Sheila H. Troppe
I designed this unit as supplemental to our eighth grade computer curriculum. The unit is very basic in nature so that a teacher may expand or adapt for individual students. I felt that some computer history should be included in our curriculum. After my introduction, I wrote a brief review of computers, beginning with the abacus. The unit continues with some of-the contributors to the computer revolution through Eckert and Mauchly and Univac.
The bulk of the unit is devoted to exploring IBM, their founding father Tom Watson, and an examination of some of the principles by which he shaped the company. Included is a section on NCR and their competition-busting strategies and the subsequent anti-trust suit. I have examined many of the policies and their basis and how they formed the new company and a whole generation of men that followed. The unit follows on sales techniques, company strategy, policies, and information on some of the antitrust suits. The unit concludes with some lesson plans and activities designed to individualize for various student abilities. The unit was designed as a reference or guide for teachers with information from a variety of sources arranged in a more usable way.
(Recommended for Middle School Computer Education and Modern American History and Middle School and High School Business Education)
Key Words
Growth Technology Computers American Sixties History Teaching
