8CIOReview | | JULY 2021IN MY OPINIONThink about it: Has there ever been an invention or a piece of technology that has helped to advance civilization more than the pencil? It's design is portable, sleek, and functional. Relatively easy and cheap to construct and replicate, the pencil (or stylus) first emerged during the early spread of the Roman Empire, just in time to expand knowledge and learning broadly in a fast-growing world. With the accessibility of graphite, it conceptually gathered more steam in the 1500s. And just in time for the industrial revolution in the 1800s, the pencil (as we know it) was mass produced. During this same time in history, public education was beginning to take root and literacy became more widespread. Very quickly, the pencil became an essential tool for every student's learning experience. The pencil was the pivotal catalyst for creating easy and functional learning opportunities for all students enrolled in school. The pencil helped establish and cement the first vestiges of true equity in the modern era. In short, the pencil was the key that unlocked the doors of learning.Not until the advent of personal computers in the 1970s and 80s did the classroom and workplace change so much in such a short period of time. Personal computers have become ubiquitous. PCs have enhanced professional enterprise and student learning exponentially. This has been augmented by the widespread addition of smart phones, in many cases more powerful than their larger PC cousins. Advances in software THE NEW PENCILBy Thomas W. Taylor, Ed.D., M.B.A. Deputy Superintendent, Chesterfield County Public SchoolsThomas W. Taylor
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