It's easy to look at kids in school today and think they have it easier than we did.
They get to use iPads instead of three-ring binders, Wikipedia instead of a dusty encyclopedia CD-ROMs and their classrooms are more connected than ours ever were. But while new tech makes learning a more enriching experience, it also makes it a lot harder to slack off.
Think back to those classes in which it was easy to share answers with your friends and get by without really doing too much work. Now, imagine having to log your homework in a personalized app that tracks your progress and reports it back to your teacher. Oh, the humanity.
Of course, using apps and high-quality digital games to learn subjects is probably a lot more fun than completing six pages of fill-in-the-blank questions during recess, so let's not feel too bad about it.
"Twenty years ago, most teachers taught in the traditional way -- from the front of the class, lecturing students," said David Lapides, director of program management at SMART Technologies. "Classroom technology has allowed teachers to become 'guides' to learning -- all while allowing the students themselves to play more of a role in the way they learn."
Below, we've gathered eight examples of pre-digital revolution school gear, and the futuristic tech that's replaced it.
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