Laptops
To describe a computer would be to say that it is a device that receives information, and through various signals can create new information. Since computers have developed and evolved so rapidly in the last two decades, it would be more reasonable to ask what a computer cannot do. Almost every device that exists in modern society is a computer of some sort including PCs, laptops, phones and tablets. Before looking at how computers are used in the classroom, we firstly need to gain an understanding of where computers have come from and how they have developed.
A Timeline of Today's Computers
1936 Alan Turing invents the Turing machine: the first machine to be able to compute anything.
1941 J.V. Atanasoff and his graduate student Clifford Berry design a computer that can solve 29 equations simultaneously. 1946 Two university professors from Pennsylvania build the Electric Numerical Integrator and Calculator which becomes the grandfather of digital computers and fills a 20 foot by 40 foot room 1958 Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce invent the computer chip. 1964 Douglas Engelbart reveals prototype for modern computer with a mouse and interface. 1971 Alan Shugart invents the floppy disk allowing data to be shared between computers. 1975 Bill Gates and Paul Allen form their own software company known as Microsoft. 1976 Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak start Apple computers. 1983 Apple unleashes the first ever laptop. 1990 Beginning of the world wide web. 1994 PCs become gaming machines. 1999 Users of the internet begin to connect wirelessly using wifi. 2004 The launch of Facebook. 2005 Youtube is founded. 2009 The launch of Windows 7. 2012 Facebook gains 1 billion users. 2015: ? |
Implications in the Classroom
Children today use computers every day to complete many tasks. They use social media to communicate, post their ideas and view other's ideas. They play games, send emails, watch videos and can access any amount of information in a matter of seconds. It is for this reason that it is crucial that laptops and computers are used at school, not only to appeal to their sense of familiarity, but to educate them on cyber safety, how to utilise certain programs and gain skills that will be extremely prevalent in their future careers.
Resources
Campbell-Kelly, M., Aspray, W., Ensmenger, N. & Yost, J. (2014). A history of the information machine: Computer (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: Westview Press.