Stephen Taylor: Advances in technology are breathtaking
It amazes me to see how technology has advanced over the years, especially the last 10 years.
I remember during my high school years for several classes a slide rule was used for calculations. Soon calculators appeared. Even with a calculator, I still estimated or totaled up the result in a check on the instrument. For one of my jobs during the 1980s, I needed a statistical/scientific calculator. That sophisticated device set me back $90. Sure an expensive purchase, but a huge time saver as I did not need to do numerous calculations by hand.
With the advances made in technology since then, that calculator has gone the way of the slide rule. Both devices are obsolete and have become not much more than a collector’s item.
Drafting class (both engineering and architectural) meant drawing everything by hand in pencil and then tracing over that drawing with ink. Time consuming, to say the least. Now CAD (computer aided design) drawings save time and corrections, or alterations can be done by a few clicks of a computer mouse.
When I took an accounting course to finish my college degree, many hours were spent entering figures and doing everything by hand. If the figures did not balance, it took a lot of time and effort to find the problem. Sometimes the difference was only a couple of cents, and the issue normally was a mis-entered figure. Now spreadsheets and automated charts have reduced the time required and provide an accurate means of accounting.
A watch in the past was used strictly to keep time. Not now. My watch is a constant companion and can chart my runs, enter them on a computer, and provide helpful health data. It can track my sleep patterns, receive messages, and provide reminders of appointments. Other sports watches can function as a personal coach and give you hard data on what works or doesn’t work while you exercise and train.
We thought it was a great advancement when you could take a picture on a camera and watch it develop before your eyes. Snap the picture, take the film from the camera, hold the film down for 60 seconds, and then peel off the backing. It eliminated the need to take a roll of film to be developed. Now I can take a picture on my phone, save it, print it, or share it with others … immediately.
Cell phones with all the functions they provide seem to require a new name. They are essentially a mini-computer. Like my watch they are with me practically all the time. Take a picture, watch television, live stream, text, etc. Seldom are they really used as a phone.
Years ago when serving on a school board we discussed the use of video cameras on school buses to monitor both the driver and the students. It would be an expensive proposition and it was decided to keep the costs and maintenance down by installing boxes on each bus but equipping only a few with actual cameras. So, the boxes functioned as a deterrent to unacceptable behavior because only the manager of the bus area knew which buses had cameras available. There was always a chance you may be filmed.
Recently there has been some debate on whether to provide a live stream of the classroom activities throughout the day. With a live stream a person could watch the teacher and students. The camera would serve as a monitoring device. Sounds like this could be an expensive proposal for each district to consider. I imagine the IT department would have plenty of additional work, too. There are questions both for and against their use, particularly about how effective or useful the cameras would be. For now it appears the live stream option will not be state-mandated.
Technology will continue to advance. I wonder what those advances will lead to in five or 10 years. Will the advances continue to be a good thing? Time will tell.
Stephen Taylor is a Pleasant Hill resident and retired minister.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Stephen Taylor: Advances in technology are breathtaking
