Timeline by Laurel Raider

lau2264227 — 2024-09-01 23:54:58 UTC

In 1959, my dad was born in Brooklyn, New York. He remembers first encountering technology in 4th grade in 1967. At the time, he had no idea how using the typewriter would help him in life later on. He became proficient at it, typing 42 words per minute by the 6th grade. This later helped honed his skill at typing, which he still uses for his job to this day.

lau2264227 — 2024-09-02 00:04:06 UTC

My dad also remembers how advanced his college was during this time. Because he went to a small, upstate college in Oswego, New York, he did not anticipate it to be tech savvy. However, he describes the classrooms to have calculators, over head projectors, and cassette players to record lectures and listen back later. This was incredibly helpful to him as he could take notes later on or reference back to what his professor was teaching if he needed it. His favorite piece of technology was still the classic typewriter.

lau2264227 — 2024-09-02 00:12:31 UTC

Flashing forward from the 50's, my boyfriends dad recalls what his high school experience was like in the 80's in Illinois. Typing class was a requirement for him, and this was done on typewriters and also computers. He explains that he did not like typing class, he found it boring and did not like writing papers, although his favorite was being able to play games on computers. Although he did not like writing, he does appreciate the fact that it made him a better typer to this day. This technology helped him to be more efficient with his school work, especially the calculator. Being a financial advisor now, he was able to be more proficient at math, which helped him later to find his profession.

lau2264227 — 2024-09-02 00:16:08 UTC

My siblings grew up in the 90's and this seems to be when computers became a lot more prominent. My brother talks about how easy and fun they were to use, especially when he needed to find answers for homework. He found computers to be the most helpful tool, but this made him more reliant on technology, and maybe not retain as much information as he should have.

lau2264227 — 2024-09-02 00:21:10 UTC

My brother remembers computers becoming more involved in middle school. The internet was everywhere and easy to use, so he used this to his advantage for school. My sister, born just a couple years before him, also remembers how easy computers were and how accessible information was for them. From book reports, to school projects, to research papers, she talks about how fast and seamless they were to her compared to when she had to use books or other sources. They also both remember being excited to use calculators instead of having to write out long math problems. Seeing as me and my sister aren't great at math, I would agree with her even now! This really helped advance their skills and allow them to succeed in classes.

lau2264227 — 2024-09-02 00:23:57 UTC

It's amazing to see that throughout the different generations I talked to, how much has changed and how much we still use to this day. If it wasn't for computers and calculators for me, who knows how well I'd be doing in my classes. Talking with my dad especially made me realize how thankful I am that technology progressed and how I am able to do my school work in so many different ways now. But my brother made a good point, if we use it too much and rely on just technology, we can miss out on actually learning and retaining information.