| Public schools are person-centered schools. According to Parker's text, American schools should teach students “industry, technical ability and home-making, as well as the essentials of a cultural education.” This begs the question, “What are industry, technical ability and the essentials of a cultural education?” This research will attempt to describe foremost, technical ability. How did that technology get there? Do technological innovations have associations with, or an impact upon, the learning environment?; The study was concerned with the associations of technology to various educational factors and the possible implications that technology, when combined with these, has had on the learning environment. To research this area, a review of the history of technology was necessary.; The primary purpose of the study was to trace the development of technological innovations and educational trends from 1900 to the present and then juxtapose these with the rapidly changing social conditions of the time. Subsequent purposes of this study were to ascertain whether or not an association exists between technology and the educational factors of school administration and organization, curricular and instructional factors, and professional development.; Using the ethnomethodological approach, this research will study technological innovations from 1900 to the present and juxtapose these innovations with the broad fields of educational philosophy and educational theory in a historical format.; Once data are collected, they can then be evaluated, related, and compared to factors of school organization and administration, classroom factors of curriculum, instruction, and professional development. Technology has long been a major part of education and there have been many attempts to change the technology of schools, i.e., the “science” of education. In this century, more and more advances in the cognitive sciences have taken place each decade and seemingly, each advance affects education. How will this new power structure affect schools? How have schools dealt with technological breakthroughs in the past? Students, parents, teachers, administrators, and university staff will benefit from this study in that it provides reasons for the massive changes in education over the last century. |
