Exploring Historical Themes

Our "Timeline of Education" shows highlights of learning and education (especially related to Western education), going back to the very first education:

			In the beginning... Adam got the very first lesson, from God: break the law and you pay the price.
			Or, in the beginning... Before there were written words (the Pre-literate era), everything humans learned was passed on by word-of-mouth.
			3000 B.C. Egyptian "temple schools." Priests teach religion, writing, sciences.
			2000 B.C. First formal schools in China.
			1500 B.C. Priests in India teach religion, writing, philosophy, sciences.
			850 B.C. Homer's Illiad & Odyssey appear, educating about Greek history and mythological gods. In Greece, mostly free men (non-slaves) have access to teachers.
			550 B.C. Confucious, revered Chinese teacher and philosopher. Much of Chinese society today is based on his teachings of basic morality. Emphasized importance of goodness, kindness, generosity, respect for elders, etc.
			400 B.C. Sophists, wandering teachers in Greece, taught people how to argue through logic. Great philosopher Socrates teaches in public squares to anyone who will listen/argue. He puts higher value on finding "truth," rather than simply winning arguments, and encourages people to think for themselves.
			387, 355 B.C. Plato & Aristotle establish schools in Athens. Plato's school called the "Academy." Both schools focus on truth. Plato writes The Republic, outlines his vision of perfect society and education based on social standing.
			100 B.C. Organized education curriculum Romans named Cicero and Quintilian have ideas that are still in use today's Western society. Cicero says that education should be broad in arts & sciences. Quintilian says education should be based on student's ability to learn.
			0 B.C./A.D. Jesus teaches in Jerusalem.
			105 A.D. Paper is invented in China.
			500-1500 A.D. Is called "The Middle Ages" in Western culture. It is an era of slower progress, but steps in education still occur. In "writing rooms," monks copy important texts by hand. The Catholic Church has great influence over teachings throughout this period. Priests teach religion, writing, sciences.
			500 A.D. Nalanda, great Buddhist university in India, home to over 10,000 students. Largest "resident" place of learning in history at the time. Subjects included religious study, as well as philosophy, grammar, medicine.
			999 A.D. Avicenna, Iranian leading thinker on medicine writes The Canon of Medicine. This work and others by Arab, North African, and Spanish thinkers has great impact on European education ideas.
			1000 A.D. Arabic learning. Europeans learn an Arabic number system, still used in the West today. Priests teach religion, writing, sciences.
			1100 A.D. Scholastics, a movement that helped bridge differences between purely religious teachings and philosophical and scientific thinking.
			1150-1250 "Modern" universities founded. 1150, Paris/Sorbonne. 1209, Cambridge. 1249, Oxford. St. Thomas Aquinas, a Catholic theologian, works with the concepts of the Scholastics at Paris. Universities begin offering degrees in variety of subjects.
			1450 Printing press invented. This development begins improvement in literacy as access to books is easier, but still easy for most people.
			1499 Desiderius Erasmus, Dutch teacher, begins researching ancient documents. Advises teachers in Europe to think about literature, not just read or memorize it.
			1500 The Renaissance through 17th century. Period of renewed interest in learning begins. Italy is especially active during this time. More women begin to pursue education, although it is still out of reach for most men and women. Many important texts in mathematics translated into useable language, aiding study and development of science.
			1517 Reformation begins literacy improves. Because they are able to read, some question the authority of the Pope. Bible printed in local languages creates increased literacy. Reformers start schools where people are taught basic subjects in their native languages.
			1592 Shakespeare's plays begin in England. Theater is a place where philosophical ideas could be taught from the stage, helping illiterate audience members grow and think.
			1609 Censorship in education. Galileo invents telescope, announces the Sun is the center of the universe, and is denounced by Catholic Church as a danger to the faith. He is ordered not to teach his findings.
			1620s Slide rule is invented, math is made easier.
			1659 Comenius writes first picture book for children. The Czech educator travels northern Europe encouraging teachers to make the classroom more interesting for children.
			1690 The mind is a blank slate. English poet & philosopher John Locke argues that we are born with blank minds, and education should gradually develop them-thus education should begin in early childhood.
			1770s Importance of education for all. Americans Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin advise of education's importance for all citizens of a new nation.
			1799 First "modern" elementary school. Johann Pestalozzi, a Swiss educator, starts establishing schools throughout Switzerland and Germany that use "object lessons," the senses, and expression to help children learn.
			1833 First tax-dollars for education, in Britain, breaking church and private monopolies.
			1837 First Kindergarten opened by Friedrich Frbel as a place where small children can grow and learn before entering elementary school.
			1852 First all-free education in U.S. state of Massachusetts
			Mid 1800s Most Western governments set up formal education policies/plans for general population.
			1862 The King & I. Anna Leonowens takes Western education ideas to children in the Royal palace of Thailand.
			1880s "Evolution" radically changes education. Darwin's theories of evolution, pushed forward into education by Herbert Spencer, continue to have believers and detractors today..
			1890s Correspondence courses offered in Britain and North America, based on ideas from Oxford and Cambridge universities.
			1905 First standardized test of intelligence. Developed by Alfred Binet
			1918 All U.S. states require free education
			1920s Emphasis on early childhood learning. Italian Maria Montessori develops methods still in use, teaching very young children basics of life in practical, sensory, and formal skills. Her ideas influence kindergartens and pre-schools.
			1921 First formal American "Study Abroad" program sends University of Delaware students to France.
			1926 Semester at Sea program takes first voyage with 504 American students. First stop: Yokohama, Japan.
			1951 Television as teacher. Jack LaLanne educates Americans about the importance of fitness every dayfor 34 years.
			1954 Racial integration in U.S. schools
			1959 Sunrise Semester debuts, bringing adult continuing education on a variety of subjects into any living room with a television.
			1960s Multi-media hits the classroom. Slide and filmstrip projectors, and tape players are common.
			1964 Universities as protest places. University of California, Berkeley, sees the start of student political protests.
			1961 Cooking class on T.V. Julia Child debuts with instructions for making an omelet.
			1969 Sesame Street debuts. The ongoing children's education program features puppets and people teaching basics of reading, moral lessons, and music.
			1970s Electronic math calculators make educators fear many students will forget how to do basic math. History is proving them right.
			1970s Home schooling regains popularity. Some parents don't like U.S. government rules preventing religion in the classroom, so they school their children at home. Popularity rises over coming years for many reasons.
			Early 1980s Television in the classroom. The availability of cheap VCRs makes video learning common.
			1980s Community colleges and "tech" schools popular. Perfect for people want advanced education without enrolling in universities.
			Late 1980s Computers come to school. Models by Apple and IBM begin to be seen in schools, but it's a while before they're useful to most students.
			1989 Students silenced The Chinese government uses military force to stop student protests for democracy in Tiananmen Square. Hundreds of civilians and students die.
			1991 Charter schools. The U.S. State of Minnesota, followed by others, passes a law allowing schools that don't follow the standard curriculum.
			Late 1990s The Internet changes everything. The development of the Internet makes instant information and communication available to anyone in the world with a connection. Content develops quickly, and research is available on any virtually any topic. E-learning courses develop, allowing students to learn and even gain a university degree "online."