A Brief History of Education

By ecominole
  • 9000 BCE

    Pre-Agriculture

    Pre-Agriculture
    Children learned through their own play and exploration. Focus on skill and knowledge
  • 5000 BCE

    Agricultural Period

    Agricultural Period
    Children become forced labor in agricultural settings. Focus on unskilled and repetitive work.

  • Industrial Revolution

    Industrial Revolution
    Children continue to be used in forced labor, but now in factory settings. Focus is unskilled and repetitive labor

  • 19th Century - Introduction of Compulsory Education

    19th Century - Introduction of Compulsory Education
    Schooling seen as a way to create better workers. Focus on inculcation, following direction, repetition. Learning seen as children's "job"

  • 20th Century

    20th Century
    Schooling continues to be seen as children's "job". Number of required subjects expand, and children spend more hours in forced learning. Testing and repitition are still the norm

  • Early Technology

    Early Technology
    Early advances in technology suggest ways to deliver instruction and content more quickly (videos). Focus still on inculcation, repetition, content delivery.

  • Steve Jobs' Vision

    Steve Jobs' Vision
    Through the founding of Apple, Steve Jobs changes the conversation about technology and education. Envisions technology as ubiquitous in schools, and as a tool to transform learning to a constructivist focus

  • The Internet becomes easily accessible

    The Internet becomes easily accessible
    Increased accessibility of the internet changes the possibilities in education. Teachers and students can now collaborate around the world. Focus on connection, hands-on, constructivist.