I was born in 1979, and it is difficult for me to remember a time when we did not have a home computer. I remember my mother typing her master's thesis on WordPerfect. It was a blue screen, with a white font. I thought it was odd that there was so much blue on the screen. Looking back on it, it reminds me of the "blue screen of death" that we often find on one or two computers in the school's computer labs.
I also remember that my seventh grade social studies teacher was scared of computers. He wrote a short story, that he wanted typed. It was too difficult for him to type it on his electric typewriter. So, as the teacher's pet, I volunteered to take it home and type it. I remember being so proud of it, but then I completely messed up the french phrases that he had written. So, he was not nearly as happy with my final product as I was!
I also remember going to school and using Apple II's. We used to have this program where there was a "turtle" (really a triangle) that we could move and manipulate around the screen. Additionally, my mom would also use a work computer to make crossword puzzles as reviews for her students. That also intrigued me.
By the time I was in high school in the early 1990's, I felt that we used computers quite a bit. I took a class on "computer applications," where we learned about word processors, spreadsheets, etc.
Looking back on it, I find it difficult to imagine how college students before my time went to school without using computers. My parents would tell stories about how difficult it was to write papers and find information for their papers. I use my computer nearly every day to communicate with friends and find information. It has made life so much easier; I am very thankful that technology has evolved as it has! I need to remember that the next time I am frustrated by technology!
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My daughter, your age, came from a computer literate home, mine. She came home with a ditto worksheet that was pathetically formatted and obviously had been used too many times. My daughter completed it and made a new master on the computer. The teacher was offended. My kid learned a lesson.
ReplyDeleteWell I'll tell you--when I was in college we did not have calculators (and I was a math major). Computers were not yet invented--at least the pc's. I wish I would have had all that the recent college kids presently have available to them. We used typewriters, telephones, pencils and paper, walked to the library to look everything up in card files. Yeah--I'm old--but never to old to learn!
ReplyDeleteVery funny to read your describing that "turtle" on your computer screen. I remember that as well. I also remember Word Perfect mainly because it was "revolutionary" compared to what we were using in college prior. It's difficult to think of growing up with a computer - we didn't have one in the house until my younger brother ventured out and got his own. No one but he used the darn thing, an Apple IIe, and since he was the geek in the family, we didn't really pay attention. In fact, I do remember one time sitting down trying to play Zelda and having no idea what to do. I got to the cave and then when the prompt said, "What next?" I had no idea what to type for directions. I walked away after five minutes, thinking he was nuts to waste his time on this.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point. I can't imagine going through college without a computer now. My parents used to talk to me about writing essays in "blue books". It's amazing how much things have changed and how these changes affect education.
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