Smartboards you were an elementary student in the 1990s, technology in the classroom meant playing “educational” games like Word Munchers, Math Blaster!, or Oregon Trail in the school’s computer lab.

1. From Chalkboards to Smartboards
Smartboards you were an elementary student in the 1990s, technology in the
classroom meant playing “educational” games like Word Munchers, Math Blaster!,
or Oregon Trail in the school’s computer lab. When it came time to research a state
capitol or the duck-billed platypus, you may remember being taught how to search
card catalogs for library books or paging through encyclopedias. The idea that
technology would become a principal educational tool was just starting to come to
fruition with the invention and widespread adoption of the internet.
Technology has changed how students learn, making education accessible in ways we
never imagined. Students conduct research from their laptops, enroll in online courses,
and livestream lectures from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection. Even something as
simple as taking notes has shifted from pen and paper to digital devices.
Read more info: reputation guards
Technology Budget
But while technology can offer greater access and convenience, social and economic
factors can severely limit access to technology for all students, making things like
high-speed broadband, personal computers, and tablets inaccessible even in this
modern day. Additionally, not all K-12 school districts or colleges have extensive
technology budgets.
Despite these barriers, technical advancements continue to reshape how students
learn. They also offer meaningful opportunities to students wanting to advance their
education and perhaps go back to school as an adult learner. Let’s look back at the
history of some notable technology advances and how they have influenced the way
students learn.
The Advent of the Word Processor
Smartboards Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Open Office, students tapped out
their essays on typewriters. When they made a mistake, they painted a stroke of Wite-
Out over it. If they found errors in the middle of a paragraph, that sometimes meant
retyping the entire page. Typewriters were not friendly to students trying to meet
deadlines.

2. With the advent of the word processor — which became commonplace in school
settings during the 1990s — came an array of features that made writing and editing
papers a lot easier. “Cut and paste” made moving paragraphs a snap; “search and
replace” meant that changing “da Vinchi” to “da Vinci” on every page of a term paper
happened with a click. Word processing also gave students the option of instantly
adjusting a document to change spacing, margins, and font. And students could save
their work documents on a floppy disk for easy access.
The TI Graphing Calculator
Early calculators were limited to the basics: subtraction, addition, multiplication, and
division. But in the ’80s, companies came out with the first graphing calculators,
which plotted graphs, worked with variables, and solved simultaneous equations. The
popular TI-81 model — which was designed with students in mind — was released in
1990, and adoption of graphing calculators in schools skyrocketed over the following
decade.
Smartboards became big fans of graphing calculators because they helped students
visually understand mathematical concepts. Seeing math expressions, formulas, and
graphs on a screen, students could understand why procedures produced certain
results and appreciate abstract mathematical equations. More recently, graphing
calculator applications for desktop and mobile devices are modernizing the classroom
even further.
Personal Computers and Research Databases on
the World Wide Web
In the 1990s and into the 2000s, many students began enjoying the advantage of
personal computers and the internet, trading dusty libraries for the vast realm of
information on the web. Online articles, Google books, and videos, students can find
online databases featuring studies, statistics, and reports. (In the early days of the
internet, teachers didn’t want students to use search engines for research; thankfully,
it’s now the norm.)
Smartboards has also changed how students learn and communicate with teachers and
classmates across the education landscape, from kindergarten to the university. Email
makes it easier to get in touch with teachers outside of the classroom, and online
message boards let students stay in touch between classes.

3. Of course, technology has hit snags along the way, and even today’s students face
challenges. When students relied on a dial-up internet connection, bad weather, poor
wiring, and phone line problems could all interfere with their productivity. While
current broadband internet connections race along at faster speeds, Wi-Fi can still be
spotty, and not all students can afford the steep monthly fees.
See Also: A Matter of Scope: Business vs. Finance Degree
Podcasts and Video Stream Lectures
Since they came into use in the 2000s, podcast and video stream lectures have become
excellent educational tools that make life more convenient for both teachers and
students. When students miss a lecture, they can download or stream it on their own
time. College students with children may find video lectures and podcasts particularly
helpful; as they juggle responsibilities or care for a sick child at home, they can still
access classroom instruction.
Smartboards when students do attend class, they still might want to access a lecture
later to study for a final. Now, they can even prep for an exam while driving to work
or washing the dishes. And when professors get sick, they can upload a lecture to keep
their students from falling behind.
Classroom Presentations and Online Learning
Thinking back to your childhood classroom may remind you of blackboards and the
smell of chalk (or whiteboards and the smell of markers), with teachers mapping out
math problems step by step. Maybe your teachers used overhead projectors for graphs
or played scratchy filmstrips. Today’s technology has brought digital screens to the
classroom, allowing teachers to deliver PowerPoint presentations, videos, and audio
clips.
This progression has led to fully online learning environments. Teachers at K-12
through college levels can deliver instruction remotely, set up virtual discussion
groups, and provide feedback on uploaded student work, often through learning
management platforms such as Canvas and Google Classroom or video conferencing
tools such as Zoom. During online instruction, teachers can share their screens to
show examples to students, and students can share their screens with teachers when
they get stuck. This setting is ideal for courses such as math, as teachers can use
digital tools to demonstrate how to solve problems.

4. Smartboards has also expanded the ways students can present and share their work. In
addition to screen sharing for immediate feedback, students can create video
presentations and podcasts, which classmates and instructors watch and discuss at
their own pace.
Discover What Technology in Education Can Mean
to You
Technology is advancing at a dizzying pace, with more changes on the way. In the
years to come, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and chatbots using machine
learning will personalize curricula for students and offer self-paced learning in ways
never before possible.
While contemplating these exciting possibilities, don’t underestimate what modern
technology has already brought to the classroom. Technology is reshaping the
landscape of education in both K-12 and higher education settings. Offering greater
levels of flexibility, personalization, and innovation, schools such as Maryville
University are leading the charge in adopting a technology-first approach to modern
learning.
Ready to take a daring leap back into the classroom? Consider Maryville’s
various online bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs and discover how
we can help you reach your educational goals.