I am so glad I had a childhood before technology took over

[iluleah]

I am a teacher at a secondary school in South Australia. One subject that students in their last year have to do and pass is a subject called the Research Project. They pick any topic they want, put it in the form of a question, conduct varied research and then put this into a suitable format. The last thing they do is complete an evaluation of the research processes they have used.

One student last year was not working particularly well in the lesson we were having in the library and was complaining that he could not use the internet for his research as he had exceeded his internet allowance for the month. My reply to the student was along the lines of "That's okay Fred. We are in the library. You don't have to use the internet for your research. There are some books over there. I'm sure you will find some relevant information. Why don't you go over there and have a look for some information that is in the books and take some notes?"

His reply:  "Books, you expect me to use books!!!!!"

Kaybron

  Not just in Australia! On asking one student why they were printing off reams of internet information in the library in lesson time ( not something encouraged because of costs/wastage)  I was told they were 'excluded' from the library computers for miss use for two weeks and their computer was broke at home, so next part of the lesson after break was started with "switch off the computers and now we use other resources".........the moans!!!!! However the majority of them had never used any other research resources, hadn't a clue how to, so not only a useful learning for them but me too.

[BevL]

Pinefamily,
That was exactly what I meant to say regarding the message to aghadowey- I will have to read carefully whatever I put down in future, but it made sense to me!  I didn't want to upset him, as a matter of fact he has helped me considerably at times.
What I was referring with the 'off topic' was like a childhood game where one person whispers a sentence to the next person, who then turns to the one behind them and so on, till when the last person gets the message it is totally messed up.
No more jokes for me!
Bev

[aghadowey]

Not to worry, Bev. SHE is not offended 

[Calverley Lad]

Years prior to the accepted usage of a PC for home/office use I purchased a BBC computer together with a selection of games (educational) which my 2 daughters then aged about 7/10years learned keyboard skills. When at junior school they each in turn showed the teaching staff how to use.
Moving forward to adulthood their skills with the keyboard have stood the test in time, both having good jobs within the computer related industry.
 Brian

[BevL]

OOPS Aghadowey!
Done it again
Bev

[kerryb]

I identify what Berlin Bob says, I started my research at a time when the census were beginning to appear online as were parish registers etc.  So I am thankful for the internet which has helped me with my research.

However I have just finished a dissertation as part of my Masters in Genealogy and I spent a number of days at our local record office poring over and transcribing a whole host of old records.  I absolutely loved it.  Not only were they handwritten and signed by real people, there were so many different types of record that are not available online - mortgages, deeds, inventories etc.  I even got to see the signature of one of my ancestors who lived in the 16th century.  He was my great x 11 grandfather.  Wow!  The smell of the parchment and the rustle of it.  The internet can never replace that!

Kerry

[iluleah]

............... I spent a number of days at our local record office poring over and transcribing a whole host of old records.  I absolutely loved it.  Not only were they handwritten and signed by real people, there were so many different types of record that are not available online - mortgages, deeds, inventories etc.  I even got to see the signature of one of my ancestors who lived in the 16th century.  He was my great x 11 grandfather.  Wow!  The smell of the parchment and the rustle of it.  The internet can never replace that!

Kerry

Yes a completely different experience that teaches us so much, not the 'instant' world we have all become so used to having.
I love the internet it has opened other avenues, for one Rootschat would not be here without it.
I would not be posting a letter today to a 90 year old lady who I have know for 15 years and would never have found her ( or her lovely husband sadly now gone) if it wasn't for other people online researching the same line as 'us' and gave me her address,  she is not online even though I purchased a second hand computer for her and spent hours teaching her, she just couldn't get the hang of it.

[Guy Etchells]

snip Wow!  The smell of the parchment and the rustle of it.  The internet can never replace that!

Kerry

Be careful what you wish for.

The internet is nearly there the rustle of the parchment would be easy to replicate but do we really want smelly internet?
Think of the adverts, fish & chips, curries, bacon, yes not bad but damp musty parish registers, or even worse Bishop's Transcripts soaked with rain water and rats urine ; I don't think so.

In a similar way I don't miss exiting a church or indeed an archive with my hands black from the muck and dust of 300 years of grime and soot.
It was not always, Yes sir take a seat and we will fetch the files for you.
Cheers
Guy

[kerryb]

Haha Guy, I have to laugh because that is exactly what my OH says most weeks when watching WDYTYA.  "Yes sir take a seat and we will fetch the files for you."  He thinks I'm useless at family research because it takes me ages to find the right file. 

Nope I don't think I fancy smelly internet, some of those smells don't sound very nice at all. 

Kerry