Do you doubt that anything is possible?

Anything and everything is possible. Do you doubt that?

Then consider that 20,000 years ago, animals were either sources of food or competitors to humans. Today many animals are daily companions that share their lives with their people.

15,000 years ago, all humans had brown eyes. Today, eyes can range in color from bright blue to green to hazel to violet.

5,000 years ago, there was no easy way to move heavy loads around. Today, almost everything that moves has a wheel.

1000 years ago, poor eyesight was an irreversible, crippling handicap. Today, most vision problems can be corrected either temporarily or permanently with glasses, contacts or laser surgery.

600 years ago, books were written by hand and literacy was only for the elite. Today, an original fiction book is published every hour.

200 years ago, the only way to capture an image was through drawings or paintings. Today, a picture can be taken with the push of a button on a camera.

150 years ago, transportation was by human or animal effort only. Today, many Americans drive more than they walk.

100 years ago, humans were bound to the ground. Today thousands of people fly around the world.

50 years ago, a computer filled an entire room. Today, many people keep one in their bedroom.

10 years ago, people wanting to listen to a large variety of music needed to carry around bulky cases of CDs. Today, a player holding thousands of songs can fit easily in a pocket.

Still doubt that anything is possible?  Just wait!

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Comments

[Rob Jacobs]

100 years ago, students were sitting in classrooms with a teacher and blackboard at the front.

50 years ago, students were sitting in classroom with a teacher and a blackboard at the front.

5 years ago, student were sitting in classrooms with a teacher and a whiteboard at the front.

Breathtaking speed of change! Education seems to be a little behind the curve.

Love that you pointed that out!

~ Katie

[RennyBA]

Interesting to see how things develops, merge and even converge. I hope you don't mind that I ad an example of what they did and how they where dressed 700 years back :-)

No, I love that you expanded on my post. We have a similar event (the Renaissance Fair) here in Minnesota, and I love dressing up and going there.

~ Katie

[Kris Bordessa]

Excellent perspective! I also chuckled at Rob's addition.

[John]

5000 years ago heavy items were easy to move, they had slaves to move them, today we are still slaves just with a modern twist. Its impossible to leave this plant without the aid of a spaceship and to leave the craft you have to wear a protective suit. So do you still think everything is possible.

Of course! Gosh, who knows... maybe in 100 years we'll be slaves to the needs of another planet! Doesn't that sounds exciting! ;-) ~ Katie

[Al]

"100 years ago, students were sitting in classrooms with a teacher and blackboard at the front.

50 years ago, students were sitting in classroom with a teacher and a blackboard at the front.

5 years ago, student were sitting in classrooms with a teacher and a whiteboard at the front.

Breathtaking speed of change! Education seems to be a little behind the curve. "

Some times classical methods are the best. I'm sure there may be other alternatives but being a computer science major, the majority of my classes are taught via power point presentations and its a very impersonal method to learn and for high school students and lower grades i truly don't believe it would work out.

I completely understand your point about powerpoint not being the best option for younger students - I'm not sure it's a great option for anyone for the exact reasons you pointed out. Too many people make awful PowerPoints!

I'd like to challenge you though on one assumption: that teaching should be done through a display at the front of the classroom. (Blackboard, whiteboard, powerpoint, and overhead projectors all do the same thing.) It seems that the thinking of "how to teach" has gotten stuck on that method. Of course, I'm not a teacher (and I have plenty of admiration for the people who are), but I'm also not so far away from being a student who knows how ineffective that type of teaching can be.

Thanks for challenging us to think about it more!

~ Katie

[jrandom42]

Yes, I doubt that anything is possible:

1) I doubt I'll be getting younger
2) I doubt that my friends killed in Vietnam will be coming back to life soon
3) I doubt the injustices perpetrated by Executive Order 9066 will ever be corrected
4) I doubt that my cat and I will speak the same language in my life time
5) I doubt that I can fly to the moon by flapping my arms.

I can go on, but you get the general drift.

Sounds like you like to doubt. But seriously, you do mention things that are impossible at this time. You're right that it's unlikely that people will come back to life, or that governments can ever make-up for the harm they did. And, the other things you mention are impossible if you look at them the way you do. My cat will never speak English or German to me - but she definitely communicates her desires to me very clearly. It's not possible to flap our arms to get to the moon, but it is technically possible for humans to get there. And, if you look at youth as only physical age, then that is impossible too. But I know young people who feel old, and old people who are still young. (Like my 95 year old great aunt who loved to pretend she could hula hoop.)

If you think things are impossible, they probably are. But if you are open to possibilities, you might be surprised.

~ Katie

[Mark]

Actually education has now advanced! we can now watch the teacher in front of a blackboard from our computer =)

[Dan]

The comment about education is good!! Although, with education its not so much about the need for advancement in technology that needs to take place, although it cant hurt and will help. But there needs to be an advancement in the amount of money spent on it. Education systems have been around forever, and yet they have not been perfected. How is that possible?

[Brian]

But advancements in technology can do wonders for education as well!