Found this photo on Shorpy, thought I'd share it here. Dated Nov. 1, 1954 Schenectady NY. No doubt it's WRGB they're watching.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/6831

http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/5a23195u.jpg

Zenith?

Zenith.

In around 1964, we had TVs in each classroom. They were rarely used, maybe once a year. TV shows, even the educational ones, would have taken time away from the teachers drilling us on stuff that would get asked on the yearly computer scored achievement tests. Just like today's recent "No Child Left Behind" testing. "Teach to the test, if it doesn't get asked on the test, don't waste time teaching it". No creative writing in English class, just do the grammar stuff.
http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/classtv.jpg

Found this photo on Shorpy, thought I'd share it here. Dated Nov. 1, 1954 Schenectady NY. No doubt it's WRGB they're watching.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/6831

http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/5a23195u.jpg

How can you tell what channel they are watching? I could barely see the picture on the set, let alone the channel selector. Only thing I can figure is that WRGB-TV was the only television station in Schenectady in 1954, decades before they switched from NBC to CBS and from channel 4 to channel 6.

Here's TV in the classroom 1962. My 6th grade class. TV was a "Ling DeLuxe Television" built by Ling Electronics here locally. They outfitted the main high school in the district with a small studio setup and transmitter that was on UHF ch 23. Each school had a parabolic dish UHF antenna. Each classroom had a kid appointed to be the one who pushed the TVs from one room to another, as the TVs were shared. At least once someone got going too fast and toppled one over in the hallway. I remember getting Spanish lessons and some history lessons on those TVs.

Good ol' Mr. Duncan standing beside the TV.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/tblazed/LingTV2-wallaceele-6th.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/tblazed/LingTV1-wallaceele-6th.jpg

(Yes I am in the picture. No I won't say which one!)

In around 1964, we had TVs in each classroom. They were rarely used, maybe once a year. TV shows, even the educational ones, would have taken time away from the teachers drilling us on stuff that would get asked on the yearly computer scored achievement tests. Just like today's recent "No Child Left Behind" testing. "Teach to the test, if it doesn't get asked on the test, don't waste time teaching it". No creative writing in English class, just do the grammar stuff.
http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/classtv.jpg
Aaahhh yes those stupid Stanford Acheivement Tests, lots of #2 pencils little swirley dots, a book the size of a People magazine and a week of wasted time...:D

Classroom TV in northeastern Ohio, circa 1965, meant (at least in the elementary school in the Cleveland suburb where I grew up) one or perhaps two 23" RCA Victor all-channel TVs on large, tall wheeled carts. (My grade school was quite small, so we could get by with just two sets.) The school had a MATV (master antenna) system that downconverted Cleveland's PBS (then NET) channel, WVIZ channel 25, to VHF channel 4; though those sets had all-channel tuning, I don't think they were ever tuned to any other channel. I remember seeing some programs on those sets, but I don't think they weren't used a heck of a lot (not unlike the set in wa2ise's grade school), although I'm sure our sets were used somewhat more than once a year.

Unfortunately, the elementary school in my hometown was demolished several years ago to make room for condos. :no: I have no clue as to what happened to the TVs or to the school's MATV system, as I had left town and moved to my current residence before the school came down.

In reference to the standardized achievement tests wa2ise, et al. have mentioned here, they were administered in northeastern Ohio as well. They were called, in this area anyway, the "Iowa tests of basic skills" and were given once every few years (I don't remember the schedule anymore). The test instructions were on audio tape, and yes, our tests also used sheets with dots the students filled in for their answers. I also remember the sheets having long strings of computer codes on them and a warning: "Make no marks or smudges near these rectangles." These tests were also computer-scored, although I don't remember ever hearing or seeing the results afterwards.

How can you tell what channel they are watching? I could barely see the picture on the set, let alone the channel selector. Only thing I can figure is that WRGB-TV was the only television station in Schenectady in 1954, decades before they switched from NBC to CBS and from channel 4 to channel 6.

Seems like a pretty good guess... Here Is a list from 1955 (pix1):

jr

Aaahhh yes those stupid Stanford Acheivement Tests,... and a week of wasted time...:D

Think we had tests from Iowa, even though this was a NJ school. Anyway, I don't remember what my classmates thought of these tests, but I saw it as a pleasant break from the tedium of teachers yelling at us and hitting us with rulers and blackboard pointers. Ever see that Pink Floyd video "Another brick in the Wall", that was the equivalent of my grammar school. I didn't worry about failing these tests, as there was no fail grade, and whatever I got didn't matter anyway as it didn't impact my report card.

Ah, memories. Teachers hated TV and hated us watching TV shows On our now vintage TV sets and not studying... As if there was no other reason for us to live...

We had TVs, big ol' GE metal cabinet jobs-They'd play 'em the last day of school, & sometimes, we'd catch the teacher watchin' her Soap Operas when we came in from lunch/recess...

All together now, "Yes Miss Landers"

How can you tell what channel they are watching? I could barely see the picture on the set, let alone the channel selector. Only thing I can figure is that WRGB-TV was the only television station in Schenectady in 1954, decades before they switched from NBC to CBS and from channel 4 to channel 6.

The local paper for that date is online, and only two stations were on the air during the daytime hours that day, Channel 6 and Channel 41. Since that TV lacks a UHF tuner from what I can tell, it's an educated guess :)

We did the Iowa Tests in North Carolina, too.

I remember once, taking the test, and getting bored with it, and filling in random circles all the way to the end. The teacher was too smart for me, and made me take the test over again while she watched me like an eagle. She even showed me my first results... I did good until I got bored, then got NONE right up to the end.

I done good the 2nd time around.

We had very similar light fixtures in our classrooms. Ours used 300 watt GE incandescent lamps with mogul bases. I can remember the POP when the bulbs would burn out, and watching the janitor come in the classroom to change the bulbs.

The building was built in 1953, and I was there in 1963-64. They tore down that building in 2009, and had lowered the ceilings, but those old fixtures were still up there, above the dropped ceilings. I rode by there while the demo was going on, but was run off. All I wanted was one brick!

Our school didnt have TV sets early on. About 1967, the system got GE sets on tall metal carts with a speaker under the set. We watched the Apollo space flights on these.

We did the Iowa Tests in North Carolina, too.

I remember once, taking the test, and getting bored with it, and filling in random circles all the way to the end. The teacher was too smart for me, and made me take the test over again while she watched me like an eagle. She even showed me my first results... I did good until I got bored, then got NONE right up to the end.



My school was so cheap that they used the same test question booklets year to year. We were not supposed to mark anything in the booklets, but use scrap paper to figure stuff out on. Well, one year I got a booklet that a previous kid had marked off his picks for the correct answers, some of which were wrong!

My classes had 30 kids in the room, so it would be pretty hard for a teacher to spot a kid messing around with the test... Your teacher probably got mad at you as her raise or job would be on the line if the class did badly on the test.

Once, during a read it out loud session in a reading class, I'm tripping over some hard word, and a classmate (who was always a pain in my butt) makes fun of me. Teacher tells him to shut up "He scored a lot higher on that achievement test than you did!" :thmbsp:

The first time I saw TV in school was in a Catholic school in Danbury CT around 1961 or so. The school bought 23 inch Motorola table tops, and had them on AV stands. The antenna system was stacked yagis aimed at channel 13 in NYC. The picture was usable, but not perfect. Couldn't watch Soupy Sales, though lol.
Kevin :D

Here's TV in the classroom 1962. My 6th grade class. TV was a "Ling DeLuxe Television" built by Ling Electronics here locally. They outfitted the main high school in the district with a small studio setup and transmitter that was on UHF ch 23. Each school had a parabolic dish UHF antenna. Each classroom had a kid appointed to be the one who pushed the TVs from one room to another, as the TVs were shared. At least once someone got going too fast and toppled one over in the hallway. I remember getting Spanish lessons and some history lessons on those TVs.

Good ol' Mr. Duncan standing beside the TV.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/tblazed/LingTV2-wallaceele-6th.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/tblazed/LingTV1-wallaceele-6th.jpg

(Yes I am in the picture. No I won't say which one!)


WOW!!,THAT LING TV IS AMAZING!!!

It's straight out of the world of tommorow!

Were these available for home use? Did the monitor move like a predicta?

Any more photos??

WOW!!,THAT LING TV IS AMAZING!!!

It's straight out of the world of tommorow!

Were these available for home use? Did the monitor move like a predicta?

Any more photos??
No none for the home as far as I know. This is the only picture of one I have.

They were made for the RISD, and I doubt any still exist, maybe in the back of someone's storage or garage. I've often wondered what happened to those sets. The CRT was fixed position to the cabinet. The whole thing was on wheels.

Here'as some history about KRET-TV and Ling Electronics connection, from a friend's web site dedicated to DFW TV history (http://www.knus99.com/tvlist.html)..

"UHF 23 KRET, Richardson. Station established 2/29/1960; dark in 5/1970. Owner: Richardson Independent School District. Call letters stood for "Richardson Educational Television." First TV station in the nation to be owned by a school district. Broadcasted on weekdays only, and initially, for only two hours a day. Schedule was later lengthened to match school hours (with five minute breaks between shows, where music was played.) Station signed off during the summer. Start-up cost of $70,000; operated with $50,000 of Ling electronic equipment; broadcast range of 20 miles. Studios were located at Richardson Junior High (1960-63,) Richardson High School (1963-1970,) and at Hamilton Park Elementary, 8221 Towns (1970-1990s.) On 8/31/1970, KRET was converted into the closed-circuit "TAGER" network (WEF-69) for high school and college telecourses, carried on an RISD closed-circuit system and over many local cable TV outlets."

Seems like a pretty good guess... Here Is a list from 1955 (pix1):jr

WNET CH 13 is missing...Anyone know when it went on the air?
Cliff

My old yearbooks list WNET as being licensed to Newark, NJ, so it would not necessarily be on a New York TV station list. WNET went on in 1948

At my school, we had a 21" Crosley that was brought out for special occasions, like Alan Shepherd's initial flight. I was elected to rig up a satisfactory antenna.

I started elementary shcool in 1970. The school was built in 1965 and every classroom had Magnavox table top B&W's on those tall carts. Every classroom was also wired with cable tv as where I grew up is about 90 miles from Boston and surrounded by hills blocking out most channels. We very often, probably weekly would watch educational programs on NH public tv. Also any time we were stuck inside for recess due to the weather on would go the tv and we'd watch some mid morning game show :) The school also had 1 RCA Lyceum color tv that was connected to a Sony open reel VTR that was used for special programs.

Thanks "Ed in Tx" for the additional info.
I wish you could have save one of them too!
I wonder if any still survive somewhere?

... WNET went on in 1948



Not precisely, according to wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_(television_station)"WNET commenced broadcasting on May 15, 1948, as WATV, a commercial television station owned by Atlantic Television, a subsidiary of Bremer Broadcasting Corporation."... "On October 6, 1957, Bremer Broadcasting announced it had sold its stations for $4.5 million to National Telefilm Associates, an early distributor of motion pictures for television. On May 7, 1958, channel 13's callsign was changed to WNTA-TV" ..."Educational Broadcasting Corporation -- flipped the switch to WNDT (for "New Dimensions in Television") on September 16, 1962"..."Channel 13's callsign was changed to the present WNET on October 5, 1970. NET ceased network operations, though WNET continued to produce some shows for the national PBS schedule with the NET branding until about 1972." Almost as many call sign flips as the typical commercial station nowadays.

Well... I looked in a 1972 yearbook. My bad.

...I looked in a 1972 yearbook. My bad.

No biggie :yes:

I was in elementary school from '83-'88 and most of the TV's were early '70's era 23" RCA tube type CTC39 metal cabinet color TV's that were connected to Sony U-matic tape machines and the equipment lived on tall roll around metal carts. The TV's had special jacks on the rear and the speaker tilted out to reveal the user controls, similar to standard consumer RCA TV's. There were only a few TV's in the school and they had to be reserved in advance by the teacher who needed one. There were also a couple of newer solid state Zenith system 3 TV's and one of the old RCA's that remained set up in the library. I don't ever remember watching any OTA programming on these. Most of the material was provided by PBS on U-matic tape format. We didn't get VHS until around '87. In '89, the schools got new 19" Magnavox color TV's in each room and they were connected to a master control center where all a teacher had to do was tell the A/V dept. what tape to play at what time.

My elementary school switched from incandescent to fluorescent lighting between my 1st and 2nd grade years and it was also during this time that they installed ceiling fans in most of the classrooms. That school didn't get A/C until the year after I left there. Before that, we relied on ceiling fans and some OLD Emerson pedestal fans with open blade guards that would likely not be allowed today. Back then, we had sense enough not to stick our fingers in the fan. We had steam heat and a blower powered radiator in each classroom. The desk were probably 30 years old and we still used old projectors, film strip viewers, old tube califone record players, etc.

I called a friend of mine, who is in charge of A/V for the district, to see if any of that old equipment was left. He told me that they had a house cleaning, aka - auction, several years ago and very little of the stuff actually sold. The rest went to the crusher, which is sad.

The local paper for that date is online, and only two stations were on the air during the daytime hours that day, Channel 6 and Channel 41.And your probably correct my friend!

Beautiful picture you found,thanks for sharing it...

Stuff was MUCH PRETTIER back then for sure :)

I remember in fourth grade, in 1967, the teacher brought in a TV which stayed in the class room. We were the only class that had a tv that year. All I remember is that is was a huge table set, probably a 21 incher, with a rounded top, and was already quite old. The PBS channel, or whatever it was called then, was usually on even though, at that time, Duluth MN had a CBS, NBC, and ABC affiliate also. A year or two later, the school got a few Setchell Carlsons which seemed to be the school tv of choice, in Minnesota, for a long time, probably because it was a MN company for one thing. If I remember correctly, they all seems to look the same, upright table sets with about a 19" tube and two big knobs centered on the bottom panel. I've never seen any SC's that looked any newer than those so maybe they concentrated on institutional stuff the last few years in business?

I remember reading that Setchell Carlson focused a lot of energy on CCTV systems for schools. I'm not sure just when they stopped marketing sets - I don't recall seeing any ads this side of 1970. I think they were bought out by a corporation out of Mpls. in '66 (Marquette Corp.?)

The name Setchell Carlson was used until about 1979-80, and the company was in Minnesota. It changed its name to Audiotronics and had that name until the 1990's, when it changed again to Dotronix. All of that time period, they were only making monitors for CCTV and other uses, as far as I know. Many of their color and B&W monitors have been very reliable even in 24-hour service for 10+ years. They stopped making monitors in or shortly after 2000, I think.

(Yes I am in the picture. No I won't say which one!)
Ahhh come on Eddie tell us buddy,we wont laugh or anything.. You have a nice class there!!!

The local paper for that date is online, and only two stations were on the air during the daytime hours that day, Channel 6 and Channel 41. Since that TV lacks a UHF tuner from what I can tell, it's an educated guess :)Ya..The picture is black and white so we cant be sure but I wonder if the show was in colour they were watching? (Even though the set might only give BW)

When did colour come about dues??

Wonder if the Ling TVs are the same Ling as in Ling/Temco/Vought...as in LTV?

Wonder if the Ling TVs are the same Ling as in Ling/Temco/Vought...as in LTV? Yep, same Ling.

Here's TV in the classroom 1962. My 6th grade class. TV was a "Ling DeLuxe Television" built by Ling Electronics here locally. They outfitted the main high school in the district with a small studio setup and transmitter that was on UHF ch 23. Each school had a parabolic dish UHF antenna. Each classroom had a kid appointed to be the one who pushed the TVs from one room to another, as the TVs were shared. At least once someone got going too fast and toppled one over in the hallway. I remember getting Spanish lessons and some history lessons on those TVs.

Good ol' Mr. Duncan standing beside the TV.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/tblazed/LingTV2-wallaceele-6th.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/tblazed/LingTV1-wallaceele-6th.jpg

(Yes I am in the picture. No I won't say which one!)

Some history, Ling Electronics. The Dallas electronics firm was founded by Jimmy Ling, who later by way of merger founded LTV Corp, LTV being Ling, Temco, Vought. This company later purchased Altec Lansing Corporation and University Sound, to name some famous audio/video companies. Their former Oklahoma City, OK plant is now the home of Great Plains Audio, who still has the original Altec Lansing tooling and still makes and repairs the classic Altec Lansing speaker drivers.

Some history, Ling Electronics. The Dallas electronics firm was founded by Jimmy Ling, who later by way of merger founded LTV Corp, LTV being Ling, Temco, Vought. This company later purchased Altec Lansing Corporation and University Sound, to name some famous audio/video companies. Their former Oklahoma City, OK plant is now the home of Great Plains Audio, who still has the original Altec Lansing tooling and still makes and repairs the classic Altec Lansing speaker drivers.

Thanks Kent! But when I first got an email notice someone had posted a followup to a post I made to this thread, I thought you'd found one of these sets! I doubt any exist. :no:

Come in Eddie,tell is which one ya are buddy,we wont tell we promise :)