The Effect of Technology Over Time :: Personification Essays

The Effect of Technology Over Time It's amazing to see how times have changed. Since I am an old schoolhouse, I've seen a lot of changes within the last 80 years. There have been little changes within me such as new wallpapering and windows, but this isn't all about me. Technology in education has really startled me. I never thought technology would have advanced this far. I still have to laugh to myself every so often. Kids now-a-days talk about how hard school is and how hard their teachers are on. However, I know differently. December 1920-- It's a cold, cloudy winter day. Boys and girls from all over the city are fighting the snow as they come up my wooden steps to the cold hallway. Overcoats and boats are drying as they are stacked against the wall. Kindergarten to fourth grade inhabits three small rooms, which are heated by a radiator. The main source of heat comes from a coal stove that is centrally located in the middle of the building. A little boy stokes the stove each day before and after school. Rooms are poorly lit, especially in the winter. Oil lamps and sunshine are the only source of light. Each class is taught by a middle to elderly age woman. If she happens to get married or pregnant, this is the last time we see her. Teachers always seem to give homework unless it is a holiday or something is happening in the town. There are 8 classes a day, one of which is Penmanship. There are no pens or pencils, just ink wells. If a pen is pressed too hard, it would then splatter and turn th e whole paper black, leaving the student to re-do his/her project. April 1946-- It's a beautiful spring day just a couple years after the Great Depression and my school and peoples' lifestyles are really looking up. I'm completely heated by a furnace, and lighting has never been better, thanks to the installation of light bulbs. Wooden pencils have become popular, leaving ink wells a thing of the past. Some of the more fortunate people have automobiles now, which provides some kids with an easy way to school. While my life was improving, a schoolhouse, up the road about two hours, seemed to be stuck back in 1800's.