Time Line

I've been thinking about changes I've seen in using computers for teaching Basic Skills in the past 20 or so years. The starting point came in a presentation I gave in Sheffield a couple of years ago.

• 1984-5 Community Drop-in - using BBC for word-processing, programs
• 1985-9 Community Classes - carrying BBC Masters in my car for word-processing, programs
• 1989-96 Open Learning Centre - suite of PCs (Amstrads) - used for word-processing (Wordstar), Lotus, authoring programs especially Storyboard
  
• 1990 - Laser Printer to replace dot-matrix to print learning materials
• 1990 - First "laptop"
  
• 1993 - Multimedia CD-ROMs
• c1995 - First contact with internet
• 1996/7 - Heard presentations from computer gurus about how internet would change everything
• 2000 - First used internet with students
• 2001 - started writing quizzes
• 2004 - started to collect interactive activities
• 2006 - quizzes and interactive activities still what I mainly use in 1-1; I know I'd be using different strategies in a classroom

Most of these moments seemed very exciting at the time. Taking the BBCs to community classes was very rewarding because the students were very interested and gained hugely in confidence, even if the equipment was heavy and parking sometimes difficult. The first laser printer was also great because it allowed us to make professional looking learning materials. We used Ventura which had GEM, a better than Windows 2 GUI. The printer cost over £1000 and was only the second in the college - that felt cutting edge (an unusual feeling in Basic Skills).