A Short History of Education in America

By krae5280
  • John Locke publishes "Essay Concerning Human Understanding"

    John Locke publishes "Essay Concerning Human Understanding"

    the mind is a "tabula rasa" or a blank slate and our knowledge is developed through our experiences
  • New England Primer is Printed

    New England Primer is Printed

    becomes the most widely used schoolbook in New England

  • First Public Library

    established in Charles Town, South Carolina
  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Book "Emile, ou l'education" is published

    Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Book "Emile, ou l'education" is published

    describes his view of the importance of early education
  • Bill of Rights is passed

    Bill of Rights is passed

    the power to govern education is left to the states, not the federal government
  • The blackboard is invented

    The blackboard is invented

    invented by James Pillans
  • First "Normal" School is Created for Teacher Education

    First "Normal" School is Created for Teacher Education

    Opens in Lexington, Massachusetts

  • First Mandatory Attendance Law

    Enacted by Massachusetts
  • First Kindergarten is Started

    First Kindergarten is Started

    founded in Watertown, Wisconsin by Margarethe Schurz
  • The Department of Education is Created

    The Department of Education is Created

    Created to help states establish effective school systems

  • Civil Rights Act is Passed

    Bans segregation in all public places

  • Ivan Pavlov Reads "The Experimental Psychology & Psychopathology of Animals"

    explained his concept of conditioned reflex, classical conditioning
  • First Montessori School Opens in Tarrytown, New York

    First Montessori School Opens in Tarrytown, New York

    Founded by Maria Montessori

  • Thorndike's Book "Educational Psychology: The Psychology of Learning" is Published

    Learning involoves habit formation or Connectionism between stimuli and repetition.
  • John B. Watson Conducts Little Albert Study

    John B. Watson Conducts Little Albert Study

    Showed that children could be conditioned to fear stimuli of which they had previously been unafraid
  • Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale is Developed

    Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale is Developed

    Introduces the concept of deviation IQ, still widely used in schools today for identifying students for special education services
  • ENIAC Computer is built

    ENIAC Computer is built

    built for the U.S. Military, a vacuum-tube computer
  • B.F. Skinner's "Science & Human Behavior" is published

    B.F. Skinner's "Science & Human Behavior" is published

    Operant Conditioning, changes in behavior are due to reinforcement
  • Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka is passed

    Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka is passed

    rules that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal
  • Bloom's Taxonomy is Developed

    Bloom's Taxonomy is Developed

    Divides the cognitive domain into six levels
  • Lev Vygotsky's Book "Thought and Language" is introduced to America

    Lev Vygotsky's Book "Thought and Language" is introduced to America

    the social nature of learning, Zone of Proximal Development
  • Civil Rights Act Becomes Law

    Civil Rights Act Becomes Law

  • Jerome Bruner's "Toward a Theory of Instruction" is Published

    Jerome Bruner's "Toward a Theory of Instruction" is Published

    cognitive learning theory
  • Herbert Kohl's Book "The Open Classroom" is published

    Herbert Kohl's Book "The Open Classroom" is published

    promotes open education, student-centered classrooms, holistic learning
  • Jean Piaget's Book "The Science of Education" is Published

    Jean Piaget's Book "The Science of Education" is Published

    Learning Cycle model, discovery-based teaching
  • Texas Instruments Introduces the TI-2500 Calculator

    Texas Instruments Introduces the TI-2500 Calculator

    first hand-held electronic calculator
  • Rehabilitation Act/Section 504

    Rehabilitation Act/Section 504

    guarantees civil rights for people with disabilities
  • Apple II Compter is Introduced

    Apple II Compter is Introduced

    One of the first personal computers used in schools.
  • IBM Introduces Model 5150

    IBM Introduces Model 5150

    Uses the MS-DOS operating system
  • Madeline Hunter Publishes "Mastery Teaching"

    Madeline Hunter Publishes "Mastery Teaching"

    Her direct instruction teaching model becomes widely used throughout America
  • SMART Board is Introduced

    SMART Board is Introduced

  • Brook's Book "In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms" is published

    Brook's Book "In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms" is published

    Learning best occurs through active construction rather than through passive reception
  • NCLB is Approved by Congress

    NCLB is Approved by Congress

    No Child Left Behind Act, mandates high-stakes testing & holds schools accountable for student performance
  • Common Core State Standards Initiative is Launched

    Common Core State Standards Initiative is Launched