When I think about history of technology in education, I find myself thinking about the early 1900s. I think this is because so much has changed since that time and there are still people alive today who remember using a slate in school and now can use computers.
Educational Technology came into play during World War II, as the US military utilized films and media to train soldiers, which lead the ground work for the presentation software we have now (Educational Technology, 2019, para. 66). As time progressed, computers became more commonly used and in the 1980s, they became affordable bringing them into the home (TED, 2016, 0.13). In the 1980s and 1990s, education saw the arrival of Computer-based learning (CBL), introducing micro-worlds, and simulations (Educational Technology, 2019, para. 68). These new atmospheres increased the methods, which students could learn, allowing those who struggled with reading and writing to learn in ways that worked for them.
Today there are computers everywhere from our pockets to our cars, including in our classrooms. In his TedX Talk, Brown said “technology means that student of today have access to information that student of the past simply did not have” (Brown, 2016, 4:43); since he did that presentation technology has only advanced and more information is available. Educators can now welcome technology into the classroom to have having guest speakers from all over the world connect over the internet allowing students to hear from people living the situation rather than read about it in a report.
Slate boards where used in classrooms as early as the fourteenth century until the mid-twentieth century (Slate (Writing), 2019, para. 7), meaning that educational technology remained consistent over 500 years; over the last 100 years we have gone from using slates in the classroom to tablets. What will the history books say about the next 100 years?
Reference
Educational technology. (n.d.). In Edutechwiki. Retrieved September 8, 2019, from http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Educational_technology#A_short_history
TED. (2016, March 28). Redefining Learning & Teaching using Technology. | Jason Brown | TEDxNorwichED [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOTEQVYDPpg
Slate (writing). (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved September 8, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_(writing)
We have used technology since the first use of a stick in the sand drawing lines to describe how to hunt. The magic for me is in the ever increasing rate of change we have experienced (and continue to experience) in the last 70 years.
I am concerned that we can become so bemused by the technology that we lose sight of the learner.
As long as we use the technology to help the learners, they shouldn’t get lost. If the goal is the play with the new toys, that is another issue.
Kathy
You are right in your reference to ‘students of today have access to information that students in the past simply did not have’. EdTech has changed how we think and how we research information. As you said, computers are everywhere from our pockets to our cars. With that in mind, how can we, as educators, continue to move history forward so that more is achieved in the next 100 years than in the past 100 years? I’m thinking one answer may be to advocate the benefits of edtech whenever possible. Thoughts?
Caroline
Another approach is to use EdTech to achieve so much more learning than we could in the past and more than we are achieving today. A now quite old example is the degree to which the spreadsheet takes the scut work out of Statistics. Data is usually available electronically so we can concentrate much
more of our effort on the concepts.
I want to focus on the learning using the best tools available – always. EdTech is a stock in the sand, chalk on slate, Moodle… anything that enhances learning.
I think it will be hard to keep up this pace of change in technology. How much more can come that is new? I agree with your thoughts of advocating for educational technologies, and welcoming them as tools to enhance education.
Hi Kathy,
Super interesting that educational technology “took off” during World War II. Thank you for including your references, I was able to do a little more reading into this. It is unbelievable to think the level of technology we are utilizing in the classroom, especially compared to the 1980’s (which wasn’t that long ago). Even in our class, we see people all over the world connect and share, it is unbelievable to think about. I like your question regarding what the history books will say in 100 years. With the shift of technology used in post secondary alone, I think we will continue to see huge changes so I can’t imagine 100 years… we will probably look barbaric.
– Kerry
I had forgotten that technology was used for training during World War II, so it was interesting to read it again. I agree with your statement that the history books of the future will look at us as we look at the cavemen! In the 1980s when technology came into the home, I wonder if society ever thought technology would bring us to where we are today?
Kerry,
I began teaching in 1980 in a technical institute. Chalkboards, transparencies projected on a screen, 16mm movies, some television – that was it. As you move down my list, each was harder to access and less reliable. I never want to go back to that. 😏
Hi Kathy,
Great post! I too am very curious to see where technology will take us. The growth in the past 100 years has been huge, let alone even the past 10 years. I think I am most interested to see where the technology changes. For example, going from big bulky computers to tiny laptops or using apps and reading books on different devices. Will it be the actual device itself or the action that we are doing that will change the most in the future?
Thanks for the thought provoking post! 🙂
I like your thought that our actions will bring the most technological changes in the future. We are getting so used to having information readily available that we complain when there is not an app and we have to use a web browser. At least we will get front row seats to see the changes as they come! I’m grateful for that! Let’s get out the pop-corn and watch the show!