The first wave of digital learning
In 1983, the Apple IIe arrived in classrooms. By 1984, the first Macintosh promised a “computer for the rest of us.” These machines were symbols of a new era. For many students, they were the first encounter with a screen that could “think.”
When I think back to the earliest days of computers in classrooms, I remember the buzz of curiosity. Students are often found crowding around a glowing green screen (or amber or blue), typing BASIC code from magazines, playing Oregon Trail, or experimenting with simple simulations. Computers promised a world where learning was interactive, not just passive.
While my school had a computer lab filled with TRS-80 computers (and a shared hard disk of 10 MB!), they were not something everyone used. Our typing class, for example, was still done on IBM Selectric typewriters. Word Processing was not something we had heard of yet.
What computers gave us:
* “Interactive” simulations that brought abstract concepts to life. I say interactive in quote;, they were nothing like the interactives we use today.
* Tools for writing, problem-solving, and creativity.
* The first hints of individualized learning.
But here’s the gap:
These machines were expensive. Many schools had only a small computer lab, and access was uneven. Teacher training lagged behind, leaving many devices underused. Instead of leveling the field, computers often deepened the digital divide.
Access was limited to students who had passed particular math courses, so divide began wide and only got wider.
*š The lesson? Innovation without equity is just another barrier.*
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