Some of us old-timers call them chalkboards.
Last night, during a discussion with an interesting younger man, it dawned on me that people my age, those whose childhood took place in the 1970s and whose high school years finished during the 1980s are the last of the generation whose lessons were given almost entirely using chalk and slate. At one point, the man (I refuse to call any adult, who acts like an adult, a kid), thought I meant am an overhead projector, until I explained the use of chalk. We then discussed literature, history, religion, sports, and the role and limits teachers have in today's educational system.
I could have written this morning about conversational adaptability, which I was very pleased to have found company who held this not-so-common trait, but the fact that a blackboard, the centerpiece of the classroom, seemed somewhat alien to him. While I know he was aware of what I spoke of, I assume we'll one day find an entire generation who the thought of dial-up is so archaic, they'll confuse it with Wi-Fi. The one thing I hope we never lose, is generational gaps not limiting us to the point we avoid connecting through those thoughts, feelings, and the knowledge we do share, or at the very least, care to.
Last night, during a discussion with an interesting younger man, it dawned on me that people my age, those whose childhood took place in the 1970s and whose high school years finished during the 1980s are the last of the generation whose lessons were given almost entirely using chalk and slate. At one point, the man (I refuse to call any adult, who acts like an adult, a kid), thought I meant am an overhead projector, until I explained the use of chalk. We then discussed literature, history, religion, sports, and the role and limits teachers have in today's educational system.
I could have written this morning about conversational adaptability, which I was very pleased to have found company who held this not-so-common trait, but the fact that a blackboard, the centerpiece of the classroom, seemed somewhat alien to him. While I know he was aware of what I spoke of, I assume we'll one day find an entire generation who the thought of dial-up is so archaic, they'll confuse it with Wi-Fi. The one thing I hope we never lose, is generational gaps not limiting us to the point we avoid connecting through those thoughts, feelings, and the knowledge we do share, or at the very least, care to.
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