Introduction:
The Learning Technologies Timeline, in its simplest form, is a chronological layout of the most intrinsic advances in our time and not to mention those that have not yet occurred. To understand learning technologies, we must first define it. In my opinion, as well as to others, it is defined as a tool to help aid in the process of learning. In this timeline we could see a wide range of tools that have fostered some of the most amazing things that have happened in our lifetime and beyond.
Letters and Word Formation:
I believe the timeline, if it was intented to do or not, is divided into different sections. The first obvioius one deals with letter and word formation that is apparent from the 40,000 BCE to roughly about 405 BCE. In this era of our advancement, the first steps had to be taken, the first inventions had to be established before any improvements could be made. This time, in my opinion, has been the most important/influential because if it weren't were a group or an individual to go beyond what they thought they were capable of doing, maybe our world would be different than what we know of it today. Even though the advancements that were made in this time frame were established in different countries, it is nice to know that we have been influenced by many diverse groups/thoughts.
School-related Advancements:
The establishment of such things as the first university and medical schools has had a major impact in the world today. If these things weren't invented then we wouldn't have an establishment for individuals, ranging from children to adults, to study and be taught by well-educated leaders. These are but a few of the items that serve as aid in obtaining and understanding knowledge. Paper is one of the simple techonologies that we have taken for granted in the last couple of years, but it has had a major affect on the ways things are run in today's world. How easily we taken certain things as paper for granted, but without it how could children learn without constant repetition on paper, companies copy documents on paper, or even individual household place notes on paper? It's these early development of things that have helped our growth as an economy. The first novel is another
great example of paper. On what was the novel printed on? Paper. The first novel opened imaginations for everyone, allowing individuals to open their minds to different possibilities and not be confidened to their everyday lives. This allowed many individuals grow as human beings as well as experiences people in the community, allowing their knowledge to be brought down to their children. As more and more schools are built, and individuals are not confined to their imagination, more and more people are thirsty for knowledge, which in turn makes for more people to attend schools. In the blackboard chalk example, it states that the classroom sizes were increasing and because of this, they had to advance to a more practical way of teaching, so they invented chalk. By allowing chalkboards and chalk to be placed in classrooms, the majority of students could be taught more and not a
select few.
Electronics:
Anything to do with power, we feel it is a great advancement. Starting with perfecting the lightbulb. Who would of thought that such a small thing like that could have made such an impact on the world. One thing led to another, and now we have such things as video games, radio, television, computers, and we could go on and on. All these things, that in our generation, have lived without. Most of us might feel like these things have always been around, for they have helped out for research, education or just pure enjoyment. Whatever it is, we have learned from it and will continue to use it as a tool to advance our never growing world.
Future:
As far as what the future holds, like they say, only time can tell. But I think some of the items listed in this timeline could come true, for example the intelligent computer and virtual reality. The others that were posted could come true, who am I to judge, but I will say that these entries seem a bit unrealistic or maybe too "scary" to think about. Such entries like the bodiless humans is so extreme that it seems unreasonable, but I shouldn't speak too soon for there have been other advances that have been unexplainable as well. So, what I have learned by observing this timeline, is that people from past and present are mere subjects in this technological world and will always be as long as some new invention is brewing somewhere in the world.