Old School Tech

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SkyLab: Bad Management Hurts Good Tech

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The History Channel has a great article on the 33 year anniversary of the demise of the first space station, SkyLab. It's a prime example of how technology can quickly become disastrous if not managed correctly by its owners.

I'm sure we've all been a part of projects were some phase - whether the beginning, middle, or end - was not properly planned out. It happens. But when that project is above all of our heads and rains chunks of metal over Australia during its reentry, it's a big deal.

NASA spent so much energy in the 60s and 70s designing, building, and launching SkyLab that they forgot to think about it's inevitable decline and descent back to Earth. Oops.

If you want to get really geeky, check out the full project history at the official NASA Skylab site. Beach reading!

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My Chalkboard Erases Your Computer

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I've read a lot about school districts using tablets to help with classroom education. In theory, it's great for subjects such as science and mathematics - students are allowed to view examples of graphs and concepts in an interactive way.  Hell, my high school now allows students to beam their work up to the board, effectively removing the requirement for kids to go up to the board and solve problems. We were still checking DOS-only email and browsing the web with Netscape while I was there.

However, this must be balanced with keeping it old school and getting your hands chalky at the chalkboard. It teaches kids how to present their work in front of others and show their thought process. Most importantly, it forces kids how to deal with an awkward situation.  Many people have a hard time going up in front of a crowd.  As much practice as possible is needed, and school is the perfect place for learning how to deal with the anxiety of butterflies.

I visited the NJ SEEDS program at The Hill School in Pottstown, PA, and sat in on a math class. I'm a proud 1994 alum of this program, and I observed an amazing thing in the classroom. The students pointed out an error in one of the teacher's calculations, and the teacher took advantage. She called students to work out why she was wrong on the board - using long division! Some kids struggled more than others, but everyone got it. Math victory!

 

 

I know it's strange to say on a science and technology blog, but sometimes classroom and instruction are better when the tech is not the dominant factor. Kids should take handwritten notes, write on the board when necessary, and learn how to deal with the awkwardness of being up in front of a group.  It will pay off in the future!

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A Boy, a Man, and a VHS Player

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Check out the hilarious video below of a filmmaker who left a video for himself 20 years ago. He obviously takes some editing liberties, but he's allowed to since he's talking to himself!



I never had a camcorder as a kid, but this is something I definitely would have done. I did, however, own a VHS player, and would often record my favorite shows and movies of the time. I was talking to my mom the other day and she still has her dedicated VHS rewinder, which I remember using especially for avoiding the extra charge that Blockbhster would penalize you for if your returned tape was not fully rewound.


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Old School Tech: The Train is Overrated

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Since I'm a Jersey boy, I love public transportation. It's one of the best technological advancements that has practical applications for a number of people. Even if you didn't grow up using public transportation, you know what it looks like from movies, television, and other media.

I grew up taking the bus to the mall, the movies and into NYC. As i've gotten older, that love has lessened as my work commute on the Philadelphia trains (SEPTA regional rail) is ground to a halt what seems like every other day due to an obstruction or mechanical problem of some kind. I just don't remember having this many problems as a kid in the 80s!

Frustration with tech can often lead to a low tech solution. Apparently, I like the foresight of a few gentlemen in the NYC area who got fed up and decided to kayak across the Hudson river from NJ to NYC for their daily commute.

Sometimes they leave their kayaks with a friend on the West Side, but other times, they just take them to work.
“We’ll carry them from the water all the way to our office and then we store them right next to our desk."

The funniest image in my head is of these gentlemen calming walking through the door of their business with a dripping wet Kayak. I guess I've seen crazier things in New York ...