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left no writings; all we know of his teaching was gleaned from the works of his students, Plato and Xenophon. In contrast to the relativism of the Sophists, Socrates sought to understand the nature of virtue as a guide to moral conduct. his most important educational contribution was the so-called Socratic method of instruction (inquiry). The inquiry was carried on through the give-and-take of conversation, which Socrates guided by a series of leading questions.
Saettler, P. (2004). -
The basic tenets were:
1. Man evolves through technology/social organization to a state of civilization guiding his affairs effectively.
2. This evolutionary process is continuous.
3. History is a slow but forward progress in the management of human affairs, neither cyclical nor regressive.
4. Society should be democratic/egalitarian.
5. The theory of knowledge is progressive, pragmatic, empirical behavioristic. Saettler, P. (2004). The Evolution of American Educational Technology. -
Comenius's educational aims were knowledge, morality, and piety. He regarded education as a means of preparing men to live as human beings not as a means of fitting them into a predetermined occupation. He wanted to end providing education according to social status rather than ability. Comenius proposed a system open to all that led from the kindergarten through the university-three centuries ahead of its time.
Saettler, P. (2004). The Evolution of American Educational Technology. IAP. -
Froebel thought kindergarten systems of early education, designed to appear to the child as play. It was methodical. It consisted of three aspects: (1) games and songs, (2) construction, and (3) gifts and occupations. The games and songs, the finest expression of the kindergarten spirit, were chiefly for acquainting children w/ the inner life of animals and humanity. He was the first educator to grasp the value of socialization as a basic teaching method.
Saettler, P. (2004). -
In the United States, the first catalog of instructional films was published in 1910. Later that year, the public school system of Rochester, NY, became the first to adopt films for regular instructional use. (Reiser, part 1, 2001)
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In 1941, the federal government established the Division of Visual Aids for War Training. From 1941 to 1945, this organization oversaw the production of 457 training films. Most training directors reported that the films reduced training time without having a negative impact on training effectiveness, and that the films were more interesting and resulted in less absenteeism than traditional training programs. (Reiser, part 1, 2001)
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Inventor: Chester Carlson
A Brief History: Because of his arthritis, patent attorney and inventor Carlson wanted to create a less painful alternative to making carbon copies. 1938-1947, he perfected electrophotography, leading to the first photocopy machines.
Photocopier (1959): This led to mass prod. of materials on demand for a classroom.
Xerography means “dry writing” in Greek. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2022/01/evolution-technology-k-12-classrooms-1659-today-perfcon -
Inventor: Texas Instruments
A Brief History: As recounted in our history of the calculator, Texas Instruments made calculators portable with a device that weighed 45 ounces and featured a small keyboard with 18 keys and a visual display of 12 decimal digits.
The original 1967 prototype of the device can be found in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.
https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2022/01/evolution-technology-k-12-classrooms-1659-today-perfcon -
“Sesame Street,” a pioneering TV show that would teach generations of young children the alphabet and how to count, makes its broadcast debut. She also wanted to use TV as a way to help underprivileged 3- to 5- year-olds prepare for kindergarten. “Sesame Street” was set in a fictional New York neighborhood and included ethnically diverse characters and positive social messages. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-10/sesame-street-debuts
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In 1971, students D. Rawitsch, P. Dillenberger, and B. Heinemann created The Oregon Trail game to make learning about 19th-century pioneer life more engaging for students. Originally a text-based game, it was later produced by the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium in 1974, incorporating graphics, becoming an educ. tool, taught decision-making, history reading skills Minnesota computing history. Minnesota Computing History. https://mncomputinghistory.com/oregon-trail-computer-game/
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US patents for floppy disk.
The floppy disk made it possible to easily load software and updates onto mainframe computers and quickly became the most widely used storage medium for small systems. “I had no idea how important it would become and how widespread,” recalled Warren L. Dalziel, the lead inventor of the floppy disk drive. https://www.ibm.com/history/floppy-disk -
Inventor: Tim Berners-Lee
British scientist Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web for info. sharing between scientists and academics. Soon, the Web could connect anyone, anywhere to a wealth of info, and it was soon powering the modern classroom.
Interesting Fact: The first web server he made was so new, he put a sign on the computer, “This machine is a server. DO NOT POWER IT DOWN!” https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2022/01/evolution-technology-k-12-classrooms-1659-today-perfcon -
CALCampus was the first to develop and implement the concept of a totally online-based school through which administration, real-time classroom instruction, and materials were provided, originating with the QuantumLink campus. This was a significant departure from earlier methods of distance education because no longer was the individual distance learner isolated from the teacher and from classmates. https://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Online_Learning_History