Without a doubt, technology has had a massive impact on education, but that has always been the case. Throughout the years, educators have used whatever technology they had at hand to help their classes receive instruction. The overhead projector was put into use during the 1930s, the photocopier at the end of the 1950s, and the handheld calculator was introduced in the 1970s.

This trend has continued to the great benefit of students around the world. Educators have always used technology to make their lessons more accessible and easier to understand for their students.

And it is this trend that is celebrated by Education Technology Day. This holiday falls on September 23rd every year and celebrates classroom technology and the educators who put it to good use.

The History of Education Technology Day

Education Technology Day is a holiday that we, unfortunately, don’t know much about. We know the phrase “Education Technology,” or “EdTech,” was defined in the lexicon in 2000 by M.D. Roblyer as “the combination of tools and processes involved in addressing educational problems and needs with an emphasis on applying the most current tools.”

That much we know. What we don’t know is when this holiday was created. We think it was created sometime between 2001 and 2009, but at this point, we’re unsure. However, we’ll continue to try to research this holiday and see what we can find.

A Quick Look at Education in the Classroom

We wanted to give all of our readers a chance to learn more about classroom technology and how it has historically been used so that they have a better understanding of this holiday and what it’s celebrating.

That’s why we’ve gathered together a timeline of educational technology through the years. The following list isn’t complete, of course, but it is a general outline of how technology has impacted students’ lives throughout the years.

• 1923: Radios are introduced into the classroom.
• 1951: Videotapes hit some classrooms.
• 1972: The Scantron is introduced.
• 1982: Some classrooms gain access to the Commodore 64. Students learn to program in BASIC.
• 1982: Some classrooms gain access to laptops.
• 1993: Access to the Internet is gained by the public.
• 2007: The iPhone is introduced.
• 2012: iPads are used in schools.
• 2020: Video conferencing is used during the COVID-19 Pandemic to educate students.

Observing Education Technology Day

Education Technology Day is observed by learning more about the history of technology in the classroom, how it’s been utilized throughout history, and the impact it has had on education.

It’s also a day to pay homage to those brave educators who have used cutting-edge technology in their classrooms to help their students receive the quality of education they deserve. Everyone observing this holiday can also spread the news about it using the hashtag #EducationTechnologyDay on social media.