Adventure through
the History of
Educational Technology
Task 4. You're almost there!
As we have seen throughout our last few tasks, technology has come a long way since its beginnings and will continue to change.
The Tablet
The tablet is one type of technology that many of us use in school and at home. There have been many applications made to help us learn and make some school activities more exciting. You may think the iPad was the first tablet invented, but
there were a few others that came before the iPad that aren’t very well known.
Apple's first "tablet" was the MessagePad in 1993
In 1997, there was a tablet called the Palm Pilot that was very popular and helped people stay organized.
In 2000, Microsoft came out with a tablet that looked a lot like the iPad. It was not very successful.
In 2010 Apple released the iPad. It is still the most successful tablet in the world.
You may think that the tablet you use now will be around forever, but sometime in the near future it will be replaced with something else. What do you think that might be?
One new technology that many teachers and students are excited about is called VR or Virtual Reality.
Imagine being able to visit a museum, a dinosaur exhibit, or Mars without even leaving your classroom! With virtual reality this is already a possibility.
Using only some cardboard, and a smartphone you can make your own virtual reality lenses at home. Within the next few years there will be a lot of apps and videos using virtual reality, placing you right in the centre of the action.
Virtual Reality
Your Final Assignment
Where would we be without creative people inventing new and exciting technologies? Many of us don’t think it’s possible to come up with the next great technology, but maybe all we need to do is brainstorm and try.
Your final task is to work with a partner and come up with an idea for a technology that would help make your life at school easier. Use your imagination and draw, label, and present your idea to your classmates. If you have access to an iPad or tablet, you can use the ShowMe app or a similar presentation application to share your awesome ideas.
Be Creative &
Have Fun!
Click the BUS below to check that you have completed all of the tasks!
