Early generation of computers
Technology, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, that is right; almost everyone has an opinion. The older generations did not grow up with it in the full aspect of what is thought of and recognized today. My parents and their generation were confused by it, but some still tried to grasp how to operate computers as they became more popular in their latter years. Each generation has had the opportunity to learn more about technology and as time passes by. Younger generations are much more familiar with it because they have grown up with it and work with it daily at school and for fun in their personal life. I did not grow up with it and can remember well when I had signed up for some certification courses and on my first day of the class found out that it would be a paperless class and all work would be turned in through email. My fright was overwhelming as I realized that not only did I not have an email address but did not own a computer. My college aged daughter assured me she would help me find a solution and we gradually pieced things together. I used her computer until I could buy my own. She helped me set up a free email account.
In the last 25 years or so that I have been introduced to computers and technology I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. The good includes the huge promise of the future and the possibility technology, computers and the internet holds. This is so vast that even the great geniuses of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates ideas will be expanded and developed into new hardware, software and applications to help, educate and entertain people of all ages. The limits are constantly being pushed to come with new ideas and better the present ones.
early cell phone
The bad includes implementing all these new innovations of technology and teaching people how to utilize them before they are replaced with newer versions. Technology is so fast that newer versions for software comes out every six months. Most average people fail to update their devices and get behind in keeping up with the latest advances and how too use them. as a former teacher. I have been witness to the problems surrounding education and technology. There is an awareness of the value of technology in the classroom and students, but there is a severe gap in implementing it. Lack of funds enters this equation and the ability to keep pace with what is current. Knowledge of current technology trends and the availability of how to implement them are often lost with the steady demands on administrators and teachers to keep up with the required curriculum in all subjects.. There is also a huge problems with the maintenance of keeping all the computers, laptops, white boards and ipads or tablets in proper working order and updated. There also is the struggle with having teachers be constantly trained and updated on what is available to aid them in their instruction and how to implement this in all subjects in the curriculum. The struggle goes on.
Another curious observance I had was when I did land a job teaching first grade in public school, I asked the technology teacher to help me with some software I was trying to learn for a class I was taking. I asked many times but was always put off. Finally one day in the hall I cornered her and expressed the urgency for my situation. She hesitated and then admitted that she did not know how to use the software. She was not only the technology teacher for the students in the elementary school but also for the teachers. She did not want to admit to this because I am sure she did not want the administration to find out.
Then there is the ugly side of technology. This includes regulation and laws surrounding online businesses and funding. he internet is still the wide wide west and laws are still being made to help deal with the problems in this huge new frontier. States are still trying to figure out implementation of sales tax and other regulations that apply to businesses that doing business not only interstate but also nationally and what taxes should apply in these situations. There are also scams that run rampant through phishing websites, hacked websites and email accounts. Also with there is a loss of jobs that many people face with the automation through computers.
Technoman Collage by Jan C Watford
With everything considered I still think there is such a future with technology, computers and the internet that is worth all the time and effort required to solve all these problems. With any new frontier, there are challenges and problems that have to be tackled. With planned effort, technology, the good, the bad, the ugly can be evolved in time.
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