The History of Technology in Education

The Pencil

1564

The pencil dates back to 1564, but it wasn't massed produced until 1900. The pencil replaced the slate and chalk which made it easier to give homework.

Slate and Chalk

1801

Paper was really expensive for families and school districts in the 1800s. Personal slates and chalk provided a less costly way to write and allowed for students to erase any mistakes that were made.

Magic Lantern

1870

The magic lantern is the first version of the projector. The magic lantern projected images onto walls from glass plates. The magic lantern gained in popularity and near the end of World War I Chicago public schools had about 8,000 lantern slides.

Typewriter

1873

Christopher L. Sholes was credited with first showing the typewriter in 1873. The typewriter only had capital letters, but by the end of the 1800s, other models appeared with both upper case and lower case leeters.

Radio

1925

The radio provided a way for schools to send lessons from a radio station. The first to do so was New York City's Board of Education and over a period of decades, lessons sent over the airways was the first type of distance learning.

Overhead Projector

1930

Teachers used the overhead projector to write ideas on reusable sheets while facing the class rather than writing on a chalkboard facing away from the class.

Videotape

1951

The first video demonstration was shown in California. Videotapes allowed schools to provide visual and audio learning to students. In the past, it was still frames, but videotapes created a movie theater setting. Teachers utilized videotapes in the classroom by showing documentaries and films.

Personal Computer

1980

At first the personal computer was just a step past the typewriter, but it has evolved into much more especially in the online learning environment.

World Wide Web

1990

The World Wide Web was invented in 1990, but was not released to the general public until 1993. All connections were dial up and slow because telephone lines were used and it also couldn't handle video. This technology changed the world by giving access to information and people from around the world.

Predictive Learning Analytics

2019

Predictive Learning Analytics gather vast amounts of data for use in the classroom. It helps educators to know where to put resources, change workflows, or target training. It also helps teachers to know if students are going to complete a course.