Friday, May 24, 2019

Why Did We Get Rid of . . . ?



Cultural Offering asks a question that has long bothered me: "Why did we get rid of chalk boards?"

Of course, "we" didn't. People in schools and companies were persuaded that white boards (and worse yet, smart boards) were so much better and, cost be damned, the chalk boards went.

As a person who conducts a lot of workshops, I lament the loss of chalk boards and overhead projectors. Both provided an ease of use and flexibility that their jazzy substitutes lack.

And while we're on the subject of why we got rid of things, I'll add "Why did we get rid of teaching industrial arts and home economics in elementary school?" 

I still use skills learned in "shop class." It was hands-on education in how things are made. Anyone who sawed, planed, sanded, hammered, and stained lumber to make a magazine rack or a bookcase left with a true appreciation of those who can do such tasks well.

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