Leaders, Legends, Learners, and Lessons

Currently, the schoolrooms look more ultramodern, comprising advanced technological equipment. The contemporary classrooms are flexible and more comfortable for students to learn. The advancement in technology has enabled students to participate in distance learning and teleconferencing. Typically, educational technology refers to using strategies, tools, processes, procedures, and resources to enhance learning experiences in various settings. Rapid technological advancement positively influences education procedures and practices. The advancements in technology have prompted teachers to explore new avenues to convey information to the learners. Technological enhancement enables teachers to foster their professional skills and allow the students to acquire educational resources from the internet. Lately, teachers utilize virtual multimedia resources such as Zoom to effectively and efficiently educate students. 

The field of education has undergone incredible transformations since its establishment. Initially, the educational tools commenced with individually owned chalkboards, but today, small boards and computer learning platforms are widely used. Educational technology approaches and strategies have evolved from early uses of teaching tools and expanded in recent years. As it exists today, schooling can only make sense if it is viewed from a historical perspective. This essay will outline the historical development of the educational technology field across six periods. The education technology history can be traced through some influential individuals who fostered educational technology procedures and strategies. 

History of the Field 

Before technological inventions, word of mouth was the only type of education that existed. According to the American Board (2015), the ancient education system focused on religion and family virtues rather than academics. The comprehension of how old school operated comes from ancient Greece, where schools were first established. At around 4th century B.C., schools were established, and orating was the main means of teaching and learning. Back then, the teachers passed knowledge through oration, and the students learned through memorization. In ancient times, schools only focused on physical education, which was considered necessary for war preparing and enhancing one's appearance. Privileged boys could attend some small schools that taught grammar and later attend rhetoric schools, which prepared them for public life. 

The students and the teachers' strategies for writing were the first examples of education technology back then. Clay tablets, thick palm-like leaves, parchment made of animal skin, bark strips from trees, and wax-covered board were examples of ancient tools. In the 8th century, the Roman Empire fell, and the religious establishment took responsibility for education (Gutek, 2015). The education took a different direction under religious entities as it not only concentrated on the morality of an individual and focused on educating individuals to read and write. 

The 1700s to Late 1800s 

During this period, John Dewey and Horace Mann were the two influential leaders in education. According to Gutek (2015), Horace Mann advocated for education to elevate people's lives and promote free education. Knowledge gained meant improving people's lives since a literate person would attain some positions and possessions unavailable for illiterate individuals (Peterson, 2010). Horace Mann regarded education as a means to an end, and a person who fails to get educated fails to acquire some necessities to function. Mann focused on practical education that favored positive reinforcement of knowledge. In 1837, upon becoming the education secretary, Mann established a statewide education system comprising professional teachers (Badolato, 2002). The education system would ensure that all students are entitled to the same content. 

During this era, John Dewey also played a crucial role in influencing and supporting public education enhancement. According to Dewey's view, public schools ought to serve and provide education to everyone (Cohen, 2019). His view was greatly influenced by the immigrants' industrial revolution and the urge to educate children to become productive citizens. John Dewey developed some learning strategies such as problem-based learning and investigative learning, which are part of modern-day education teaching methods. These strategies developed by Dewey enables learners to use the content acquired to solve problems. According to Stoller (2018), the education system adopted by Joh Dewey was student-centered, which aimed at increasing student attentiveness and critical thinking. 

The teachers utilized instructional means during the 1700s to late 1800 era. The instructional means involved elementary things such as blackboard, slates, and hornbooks, used by learners and teachers, and the hornbook contained alphabet letters mounted to wood or other materials. It was considered a children's text since it contained some pictures and some illustrations that could be easily understood. Religious teachings and prayers were also included in the hornbook, and the sheets of the book were enclosed with a cross. 

The use of slate was also a technology that was used during this era. In the early 1800s, the slate was used by individual students, and in the mid-1800' a large blackboard was established (O'Brian, 2012). Horace Mann encouraged local schools that had been created to implement these blackboards in the classrooms. Introducing these blackboards to the classroom was not easy since integrating new technology is often disturbing. After blackboards were introduced, they went unused for some time (Muttappallymyalil, 2016). However, the chalkboards became prevalent in teaching after teachers realized their benefits. 

1900's through to the 1940s 

During this period, education technology transformed further. In the early 1900s, the printing press was introduced. Printed materials and textbooks were available to everyone making the use of hornbooks obsolete. During this period, technology education changed from the worldwide initiative to teach people from different social classes. 

Maria Montessori and Jane Addams were the influential leaders of educational change in the early 1900s. The educational philosophy of Jane Addams had it that one can enhance their future through social equity. With her ideology, Jane Addams made vital impressions on American culture, advocating equal working conditions and education for everyone. As the 20th-century first decade elapsed, the education system was disrupted due to distrust, as many children were forced into the vocational world. Jane Addams and Maria Montessori fought to end child labor and improve education strategies and procedures. Maria Montessori's philosophy grew from the belief that observational learning is the most beneficial method to educate students. According to Purcell (2017), observational learning enables students and instructors to develop individualized and specialized learning plans. 

Learning technology that arose during this period include media and visual presentation. The emergence of these technologies portrayed that educational technology was undergoing some positive transformations. According to Laasar (2017), media displays such as photographs and films were first used to educate and offer training instructions to the military during the Second World War. The establishment of media did not instantly gain an impact on the education sector as it had gained an impact on the military sector. However, the success of audiovisual media in the military influenced the introduction of media in schools. In the 1940s, the teachers applied media, and it played a vital role in broadening the education strategies utilized by instructors (Laasar, 2017). The introduction of this educational technology has typically changed the learning and teaching environment of teachers and students. 

1950's through the 1970s 

In the 1950s, the need to explore the space arose. The United States took space exploration as its specialized field to prove to the other countries that it had better technology. Typically, space exploration was used to gauge whether a country had an enhanced technology. In the US, the interest to explore space triggered and increased in the science and mathematics field. The education sector had to implement more technology to support these subjects associated with space exploration. 

In the 1950s through to 1970s, the influential leaders on education technology were Michael Scriven and Earl James McGrath. These two individuals influenced the changes in how technology was used in education. McGrath advocated for more teachers and schools after the number of students in the classrooms increased. McGrath also advocated for teachers' higher salaries, foreign languages and science to be incorporated in public education. According to McGrath, foreign languages would make the Americans worldwide students (Fruhstuck, 2020). Michael Scriven and Earl James McGrath felt the urge that the education sector needed changes. As such, they provided some concepts to improve teachers' development and formed junior colleges. 

According to MacLeish (2010), the association between the education system and space exploration influenced the United States to fund both science and math curriculums. Some of these developed curriculums were implemented without thinking of the student. To rectify this shortcoming, Michael Scriven advocated for the effectiveness of teaching materials to be demonstrated before the actual implementation of these teaching resources. Identifying whether teaching resources are effective enables the teachers to identify whether curriculums being developed are appropriate for the students. 

In the 1960s, technology had advanced to some extent. During this decade, teaching devices had been introduced to the classrooms. These teaching devices presented questions and answers for the student to give the most appropriate answer. The teaching machines were valuable in subjects that require many drillings, such as foreign language and arithmetic. These machines enable the instructors to individualize student attention by alleviating them from tasks that consumed a lot of time. The instructor had a lot of time monitoring the student and ensuring that the students' curriculum is appropriate. 

The 1980s to the 1990s 

During this period, the technology was quickly evolving, and so were the tools inside the classrooms. Slowly, the blackboards used over decades were being replaced with whiteboards that enable the teachers and the students to change from one subject to another effortlessly. The emergence of whiteboards enables the teachers to leave some information to the learners. 

During these two decades, Conrad Wolfram was the leading influential leader for education technology. According to Fox (2014), Wolfram in the 1990s called for reform for practically teaching mathematics and science. He was not happy with how students were slowly doing some calculations using hands. To improve efficiency and accuracy, Conrad introduced the use of calculators and computers. Conrad called for students to be taught some computer lessons. During this period, the mathematics lessons focused on real-world problems, and the instructors applied technology to emulate these real-world problems. 

The other education technology contributor in the 1980s and 1990s was Eric Donald Hirsch Jr. While advocating for educational transformation, Hirsch Jr. founded the common core teaching method. The philosophy of Hirsch Jr. on education had it that education should incorporate essential history, music, math, and literature. Additionally, Hirsch Jr. believed that learners need a thorough understanding of literature to develop in-depth discussion and inclusive comprehension of all essential subjects. Typically, Hirsch Jr. aimed at giving objectives to education so that the learners can acquire universal education regardless of gender and background. 

The introduction of calculators and computer learning tools was the essential technology that positively influenced education in the 1980s and 1990s. Even though computers and calculators were introduced in the '70s, they became prevalent in the '80s and '90s. During this period, the computers were operated as tools for individual instructions to teach students specific content. Although the computers used were much more expensive and did not accomplish its targeted results in education, it generates interest in teaching students. Students relied on computers for a considerable learning percentage. 

By the late 1990s, computers had been introduced to the classroom for teaching. With the emergence of the internet, the instructors enhanced their teaching and assessment methods. The internet enables students and teachers to access more information that would enhance education. The establishment of the internet came with storage technology since the information gathered from the internet required adequate storage. By the mid-1990s, graphic technology and instructional websites emerged and made learning more interactive (Purdue online, 2020). The internet and related technologies establishments enable teachers and learners to incorporate new skills and content into their daily lessons. 

The calculators use in the classroom were essential technology in the 1980s and 1990s. According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2015), the students had to learn how to use calculators to solve arithmetic problems. According to the council, the calculators would enhance learners' achievement in mathematics, advance the students' order of thinking, and solve problems in the current century. 

The Recent Development in the Field 

Technology in the field of education is progressing daily, and it is enhancing educational competencies. The introduction of the internet has facilitated an automated informational resource and facilitated research in the education field. Some of the new technologies that have recently developed include online narrative and lectures, educational robotics, virtual reality construction, and online knowledge (Touloumis, 2018). These developed technologies create an outstanding new digital experience that transmutes traditional activities into a digital and visually immersive practice. These innovations in the field require new learning and teaching skills, especially in the digital literacy sphere. 

2000 to 2010 

During this period, Joel Klein was one of the most influential leaders of American education. Klein was known for his effort to advocate for school safety. In 1998, after Klein became the chancellor of the education board, he moved school security from individual schools to the police department (Purdue online, 2020). Furthermore, in 2007, Klein fostered a computer system known as the Achievement Reporting and Innovation System (ARIS) within the school system (Purdue online, 2020). ARIS system enabled the instructors and the parents to track the progress of the student. In 2002, the field of education revolutionized by the law. A law was enacted to ensure that the students' performance remains a school responsibility. 

From 2000 to 2010, smartboards were installed in classrooms. During this period, also, online learning was introduced primarily in higher learning institutions. The smartboard enabled the students to cooperate with the teachers, the content, and technology (McCarthy, 2018). According to McCarthy (2018), students can easily understand the content on the visual device. Online learning was mainly fostered by increased internet speed. The online learning system, such as Learning Management System (LMS), was developed to enables students, instructors, and administrators to actively participate in real-time communication regardless of their geographical location (Haran, 2015). The rise of online education enhanced students' learning flexibility. 

2011 to Present 

Since 2011, educational technology has dramatically enhanced. Although some teachers were afraid to embrace the new technology, some of these technologies introduced new teaching tactics and positive changes in the education field. Since 2011, the instructors have increased media use and made them accessible to all learners. The audiovisual media enabled the students to acknowledge different forms of learning. The availability of computers and increased internet speed enabled learning to take place anywhere. 

The leading influencer of educational technology during this period was Salman Khan. Salman Khan created a free online educational program known as Khan Academy ((Touloumis, 2018)). In early 2011, the online learning tool had gathered enough learning materials to be utilized by students. Google Suite also played a vital role in the education field. The majority of the schools adopted Google Suite as an online learning platform that provided students and instructors with documents and supported student-teacher instructions. According to Cortex (2017), Google Suite enhances the collaboration between teachers and students. Currently, the classrooms have been modernized, where a student used Wi-Fi enabled laptops or internet-connected computers. Due to enhanced technology, students and teachers can pursue different courses through online platforms, making their lives easier. 

Learners and Lessons 

The field of education technology opens up various discussions. The preceding discussion regards the anxiety around the introduction of new learning and teaching tactics. Typically, most instructors fear the circumstances associated with introducing new teaching strategies. For instance, teachers were reluctant to make use of chalkboards when they were introduced. However, the instructors utilized these chalkboards after realizing its benefits. 

When it comes to education technology, the availability of technology is an essential aspect being discussed. The controversy in education can be caused by access to technology. The student from lower socioeconomic status may find it challenging to acquire up-to-date technology. Also, the students living in rural areas may find it challenging to access modern technology in learning. These groups of students find educational technology detrimental to society. However, the students from higher socioeconomic status find it necessary for technology to be incorporated in learning. The disparity in access to education technology and information is due to economic or geographical reasons. 

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic made many schools engage in remote and virtual learning. Remote and virtual learning brought the digital divide to the forefront since most learners could not obtain some of these online tools. The urge to fight the digital divide needs to be addressed. Education technology should be enhanced to facilitate the right learning environment and enable students to enjoy an outstanding learning experience. 

References 

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