Timeline of edtech in Minnesota
2014-2024
100 events with 1,000 people via EdNorth
Pivot Interactives acquired by Discovery Education, Edmentum acquires Apex Learning, Early Learning Labs acquired by Renaissance, FastBridge Learning acquired by Illuminate Education, Flipgrid acquired by Microsoft
Impact of Minnesota from Michael Moe at ASU-GSV Summit 2024
OnRamp ECMC Education & Workforce Innovation conference
Education & Training Division of the Minnesota Cup
Twin Cities Startup Weekend Education​
early 2000s
Minnesota is recognized as one of the first states with fully web-based online schools, indicating a continued advancement in education technology delivery. Minnesota schools continue to integrate various technologies into the classroom, including interactive whiteboards (like SMART Boards introduced in the late 1990s), laptops, tablets (like iPads, which saw classroom introduction around 2010), Chromebooks (gaining popularity in classrooms around 2012), and learning management systems.​
1990s
Minnesota passes the first state charter school law in the United States. This groundbreaking legislation allows for the creation of public schools that operate independently from traditional school districts and have greater autonomy in exchange for accountability. The first charter school in the U.S., City Academy, opens in St. Paul, Minnesota. This school focuses on supporting older teens and young adults. California follows shortly after, passing its charter school law.
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​The state of Minnesota spins off MECC as a private corporation, selling it to a venture capital fund. MECC goes public with an IPO, and then is acquired by SoftKey International. SoftKey consolidates MECC's operations, and in October 1999, SoftKey shuts down MECC. ​
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The first internet is invented. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gopher_(protocol)
1960s-1980s
1983: Microcomputer use in schools increases rapidly. MECC becomes a taxable, profit-making company owned by the state of Minnesota but operating independently due to the financial success of its software.​​
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1978: MECC begins encouraging Minnesota schools to adopt the Apple II and becomes a major reseller of Apple computers. John Cook adapts "Oregon Trail" for the Apple II, adding a map display and making hunting and attack sequences more interactive, though still primarily text-based. MECC also contracts with Control Data to provide computer-assisted instruction (CAI) through the PLATO system. MECC also begins distributing software through the Atari Program Exchange.
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1973: The Minnesota State Legislature founds the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC) to create a statewide network for educational computing, building on the successes of TIES and other local networks. Don Rawitsch is hired by MECC and, with permission from Heinemann and Dillenberger, rewrites and enhances "Oregon Trail" for MECC's time-sharing system. MECC starts awarding mini-grants for the development of other educational software.​
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1971: Don Rawitsch, a student teacher at Jordan Junior High School in Minneapolis, creates the text-based computer game "Oregon Trail" for his 8th-grade history class about westward expansion. His roommates, Bill Heinemann and Paul Dillenberger, both with computer experience, suggest turning his board game idea into a computer program. The game is written in BASIC for the Minneapolis school district's mainframe computer.
1967: Eighteen school districts in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, along with the College of Education, establish the Total Information for Educational Systems (TIES). TIES provides time-sharing services, training, and software on an HP 2000 computer.
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Mid-1960s: A group of teachers at the University of Minnesota College of Education's laboratory school begins introducing computers into classrooms using teleprinters and time-sharing. This was inspired by the strong presence of computer technology companies like IBM, Honeywell, and Control Data in Minnesota, which was considered a "Midwestern Silicon Valley" at the time.