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Schools have changed so much over the years
The good old days of going to school and playing dodgeball or writing cursive on the chalkboard are long gone. Now, you won’t find a number of these things and plenty of others in schools anymore. And that’s not the only place where things are disappearing. In a few years, these things in your home won’t exist anymore. So take a look back at some of the now vintage items no longer in schools.
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Library check-out cards
Do you remember checking the list of names on the check-out card in the back of your library book to see if you knew anyone on it? It was always exciting to find the name of a friend or maybe an older sibling. School libraries are run a little bit differently nowadays. Most schools have digital systems that librarians use to check books in and out and easily track when books are overdue. Some schools even have automated self-checkout systems that allow students to scan their books out themselves.
Chalkboards
Chalkboards have been replaced by whiteboards, and, in some schools, Smart Boards, to help incorporate technology into teaching. Smart Boards allow teachers to create interactive lesson plans and have access to online resources for students. No one really liked dusty chalk anyway. If these things were in your classroom growing up, you might have also taken one of these school subjects that aren’t taught anymore.
AV carts
Remember cheering with joy when you saw a substitute teacher roll in an AV cart with a television strapped to the top because you knew you were going to have a movie day? Instead of rolling shared TVs from classroom to classroom, most schools have a projector in each room. Technology changes so fast, which is why Gen Z will never use any of these everyday products in their lifetime, either.
Card catalogs
Students no longer have to sift through the tiny drawers to find a particular book or source of information for a research paper anymore. Everything is available through a few clicks on the Internet.
Cursive writing
You won’t see students’ names drawn out in cursive on the cover of their notebooks or at the top of their worksheets anymore. Some states still have it as part of their curriculum, but most are now putting the focus on technology. More communication is sent via technology than handwritten letters, so students need to know how to navigate the Web instead of learning how to connect their letters. It’s a shame that fewer kids learn how to write cursive since handwriting makes you smarter.
Wall pencil sharpeners
Wall-mounted pencil sharpeners were always a pain—even for students 100 years ago. You either sharpened your pencil unevenly or the metal part would detach, and all of the pencil shavings would spill on the floor. Most students are probably thankful they have mechanical ones now.
Traditional desks
Just a few years ago, most students all had identical desks with a tan top and a ridge to hold their pencil. Now, more and more schools are starting to incorporate different types of seating arrangements for their students to enhance learning. Some schools have standing desks and others are using tables.
Dodgeball
Ahh, the stress relief that comes along with slamming a ball at your classmates’ faces during gym period. Well today, you won’t hear about many students playing this aggressive game during P.E. The sport doesn’t “support a positive school climate” so many schools banned it. Things are also always changing in people’s homes—you probably won’t find these 9 things in your home ten years from now.
Pull-down maps
Back in the day, many teachers had a set of pull-down maps hanging above their whiteboards or chalkboard. During geography or history class, the maps would get pulled down so students could see where things took place and learn the location of all the states. Now, a quick image can be pulled up on the teacher’s computer and displayed on the board through a projector. Today, students are more concerned about learning Google maps tricks.
Source: www.rd.com
