Technology has always been at the PRIME of human education. From the days of carving figures on rock walls to today, when most learners are equipped with several portable technological devices at any given time, technology continues to improve educational capabilities to high levels. In looking at where educational methods and tools have come from to where they are going in the future, technology’s importance in the classroom is evident now more than ever.Below is the list of the technology across the years.
1.In the Colonial years, wooden paddles with printed lessons, called Horn-Books, were used to assist students in learning verses. Over 200 years later, in 1870, technology advanced to include the Magic Lantern, a primitive version of a slide projector that projected images printed on glass plates. By the time World War I ended, around 8,000 lantern slides were circulating through the Chicago public school system. By the time the Chalkboard came around in 1890, followed by the pencil in 1900, it was clear that students were hungry for more advanced educational tools.
- Radio in the 1920s sparked an entirely new wave of learning; on-air classes began popping up for any student within listening range.
- Next came the overhead projectorin 1930, followed by the ballpoint pen in 1940 and headphones in 1950.
- Videotapes arrived on the scene in 1951, creating a new and exciting method of instruction.
The Skinner Teaching Machine produced a combined system of teaching and testing, providing reinforcement for correct answers so that the student can move on to the next lesson.
- The photocopier (1959) and handheld calculator (1972) entered the classrooms next, allowing for mass production of material on the fly and quick mathematical calculations.
- The Scantron system of testing, introduced by Michael Sokolski n 1972, allowed educators to grade tests more quickly and efficiently.
- Although the first computers were developed in the ‘30s, everyday-use computers were introduced in the ‘80s. The first portable computer, in 1981, weighed 24 pounds and cost $1,795. When IBM introduced its first personal computer in 1981, the educational world knew that it was on the verge of greatness. Toshiba released its first mass-market consumer laptop in 1985 (the T1100), and Apple’s infamous Mac(which later evolved into the Powerbook) was available starting in 1984.
- In 1990, The World Wide Web was given life when a British researcher developed Hyper Text Markup Language, or HTML, and when the National Science Foundation(NSF) removed restrictions on the commercial use of the Internet in 1993, the world exploded into a frenzy of newfound research and communication methods.
- The first Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were released by Apple Computer Inc. in 1993, and with that, computers were a part of every day, if not every moment.
By 2009, 97% of classrooms had one or more computers, and 93% of classroom computers had Internet access. For every 5 students, there was one computer. Instructors stated that 40% of students used computers often in their educational methods, in addition to interactive whiteboards and digital cameras. College students nowadays are rarely without some form of computer technology: 83% own a laptop, and over 50% have a Smartphone.
http://online.purdue.edu/ldt/learning-design-technology/resources/evolution-technology-classroom
By: Mrs. Gloperlyn Chavez | Teacher I | BNHS-SHS | Balanga City, Bataan
