Timeline by Alyssa Nobles

Overhead Projectors - 1960s

ano011 — 2025-09-16 16:25:47 UTC

In the 1960s, the overhead projector was invented by an engineer named Roger Appledorn. It was used by taking a clear piece of film and laying it flat, where it was then projected onto the chalkboard or whiteboard for students to see. This has since evolved, but the core foundations laid have been used to bring technology into the classroom and broaden the teachers minds on how they could use them to make teaching easier.

Life in projection. (n.d.). EngineerGirl. https://www.engineergirl.org/140152/2014-contest-life-in-projection

Flexible Seating - 1970s

ano011 — 2025-09-18 15:36:31 UTC

Though flexible seating was founded in the 70s, it has been used as a key tool to foster engagement and team building in students. Everyone has various ways of learning, whether by sitting in a regular chair or one that allows them to move without distracting their classmates. Other tools such as fidget toys have been implemented into classrooms so students can keep on task.

Youtube - 2005

2025-09-18 16:00:06 UTC

Youtube, launched in 2005, has become an essential part in our new modern world as a way to share videos. It has also been integrated into classrooms worldwide, offering a chance for students to see and listen to old media that might have been lost to time otherwise.

The Printing Press - 1455

ano011 — 2025-09-21 22:32:53 UTC

The printing press was a revolutionary invention that gave the world a new way of communication. This invention particularly helped the classrooms all around the world. It made learning materials such as textbooks more widely available, giving children in lower classes a higher level of education.

Electricity - 1882

ano011 — 2025-09-21 22:41:18 UTC

Electricity was one of the most prominent inventions to date. It gave us light that did not come from striking a match, and has been something that helps heat and cool our houses in the different seasons. It is the basis of all the technology we now use in the classroom, the start of it all.

Basinelectric. (2018, September 28). Throwback Thursday: How electricity changed education. Basin Electric: Live Wire. https://basinelectric.wordpress.com/2018/10/04/throwback-thursday-how-electricity-changed-education/

Telephone - 1876

ano011 — 2025-09-21 23:04:29 UTC

Alexander Graham Bell was the inventor of the telephone. However, it wasn't until around forty years later that this invention was properly integrated into the schooling of students. The outbreak of the Spanish Flu would bring forth many children who were unable to sit in on lessons in a school house, causing the uprise in need for traveling teachers, but with so many children and only a few teachers who fit the bill, change was necessary. The article above goes through the process of this change, can you relate this style of learning to the style used during the COVID-19 pandemic?

SMART Boards - 1991

ano011 — 2025-09-22 02:07:16 UTC

SMART Boards were made in 1991 by David Martin and Nancy Knowlton, their thought for an interactive whiteboard brining a new age of innovation to the classroom. The SMART board has had many uses over the years, mainly being able to project the teacher's computer screen while also allowing them the ability to annotate over the board. This software has allowed the teacher to be able to have new ways to help students with filling in study guides, and watching videos on a larger screen than the television usually provided.

Photography - 1826

ano011 — 2025-09-22 02:55:17 UTC

Photography was an evolutionary thing that has transported many into beautiful paradises, brutal wars, and jaw dropping landmarks. They have also been used to keep memories frozen in time for others to experience. They are printed into textbooks for students to see and to also be transported into history, or even just being able to see different landmarks to memorize easier. Photography is a multifaceted tool that helps students visualize the things they are learning about.

The Radio - 1895

ano011 — 2025-09-22 03:00:55 UTC

In 1895, the very first radio was invented. This piece of machinery has given many the ability to hear news broadcasts, hear stories through talk radio, and even keep up to date on the latest sports game. Radios did more than this, in schools they offered a way of communication in cases of emergencies just like they did in every day life, they also supported schools with educational broadcasts that brought learning into the home in a fun new way.

The First Personal Computer - 1971

ano011 — 2025-09-22 03:09:15 UTC

The Kenbak-1 was regarded as the first ever personal computer. Though it was a while before they were introduced in schools, they provided students with a source to find information for essays and a new way of communication. Now, they are used in practically every class and by every student for assignments and other work inside the classroom, creating an almost paperless environment.

The Internet - 1983

ano011 — 2025-09-22 03:15:02 UTC

The internet was first established in the mid 80s, paving the way for the World Wide Web in the early 90s. This invention has provided the entire world with a source of instant information at their fingertips quite literally with the later invention of cell phones. The internet has opened many doors for hybrid and virtual learning styles, which were seen most during the pandemic. It also provides students and teachers with plenty of educational resources to be used in and out of the classroom.

The Television - 1927

ano011 — 2025-09-22 03:19:48 UTC

In the year of 1927, Philo T. Farnsworth introduced the first ever television. While it was a long time before they were inside every home, they proved a wonderful tool in the classroom. Providing the ability to reward students with movies, but also the incredible opportunity to bring world events into the classroom to watch in real time.