The Verge Traces Overhead Projectors From Military Use to Classrooms
The Verge closes Version History's fifth season with an episode on how overhead projectors entered classrooms and changed learning.
According to The Verge, the overhead projector changed more than student discipline. Before it, teachers were often turned around writing at the chalkboard, making it easier for students to get away with things; the device altered that classroom dynamic.
In the episode, David Pierce is joined by The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes and Stanford professor Antero Garcia. They discuss how overhead projectors were developed, how they made their way into classrooms and how they changed so much about the way children learn. They also try to determine why overhead projectors have mostly gone away.
The episode asks whether the things that replaced overhead projectors, including PowerPoint presentations, computer screens and smart boards, actually improved on the OHP. The Verge frames the discussion as part of the season's focus on iconic school technology.
The final episode closes a season that also examined Oregon Trail, the original Chromebook, the One Laptop Per Child program, the LeapFrog LeapPad and Texas Instruments calculators. The Verge says subscribers can access Version History and its other podcasts without ads through account settings.