From an educator's viewpoint, what is the best invention ever created?

There were really only two choices made by teachers in this poll. Computers and copy machines dominated the vote and accounted for more than 75% of the responses. These two devices certainly have had an impact on the educational process for both teachers and students.

Computers are used by students for research and presentation purposes and by teachers for lesson planning and record keeping. Having so much information literally at their fingertips is an amazing feat that couldn't even have been imagined a couple of generations ago. The advent of the computer and the World Wide Web has changed the landscape of the education system forever.

Copy machines have also had a huge impact on how education is delivered. Teachers are now able to disperse large amounts of information to their students in a relatively inexpensive and time effective manner. Having students copy information from the blackboard or textbooks meant time was taken away from other educational pursuits. Additional resource material can now be made available from sources other than the classroom textbook. Information that has been garnered online can be copied and disseminated in the same way.

Perhaps the most surprising responses in this poll were the ones that placed last. Ball point pens received very few votes but really did change education. Suddenly there were no more inkwells to dip girl's pigtails in, no more blaming spilled ink for blotched work, and certainly no more messy fingers. Ah, the good old days.

What about coffee? Coffee should definitely have ranked higher up in this poll. How many of us need that first morning cup of coffee to get going? It wakes up our brains and makes us ready to face the day. We're not just talking about teachers here either. Anyone who has seen sleepy Grade 12 students rolling into the school parking lot with coffee cup in hand, know that coffee is a necessity. Coffee is probably responsible for helping more students graduate that any other invention.

Computers and copy machines have certainly had an impact on the educational system. But let's not forget about our friend, coffee. It's impossible to pull an all-nighter without it.