The Survey Says
Have you ever shared a story with your students and seen confused faces when you mentioned a childhood device? If you haven’t yet, just wait. The more “experienced” we get, the more devices, toys and household goods from our childhood are unknown by our students.
ESGI and ThinkFives polled thousands of teachers about devices which many students would not recognize. Here are their Top 5 Devices that are quickly becoming museum pieces.
Viewmaster
Viewmasters represented an era in time long before DVDs and video games. The circular reel held 14 film transparencies in seven pairs. By viewing both the right and left at the same time in the Viewmaster, the users could see depth perception similar to binoculars.
A few fun facts about Viewmasters
- Viewmaster was introduced at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and was intended as an alternative to a scenic postcard.
- In the 1960s, Viewmaster acquired the rights for famous television shows including Laugh-In, Star Trek, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,and The Beverly Hillbillies.
- Through acquisition, Viewmaster got the rights to Walt Disney characters, producing some of the most popular reels including the first reels of the newly opened Disneyland in 1955.
- At its height of popularity, the service estimated that Viewmaster was recognized by 65% of the world’s population.
Video Cassette Recorders (VCRs)
The first VCR machines were introduced in the late 50s and 60s but really didn’t become a home standard until the 1970s. The VCR started gaining mass market traction in 1975 when all major technology companies began producing them.
A few fun facts about VCRs
- In the 1980s, it was estimated that over 89% of US households owned VCRs.
- VHS competed with Sony‘s Betamax, which many recognized as a better technology but eventually lost popularity due to the price and widespread availability of VHS formats.
- The video VHS cassette had 1,410 feet of tape giving it a maximum play time of about four hours.
- Numerous examples in real life and TV shows highlighted family crises when husbands taped sporting events over prized family videos — or worse yet, the wedding videos.
Oregon Trail
Probably the most successful educational game in history, Oregon Trail set the standard for future educational video games. Many current teachers remember these games from grade school.
“For example, a language arts lesson for students asks them to explore the dangers of the trail and write public service announcements to warn future travelers. A math lesson teaches students the basics of economics by examining the in-game fur trading.” (EdTech Magazine)
A few fun facts about the Oregon Trail
- The game was created by MECC (Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium) and its goal was to teach children about the realities of 19th century pioneer life on the Oregon Trail.
- Follow-up games to the Oregon Trail were the Yukon Trail and the Amazon Trail.
- The phrase—“you have died of dysentery”—became popularized on t-shirts thanks to the game.
- 65 million copies of the game have been sold over the years.
Atari Computer
Introduced in 1979, Atari captured the imagination of young people for over a decade. Founded by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, Atari was a pioneer in arcade games, home video game consoles, and home computers, introducing games like Pong.
A few fun facts about Atari
- The price was $199 (equivalent to $905 today) and included a console, two joysticks, a pair of paddles, and the Combat game cartridge.
- Originally named the Atari VCS (Video Computer Systems), the company sold over thirty million consoles alone.
- Many remember three incredibly popular games: Outlaw, Space War, and Breakout.
- Adventure, an early game from Atari, was the first video game to contain an Easter Egg – hidden messages, and inside jokes.
Rotary phone
It’s now primarily a museum piece but at one time, the rotary dial phone was one of the most ubiquitous devices in the country. The original black version can be seen in countless old movies and TV shows.
A few fun facts about rotary phones
- The first patent for a rotary dial was filed in December 1891 by Allman Brown Strowger.
- The most quickly dialed code is 212 and the slowest is 909. Hence, New York City got 212 and Alaska got the 900 series.
- Because of the limited holes, the letters Q and Z were not on the phone.
- The last number circle was zero and also “O” for Operator when dialed first,
Honorable Mentions
8-track 
TV Antennae 
Clackers 
Typewriter 
Lite Brite
- 8-track
- Indoor TV Antennae
- Clackers
- Typewriter
- Lite Brite
What device did you use that your students wouldn’t remember?
It’s ironic that they were so popular during that period and now, unheard of by this generation of students. I wanted a sister so bad. I kept begging my mom to please get me a sister. Her solution was to gift me with a doll. I remember Patty play pal, the life sized doll. I was disappointed to say the least. It is good for students to discuss the progression of technology. It confirms that invention moved us forward and may be an inspiration of thought.
As an aspiring teacher, I don’t know any of these, but they were interesting to read about.
I do remember using a Viewmaster to look at cartoons and flipping through scenes of it. Great memories.
I have no idea how to use a Rotary phone. I cannot believe people used to have those on a wall or at a phone booth.