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Mainstreaming the Personal Computer (CHM, 2016)
IBM releases their first personal computer geared towards the general public and businesses. It would be another seven years before I was able to interact with a computer in school. Around the age of 17, my family would have our first home computer. A basic use of computers (i.e. word processor) ensued during college, and my technology skills were developed primarily through the use of software and applications at work. PC's provide endless educational resources. -
Period: to
From Birth to Present
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First Consumer Camcorders (video recorders) (Vision International, 2011)
A camcorder now sits inside a cell phone. Students can use video recording for multimedia projects. When my family purchased one in the late 1980s, my experience with a camcorder was for fun with my siblings. It was much too large and clunkly to use for school projects, and to watch a student-made video, teachers would have to make sure they could check out the TV and VCR. -
World Wide Web Comes Alive (World Wide Web Foundation, 2015)
A plan for the world wide web would be laid out this year, and implemented in the years shortly thereafter. The internet is a valueable tool in education; it is used by all stakeholders and for various purposes. I started using the internet during high school, but for recreational purposes. America Online was my narrow window to the online world until college. -
Welcome to the World, Archie (Wall, 2015)
Not many websites existed, and by 1993 most of them were colleges. Archie was the first web search engine, and gave way to using just a few key terms to find anything we want. I am faithfully devoted to search engines on the internet, and with Google, Bing, Yahoo, and others, the world and the world wide web is ours and our students' oyster. -
Smart Phones (McCarthy, 2011)
Smartphones, although not like they are today, make their way into the masses. As they progress, they offer educational use opportunities through email, internet access, social media apps, and learning apps. I never used a smarphone in school, but when used purposefully, as I see some teachers do, I think it can be an advantageous tool. -
Consumer Digital Cameras Hit the Market (Keller, 2013)
Digital cameras were becoming more accessible to the general public, eventually more affordable, and would finally end up in our smartphones. Availablity of digital cameras meant visuals could be incorporated into learning more efficiently. Using digital cameras and digital photo formats was not something I used growing up in school because it was just becoming available. Now students and teachers both have access to the means of using visuals and photos during learning. -
Promethean Board Debut (Edgehill University, 2016)
The Promethean Board would expand the classroom by allowing teachers to leave the limiting overhead projectors behind. The Promethean Board is interactive, and allows for teachers to project the contents of their laptops to the students. I never had any Promethean Boards in my classes growing up, but see them in nearly every classroom now. It adds variety and efficiency to learning. -
The Way is Paved for Youtube (Plesser, 2007)
Althought the video sharing website Youtube.com would not start up until 2005, shareyourworld.com was the first website to allow video sharing. Soon enough, this would mean variety in teaching or re-teaching a concept and appealing to audio and visual learners. It also meant would not longer have to push video carts up and down the hallway. I did not start creating videos until Regis, and will currently use video-sharing websites for projects. I see teachers using Youtube.com regularly. -
The Leader of the Pack- Facebook (Phillips, 2007)
Love it or hate it, I think it is here to stay. Facebook is not a tool directed at education, but social media is a big part of our students' lives. In considering that, if we look closely, we may find some educational opportunities. I do not use Facebook for a number of different reasons, but I see the appeal. I have seen teachers social media for student research projects and grammar lessons. It can be a valueable connection to authentic learning experiences for students. -
Google Classroom (Yeskel, 2014)
Google Classroom gives a provides a one-stop-shop digital platform to the classroom. Inside the house of Google Classrooms assignments are given out, turned in, teacher feedback given, student collaboration can happen, and websites are created. The best part? It is free for students and teachers. I have not seen a lot of Google Classroom, but from what I have seen, I hope the school where I end up as a teacher is on board.