Blog #7: New Technologies

In this class, EOTO stands for 'Each One Teach One.' Instead of our professor delivering a lecture on the development of communication technologies, students were encouraged to teach the class. This was a valuable experience as it encouraged students to become actively involved in the learning process, rather than being passive recipients of information. 

By experiencing the EOTO approach to learning firsthand, I learned about the invention of the printing press from my group member, Brendan Shea during an in-class presentation. It was valuable to learn about the history of the groundbreaking invention that completely changed the worlds of printing and publishing. The EOTO approach to learning was truly a unique and exciting experience that taught us how to effectively share information and perspectives and engage with our classmates as an audience, while learning from them in return. 

The printing press was invented by German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg in 1436. After reading the article Brendan cited, I learned that Gutenberg died penniless. The new invention became the most popular method for automated book printing. The machine was comprised of a screw-type wine press that squeezed inked metal type. The printing press allowed for the mass production of written materials, which had previously been a time-consuming and costly process. This invention proved to be a game changer, not just in the printing industry, but in society as a whole.

The printing press played a crucial role in the creation of a global news network by making printing faster and more affordable. This invention allowed for a wide variety of written materials to become distributed to the world, thanks to the use of traveling salesmen. Censorship became more challenging as a result of the widespread publication of radical opinions, which were being distributed in greater numbers than ever before.

Due to the continued low literacy rates, skilled readers were employed to publicly read in public places such as pubs. The widespread distribution and publication of scientific literature led to unprecedented progress in the fields of science and technology.

The printing press enabled manuscripts from famous figures like Plato and Aristotle to be re-published alongside new works. Martin Luther was one notable author who greatly benefited from this invention. He became a best-selling author between 1518 and 1525, and his writings accounted for two-thirds of all books sold in Germany during that time.

Some other facts I learned in presentations include: Emojis were used for the first time in the 1860s; the stock market was one of the first uses of the World Wide Web and the internet; The first prototype of the internet was called ARPANET (two computers exchanging information); Internet Explorer was groundbreaking as it allowed people to explore domains anywhere they wanted to; Twitter's platform relied heavily on news, which is also seen as its downfall; It also is sometimes called "The First TikTok."; The radio was invented by Guglielmo Marconi; In the early days of television, only a couple thousand homes owned one. This can be attributed to the high costs and shortage of marketing. However, less than fifty years after its creation, 98% of American homes owned at least one television; Established in 1775, the U.S. Postal Service is an independent agency of the federal government of the U.S. (and one of its' largest employers) responsible for providing postal service; Soldiers were permitted to bring their phonograph outside the United States; Facebook was originally created for Harvard students as a social network program; The word for "pencil" comes from the latin for "little tail."

To conclude, the EOTO approach to learning provides a unique opportunity for students to actively engage in the learning process and share their research with their classmates. Through this method, I was able to gain valuable insights into the history of communication technologies, including the game-changing invention of Johannes Gutenberg's printing press. This invention had a huge impact on society, leading to the mass production and distribution of written materials and paving the way for unprecedented progress in fields like science and technology. Throughout the in class presentations, the EOTO approach to learning proved to be an effective and engaging way to learn about the history and impact of communication technologies. equal and democratic society.