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My Birth
I was born in Italy. -
95% of Schools have Internet
By 1999 95 percent of schools were wired with internet. This can be credited to Bill Clinton's Telecummunication Act which gave schools a discount on purchasing computers. -
DVD players become affordable
DVD players becoming more affordable made offering movies and videos in the classroom more widely offered. Everyone who was raised in the 2000s remembers the TV on wheels being in the room and the excitement they felt. -
The popularity of the Computer Lab
In the early 2000's the computer lab took off. I remember how exciting it was to visit the computer lap once or twice a week. -
Creation and Popularity of the App Store
The app store was launched in 2008. Apps became popular ways to supplement reading practice at home and school. -
Lego Robotics
Lego has been working and introducing robotic elements for schools and individuals for over 40 years. In the last twenty, they have become popular with the stem movement. I have taught the Lego WeDo program during summer school for four years now and the kids love using it to learn coding. -
Cellphones in the classroom
Cellphones have been an issue in the classroom since their creation and growth in popularity. By 2009, 91% of schools had bans or restrictions on cellphone use in schools. I got my first cell phone in middle school and loved it but remember having to keep it in my backpack. -
Online Education Becomes Mainstream
In 2010 online learning began to really take off. In 2018 one-third of higher education students take at least one online class. -
Gamification in Education
In the 2010s the popularity of gameification with technology grew exponentially with websites such as Kahoot. -
The First Viturally Assistant
Siri was released in 2011 as the first virtual assistant. -
Smartphones
In the last fifteen years, smartphones have advanced and become whole computers in the palm of your hand. Getting my first smartphone was so exciting but also helpful. I often used it to check the spelling of my writing when using paper pencil. -
Smartwatches
The rise of smartwatches added a new hurdle to teaching. Now smartwatches are everywhere and even kindergartners have them. I got my first smart watch when I graduated high school and found it very helpful but also distracting. -
The Creation ChatGPT
ChatGPT has developed through many interactions over years of research and adaptations. The ability for it to create code and language by using Deep Learning. -
Covid and the shift to online learning
In 2020 the global pandemic led to many schools going to online learning and becoming one-to-one with devices. -
Interactive Boards
Interactive boards are everywhere now. They developed from projectors into interactive boards that can be used as computers. Two years ago my classroom Smartboard was upgraded into a Smart Panel. This is like having a giant tablet on the wall. -
The future of Virtual Reality
Virtual reality or VR is currently limited to headsets and very expensive to introduce into schools. I believe in the next five years they will become more affordable and we will see the introduction of more interactive elements. Maybe even see it brought into gym classes.