Technology advances, so do students

[Swimmy]

dgriffin said:

Manufacturers very carefully roll out technology to keep a revenue stream coming in the future.

I think they roll out technology slowly after Intel's mistake with one of their early computer chips. It was so advanced by comparison to the rest of the market that none of the software technologies had advanced enough to be able to use it. So the chip flopped. I can't remember the exact chip, but it was step up from the others at the time. That's when rumors came out that Intel had ghz processors in the late 90s but was waiting for microsoft's operating system to advance to be able to handle it. microsoft then simply bloated and already screwed up os.

Back on topic. You made many interesting points about technology in the classrooms. How did students fare under the teachers who jumped on board and integrated the technology into their teaching styles?

The economic gap is an argument I remember hearing when I was in junior high school. The technology teachers used it as their sales pitch to update all the commodor64's and Lisa IIs to the latest Macs, which at the time had just unveiled its MAC OS and Bill Gates had made ms office compatible with the MAC OS platform.

As a junior high school student at that time. I recall that after the computer upgrades happened, only the 7th graders were allowed into the computer labs because they were the future who needed to know how to use them. Each classroom had 3 or 4 computers and they were off limits to students. On teacher even removed the power cords to all but one computer and password-locked that computer so we could not access it. Very bizarre way to teach us about technology.

[dgriffin]

swimmy, Yup, teachers had different ways of dealing with the computers, depending upon how they felt about them. Re teachers jumping on board....almost exclusively at the high school level, this consisted of using the computers for access to the internet and expanding the research opportunities for students. (Except for the business classes, who taught word processing has they had typewriting in years past.) At the elementary school level, computers were more of a teaching topic themselves....some word processing, some internet, some remedial work with math. I think the "technology gap" argument you remember regarding computer upgrades was more often the pitch to get modern equipment for the school, different from the "class differences" gap I spoke of. But maybe your teachers were pitching the latter, also.

[kim]

When I was in school, we had a few of these computers: oldcomputers.net/pet2001.html
I used them to play Lemonade. www.bored.com/lemonadegame/index.html

I actually took TYPING and I learned on a TYPEWRITER! We had electric and manuals. Manuals were a pain in the ass. I always wanted to put caps from cap guns in the electric typewriters so they'd make a loud noise when we used them...imagine the entire class typing at once and all the typewriters having caps in them! Hehehe...I never worked up the nerve to do that. Would have been funny, though, but somehow I suspect faculty and staff would NOT have been amused!

[dgriffin]

Me, too, Kim, learning on an old Underwood "upright." When Sister Helen told us all to put our fingers on the home keys and type them, my classmate Joe punched them all down at once (he was sort of literal) and stuck all the typebars together.

[kim]

That's just too funny, Dave! I used to get the keys stuck, too, but that was because I type fast. It unnerves my husband...I can type with my eyes closed. All because of that annoying typing class I took in 10th grade. Man, it was repetitive and drove me nuts, but I'm glad now that I took it.

[Clipper]

Well Dae you and I probably took our typing classes on the same vintage equipmtent. Underwoods, old dark green olympias, and turquois colored royals. We have to type to music and keep a rythm, and eventually had to test blindfolded. I thought it to be a pain in the ass at the time. It was a required subject. Now I am grateful. I type 45 words a minute accurately, and was glad to have had the training when computers became a daily desktop tool. When I worked at the base, I actually could keyboard faster than my secretary, haha.

[kim]

The last time I took a typing test I typed 100 wpm with 98 percent accuracy. I was impressed with myself! Of course, I make more typos when I'm not testing, but still, I thought that was pretty good.

[dgriffin]

I'd forgotten about the typing class music! The nun had old tunes from the 1930's and a record player from the same decade. The thing I remember liking about the class was that, except for Joe and I, it was all girls. I'm very happy I learned typing that early. It has stood me in good stead through college and career.
Dave

[dgriffin]

Another thought re technology: did we feel it necessary to teach kids how to use Ipods, TV's, etc.? Nope, just computers and condoms.
Dave

[frankcor]

Have you watched kids texting? I watched a young girl driving a Lexus (I assume it was daddy's) as she passed me on 840 this morning. She was typing at least 45 wpm while going 65 mph.

I can admit when I'm wrong. Ten years ago I believed it was foolish to continue teaching kids how to type. At the time, I was convinced that voice-recognition advancements, along with corresponding processor speed improvements would render typing as obsolete as chisels and stone tablets. But my predictions have yet to come to fruition.

[kim]

Texting is pure evil. I cannot text. Can't see it and my thumbs don't move that fast!

[Swimmy]

The interesting part about texting is that NY is considering a law that prohibits teenagers from texting. I didn't realize that the already existing law that prohibits talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device was inadequate to prohibit people from TWD.

[dgriffin]

I derided the idea of not being able to use a cell phone while driving until I almost ran into someone. It's an attention issue, doesn't matter if the phone is in your ear or on your dash.
Dave

[Swimmy]

Talking on the cell phone is worse than driving drunk. They proved it on Mythbusters.

[frankcor]

Once again, the NY State Legislature creates a solution that isn't.