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Syms Free School Established
Benjamin Syms establishes the first free public school in America, in order to educate the poor. Syms could not read or write himself, but donated 200 acres of land and profits from the sale of cattle to be used to build a school. The Syms School was thought by many to be the forerunner of the American public school system. Gainer, M. (2015, March 4). Syms Free School Site. Retrieved August 30, 2015, from http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Syms_Free_School_Site -
John Locke Publishes his Essay Concerning Human Understanding
John Locke, a famous 17th Century Philosopher, publishes his famous Essay in which he presents his theory that humans are born with their mind a "blank slate" and that they learn by experience. His philosophy was incorporated into the curriculum at Oxford and Cambridge, and was believed to lay the foundation for much of English-language philosophy in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Connolly, P. (n.d.). John Locke. Retrieved August 30, 2015, from http://www.iep.utm.edu/locke/#H6 -
Christian von Wolff, a Rationalist Philosopher of the German Enlightenment, Establishes the Doctrine of Faculty Psychology
Faculty Psychology is the theory that the human mind is seperate from the physical body and consists of three powers, including the will, emotions, and intellect. Von Wolff compared the mind to a muscle which we must exercise and strenghten through drill and repetition. This philosophy greatly influenced curriculum throughout the 19th century and beyond. Faculty Theory and Mental Discipline. (2014, March 25). Retrieved August 30, 2015, from http://www.eds-resources.com/facultytheory.htm -
Samuel Gridley Howe, an American Educator and Philanthropist, Establishes the Experimental School for Teaching and Training Idiotic Children
Samuel Gridley Howe had a heart for educating the disabled. After establishing a school for the blind, he soon became interested in the conditions and treatment of "idiots", and in 1848, he established the Experimental School for Teaching and Training Idiotic Children. This was the first school of it's kind in the U.S., and became a model educational facility in the field of Mental Retardation. Samuel Gridley Howe. (2014). Retrieved August 30, 2015, from www.nndb.com/people/360/000103051/ -
The Army Alpha and Beta Test is Created by the Committee on Psychological Examination of Recruits
This test was created to measure the ability of the military personal. The Alpha Test was used to measure their verbal and numerical ability, and the Beta Test was used to measure their non-verbal ability and was particularly helpful in evaluating the aptitude of the illiterate, unschooled, or non-English speakers. This test laid the groundwork for future standardized tests. History of Military Testing. (n.d.). Retrieved August 30, 2015, from http://official-asvab.com/history_res.htm -
The Computer Age Begins
The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), was the first general-purpose electronic computer ever introduced. It was constructed and operated at The Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. This computer opened the door to technology as we know it today, which we use everyday in education. ENIAC: Celebrating Penn Engineering History. (n.d.). Retrieved August 30, 2015, from http://www.seas.upenn.edu/about-seas/eniac/ -
Burrhus Frederic (B.F.) Skinner's Science and Human Behavior is Published
B.F. Skinner coined the term Operant Conditioning, which is the "changing of behavior by the use of reinforcement which is given after the desired response". He believed you can manage behavior through positive and negative reinforcements. This approach is still commonly used in classrooms today. McLeod, S. (2007). B.F. Skinner Operant Conditioning. Retrieved August 30, 2015, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html -
Texas Instruments Introduces it's First Electronic Hand-Held Calculator
Although this was not the first hand-held calculator, it was Texas Instrument's first of it's kind, and TI is one of the few early manufacturers that is still in the calculator market. Calculator's are important tools in education, because they allow students to compute advanced problems easier and more quickly. Tout, N. (n.d.). Texas Instruments TI-2500 "Datamath" & Similar Models. Retrieved August 30, 2015, from http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/texas_instruments_2500.html -
Congress passes the Education for All Handicapped Children Act
This act, later renamed Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA), allows children with disabilities the right to a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. This was very important in changing curriculum, because now teachers have to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students. Protigal, S. (1999). Public Law 94-142 - Education of All Handicapped Children Act. Retrived from http://www.scn.org/~bk269/94-142.html -
President Bush Signed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 Into Law
This Act requires every state to set standards for each grade level, as well as develop a system to measure each student's achievement of these standards. It has been controversial because many people believe that teachers are "dumbing down" their curriculum and are only "teaching to the test", in order to ensure that all students pass. A Guide to Education and No Child Left Behind. (2004, October). Retrieved August 30, 2015, from http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/guide/index.html
