Techno Geek

I love being known by our tech department in my district as someone who loves new techno gadgets! I occasionally get offered to try new programs or products throughout the year. In fact, just a little while ago, I was handed, while walking in the hallway, the tiniest little notebook that I have ever seen to try out. It's so small that it could fit in my purse! Granted, I have a pretty good size purse, but it's slightly larger than a book, but smaller than your standard-sized, loose-leaf notebook. It's amazing and so adorable!! I didn't hesitate to begin trying it out.

I'm amazed at how our technology has changed in the past 25 years! Back when I was in middle school, I remember my science teacher having a Tandy computer where programs were on cassettes that you would have to put in a player (or reader) in order to use it. They were the simpliest of games too. All Basic programing. When I was in high school, I remember taking a class on Basic. We made our own little programs and it was pretty cool, at least for the time. The only other computers that I remember us having in school were two Apple computers set up in the library with a barrier around the perimeter so people who weren't using it wouldn't crowd around, and one in the typing lab (yes, with real electric typewriters) with Microsoft Word on it. Back then, our computers were basically wordprocessors, not the advanced multimedia systems we have today. Twenty years ago, it was rare for a family to have one, now it's rare for a family to have only one.

When I started working at my old job as a legal secretary, they had one computer; a Leading Edge computer that only did word processing. I'll never forget when we finally were set up with real computers, I didn't know what to do with it. I had to take a class to learn how to use Windows and how to do the simplest duties, such as cut and paste. Now, there's little that I can't do, when I get a chance to sit down and work on a program or gadget. I guess I'm just a small example of our society. Not only has our technology evolved, but we have as well. We have adapted to our sorroundings well and learned the skills necessary to be successful. If becoming computer literate is a necessary skill, then we learn it.