late 19th century. Before the end of World War One, the lanterns were in over 8,000 classrooms across the county. this allowed teachers to project information to the entire class without having to write it down, continuing to improve the overall efficiency in the American classroom. Here is a video on how this amazing piece of technology worked. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DOXsRjP2-E

The first functioning typewriter was sold in 1873 and starting making appearances in classrooms in the 1920s. Rather than taking time to write information out, teachers were able to use typewriters to help students improve writing skills and prepare them for the business world. Although very expensive for the classroom, the typewriter offered an excellent alternative to traditional paper writing. Check out this video on how the typewriter worked. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkUXn5bOwzk

In 1902, Charles Urban in London developed the first educational film. In an effort to provide standard, high quality education to students across the country, and films were an efficient and great way to present information to students. By 1910, over 1,000 educational films were created for educational use and has continued today as an extremely engaging way to present information to students. Check out one of the first educational videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7F3p_xXTfk

In 1923, a Harlem classroom was one of the first to use radio as a form of extending education beyond traditional lecturing. With falling prices, more schools were able to acquire radios, allowing students to hear current events, and lesson plans through the waves. Eventually, radio began to fall by the wayside to film, but was still a revolutionary piece of educational technology . Here is a video from the first ever radio broadcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC_mgp6BJtU

The first personal computer was invented in 1975 and started to make their way to classrooms to revolutionize education as a whole. Croat donations from companies such as IBM allowed schools across the country to have access to this machine. Beyond teaching basic skills, computers began to evolve and became an integral part of the classroom curriculum, allowing students to learn from anywhere. Here is a video on the befits of computers in the classroom.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK1g57Sn3Dg

When the internet was launched, the way education was conducted changed forever. Worth the ability to obtain information quickly, students and teachers could connect with their content in ways nobody could ever imagine. Now, with online classes and textbooks, learning can be done online only, or can be integrated into in class lessons. The number of educational tools avail be on the internet are endless and can open up educational technology to so many new places with new programs and software.