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Period: to
Colonial America
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First Latin Grammar School established
This school was intended for boys within a certain class bracket. These young men were destined for leadership positions within the church, courts, or state. The students were taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, with an emphasis on reading and speaking Latin. With this school intended only for male students, I would not have been able to teach there and would not have had the proper tools to teach in this institution. -
Harvard College is established in Newtowne, Massachusetts which is now Cambridge.
Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. It was established in the Puritan civilization and was later evolved into the research based institution it is today by former presidents. Harvard would not have been an institution I would be welcomed into mainly because I am a African American woman who lives in the south. -
First printing press in the colonies arrives at Harvard
With this printing press, the Puritans began writing books for their children and the discussion of how to communicate with them began. By 1700, Boston became the second largest publishing center of the English Empire. This materials produced from this printing press would not have been intended for me because I have always lived in the south and because I am a woman. -
Hartford Public High School opens in Hartford, Conneticut
Hartford is the second oldest secondary school in the US which is much like my current high school which is one of the oldest in Georgia. -
Massachusetts Bay School Law passed
This act required parents and guardians to educate their children about the principles of religion and the capital laws of commonwealth. In this era, I would not have had a job because it was up to the parents to educate the children. -
Massachusetts Law of 1647 "Old Deluder Satan Act"
This act was put into place due to parental negligence to educate their children. This act required towns of 50 families to hire a schoolmaster to teach reading and writing. If a town had 100 families, the town had to hire a grammar schoolmaster who could prepare the students for Harvard. I would have been hired in this environment due to the color of my skin. -
John Locke publishes essay, "Essay Concerning Human Understanding"
Locke's essay has influenced American education due to the points he made about learning through experience and everyone being born with a blank slate ready to learn. This essay has had a huge influence on some of the teaching strategies I see even to this day. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau publishes a book of his views on education
In his book, Rousseau stated how important early childhood education is to the education system. This is one statement that I can attest to because it is in the early years that our students learn the foundation of the material they will need in the secondary years. Without a solid foundation, the child will not have a solid structure. -
First book about teaching printed by Christopher Dock
Christopher Dock was a Mennonite and originally from Germany. He made his way to Pennsylvania where he later opened a school and later published a book about teaching. His book focused on school management. This was out of the ordinary in that time because most school had some type of Puritan background to them. -
Period: to
19th Century
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James Pillans invented the blackboard
The blackboard was used in classrooms to present the material to a group of children. This was an essential tool in school in addition to books, paper, and writing utensils. Although we rarely use blackboards in the classroom, they are still the basis of the tools we use in the classroom today such as the SmartBoard. -
Horace Mann is appointed the first Secretary of Massachusetts Education
Mr. Mann fought for funding of Massachusetts schools as well as the training of its teachers. He was also an advocate of a quality and free education for its students. Much like his thinking, I believe that as an educator, all educators need to be trained on the most effective methods to reach our student population. -
The African Institute opens in Pennsylvania
This institution is now called the Cheyney University and is the oldest institution for higher learning for an African American. This impacts me, because if I lived in the norther colonies, I know that I would have been able to receive an education. -
The National Teachers Association is founded
The NTA was a type of union formed by some Philadelphia educators. This group of educators fought for equality in education regardless of religious or ethical background. -
13th amendment abolishing slavery was passed
With slavery being abolished, slaves were slowly given the same rights of their Caucasian counterparts. Eventually, slaves were granted an education even though it was not of the same quality of their counterparts. As an educator, I would have been in the group of slaves, not having a quality education. -
Department of Education was created
The Department of Education was created to establish school systems. This impacts me because as an educator, I have to adhere to the rules set forth by the department of education. -
Howard University is established in Washington, DC
As an African American, Howard University was established to educate those that were interested in liberal arts and sciences. -
Civil Rights Act Passed
The Civil Rights Act banned segregation in all public entities. This impacted me as a teacher because I was able to attend all of my schools from elementary to graduate school of my choosing. -
Meharry Medical College founded in the south for African Americans
Meharry was the first medical school opened in the south for African Americans. Because I reside in the south and am African American, this was a momentous occasion. As a teacher, I would have been proud to send any of my students to this school. -
Booker T. Washington becomes a principal of a "normal" school
Booker T. Washington was a black man so when he became a principal of a school, that was a major accomplishment in the African American society who had previously been enslaved. This impacted me because I, like those of that time, would have been determined to achieve greatness. He would have been an inspiration to all people of color. -
Period: to
20th Century and Beyond
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Smith-Hughes Act passed
This act provided funding for agricultural and vocational education. These are courses that are often times neglected. This act would have had very little impact on me as a teacher because I do not teach in those fields, but they are a disservice to our students when they are not offered. The students need to have courses in which they can learn a different trade because we are obligated to make them college and career ready. -
All states have a mandatory attendance law in place
Having an attendance law in place places some of the responsibility of the students attending school on the parent/guardians. If the students are not in school, then they can not receive the proper education. As an educator, I constantly stress to my students how important it is for them to attend every day. -
The first SAT is administered
The SAT was derived from a previously used military test. Although this test has evolved today, it is still used as a way to identify students that are deserving to enter the college of their choice. The SAT covers multiple years of education, so the educators have to be sure to teach skills that resonate with the students. -
Alvarez vs. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove (California) School District becomes the first successful school desegregation court case in the United States
This was the first successful desegregation case in the US. This case led the way for cases such as Brown vs. BOE so that every student could receive a quality education regardless of the color of their skin. This case would not have given me a quality education, but a later case would. -
Ruling of Brown vs. Board of Education case
The ruling of Brown vs. Board of Education was one of the pioneer cases that called for equality in education. This case has a direct impact in my life and education because it made it possible to have a quality education so that I could become an educator. -
Bloom's Taxonomy published
Bloom's taxonomy was published as a way to question our students to activate their higher order thinking skills. I feel that Bloom's taxonomy is still very relevant in the classroom. It still amazes me how one simple word could change a question from one level to the next. -
The first ACT is administered
The ACT is another aptitude test which assesses what material a student has retained throughout school. A student takes this test in hopes to earn a grade that is acceptable by a future college of their choice. The students' performance on this test is a reflection on their education through whichever system (private or public) they came through. -
ASVAB is introduced
The ASVAB is a test used to assess what basic knowledge incoming soldiers have. The armed forces use this test to determine which branch the soldier is qualified to enter as well as what job they would be assigned to upon entrance of the military. This impacts me because if a student can not score the basic score needed to enter, they definitely would not be able to get into college. This would mean that we as educators have failed that student. -
Kohl's, "The Open Classroom" is published
Kohl's book boasted of student-centered classrooms and holistic learning. The learning in the classroom needs to be done by the student and in ways that the students can relate to. This is constantly a struggle within the math classroom, but we are constantly finding ways to make it student-centered. -
Texas Instruments introduce first handheld calculators
With the fist handheld calculators being introduced, the future of the mathematics classroom would have to evolve. The computation of larger quantities was possible and so would the future of mathematics courses in secondary schools. This had a direct impact on what I teach and the course I currently teach. It would be impossible to compute some of our answers if it were not for a handheld calculator. -
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
This act changed the terminology of a student being labeled handicap to having a disability. It added in autism and traumatic brain injury to the list of disabilities. This impacted me because it made me aware of what terms were permissible. -
The SmartBoard is introduced
The SmartBoard took the place of chalkboards and overhead projectors. The SmartBoard is a great interactive tool used in the classroom and has technology that can be used with the students. I did not realize that they had been around for so long, but they are a great way to get students involved in the lesson and have infinite uses. -
Georgia offers universal preschool to all 4 year olds
With the enrollment being available for all four year olds, this increases the students knowledge in most cases and exposes them to the basic knowledge needed for kindergarten. If all parents take advantage of this opportunity, this would make the jobs of those teachers somewhat easier because it would give them an extra year to learn the basics so that more complex work could be introduced at an earlier age. -
No Child Left Behind Act
This act mandated states to test their students and break down the data in hopes that the report would say that all students were testing on the same level. The act exposed more of the flaws within the school system than good. In my opinion, this act handicapped a lot of our students because a lot of teachers were "bumping" students along and not really attempting to fully educate the child. -
The Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) is reauthorized and modified
This act reorganized ways in which to identify persons that could possibly be admitted into the special education program. This act includes students that are in the RTI process and a few safety procedures within the IEP process. This directly impacted me professionally because I often times have a student in my class who is marked as SPED and I have to be aware of their modifications and accommodations to be in compliance with their IEP. -
Race to the Top Initiative
This initiative was for those teachers who taught a state tested subject. In the event that those teachers who's students showed a high enough growth were given a bonus. This initiative was in place while I was teaching, but I did not teach a tested subject those years. -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaces No Child Left Behind
The ESSA act replaced the No Child Left Behind Act and helps supports the child as well as those that educate the child. This act requires that all children are taught at a higher standard and to help the students be college and career ready once they complete high school. This impacts me because I feel it holds me accountable for what and how I teach my students. I have to make sure I introduce enough rigor within the classroom so that they can perform well once they leave my class.