Welcome to ETEC 511
The History of Educational Technology
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This week’s topic examines the history of educational technology. Is there value in knowing the past in order to better understand the role of technology in education today? What lessons from the past serve us now? Does Marshall McLuhan’s famous quote, “The medium is the message” ring true today (and what does it really mean, for that matter?) Can we still rely on educational methods and technologies of the past, or as the video above suggests have we entered a new age that requires us to take a quantum leap forward rather than evolutionary micro-steps?
We invite you to commune with us on a brief history of time and educational technology highlights. Our intention is not to walk you through a long, detailed history of educational technology – you can Google that yourself – but instead to focus on a few key issues. We’ll invite you to contribute to our discussions which are posted inside our Vista class; you’ll find these same questions on our Interactivities page. Pick one or more topics that you feel drawn two and engage in meaningful conversation with your classmates.
We’ve divided our site into several areas. Each should help you get you thinking about the discussion topics and get you actively engaged in this week’s exploration. We will begin with a look at the readings and resources provided in Module 6 – an examination of McLuhan’s (1967) “The medium is the message” message and Moody’s (1999) study of the introduction of TV production into classrooms.
In honour of visionary Apple founder Steve Jobs, who passed alway on October 5, 2011 , we’ll also take a brief look at how Apple became an early player in the K-12 field, and its recent resurgence.
We then invite you to contribute to our timeline (pick an educational technology that you feel has played a significant role in education and explain your reason for selecting that technology). We’ve given only a few items to start, leaving you lots of room to select your own technology of choice. Also, please take part in some of our other interactivities which include a few additional videos, a quiz and a short poll.
And when you are in need of a break, go out for recess. You might just find that old game or two that you used to play for hours on end.
Fitting with our weekly topic we’ve chosen an appropriately retro visual theme. We hope it helps set the mood for your journey this week.
~ Group 6: Alexis, Emily, Eric & Peggy
History of Educational Technology 