Intro to the 21st Century, Tuesday, Second Period
At the end of last class, Cindy had handwavily told the class to meet her in the computer lab today. A few computers were already on when the students entered, and next to each was a basic cell phone, one that you could buy minutes for. No pastries and coffee today though. Not around the electronics.
"Today's class is all about modern methods of communication," she said as soon as the bell rang. . "Up through the last century, when someone wanted to communicate with someone else further away than their own hometown, they mostly used letters to do so. Some kind of postal or courier service would deliver the letter for a fee, and people could talk to one another all they wished. In fact, correspondence is one of the ways we know much of what we do about famous historical figures; people could write one another for years, even the majority of their lives, and many people saved the letters they received. The downside to this charming method was that it took time. Travel wasn't always as fast or as certain as it is now, and letters could get lost, destroyed, or sent awry. Even those that got to their intended recipients might not arrive for months on end, depending on the distance, the weather, and whatever else was going on in the region at the time. But, human ingenuity being what it is, people began to come up with new, faster, and more reliable methods to communicate with one another."
Cindy held up the phone that more properly belonged in her hotel room. She figured Mary wouldn't mind if she borrowed it for an hour. "In 1876, Alexander Bell invented the telephone. Actually, there's some controversy about who actually invented the phone, but the patent belonged to Bell and so he is the one who gets the credit." She gave a quick explanation of the history and general timeline of the telephone and the principles of how it worked, before explaining how to use it. "Every person with a telephone has a phone number, a unique set of numbers associated with their residence or account. You dial the number on the number pad of the phone you're using and it will send a signal to the phone you're trying to reach."
Since the hotel phone wasn't plugged in, Cindy pulled out her cellphone and dialed the number of the cell phone next to Jaime's computer. "That signal makes the phone ring, and the person on the other end can answer it, allowing you to talk to one another. In the twentieth century, mobile--or cellular--phones were invented, using similar principles but a different system to facilitate communication. Though they work differently, the point remains the same: you use them to contact someone else's communication device to talk. Regular phones and cell phones can be used to contact one another, so you are not limited to communicating with people who only have one or the other kind of device. I believe each of you are given a room phone with your dorms. If you haven't done so already, I'd suggest you set up your voicemail so people can attempt to contact you when you're not in your room. Jaime can assist you with that if you have any questions. Many cell phones also have the benefit of texting, which is a way of sending short, written messages from one phone to the next. Many people are fans of texting as a way to communicate quickly when they are not able to engage in a conversation or when passing along messages that are short and quick--like reminders or agreements to meet somewhere or the like."
She then turned to the computers. "Phones put a dent in letter-writing, because they're fast and easy. There's very little effort in dialing a number and talking to someone, the call takes place immediately, and you can have an actual conversation rather than a one-sided one. Letters were made further obsolete after the invention of the internet--which we'll discuss in more detail in a later class--and the advent of email and other net-based forms of communication. Email is an almost-instant method of communication. Like a letter, you write down what you wish to say, then send it to your recipient's email address. Only instead of taking days, weeks, or even months to arrive, it can arrive within minutes or even seconds later, all the way around the world. Instant messaging is a kind of real-time text-based communication. It relies on written words, like an email, but is connected in real-time, like a phone. This way, it is capable of holding a conversation, but at whatever pace you'd like."
Cindy's computer was hooked up to a projector and she slowly demonstrated how to access the internet and go to her Fandom High email address. "Each of you have a school-based email account. Your email can be accessed from any device with internet capabilities--if you don't have one personally, you're welcome to use the school computer lab. If you haven't already accessed your email, I suggest you take a few minutes to do so. Then, I want you to practice emailing, calling, texting, and even instant messaging people. I've emailed all of you the numbers to the phones I brought in today. You can practice calling one another, or, if you know other people, feel free to call or text them instead. By the end of class today, I'd like you to be at least familiar with calling and emailing. You should also check your email and voicemails a few times a week, as that is how most people--including teachers--will try to get ahold of you."
[OCD up! Have at]
"Today's class is all about modern methods of communication," she said as soon as the bell rang. . "Up through the last century, when someone wanted to communicate with someone else further away than their own hometown, they mostly used letters to do so. Some kind of postal or courier service would deliver the letter for a fee, and people could talk to one another all they wished. In fact, correspondence is one of the ways we know much of what we do about famous historical figures; people could write one another for years, even the majority of their lives, and many people saved the letters they received. The downside to this charming method was that it took time. Travel wasn't always as fast or as certain as it is now, and letters could get lost, destroyed, or sent awry. Even those that got to their intended recipients might not arrive for months on end, depending on the distance, the weather, and whatever else was going on in the region at the time. But, human ingenuity being what it is, people began to come up with new, faster, and more reliable methods to communicate with one another."
Cindy held up the phone that more properly belonged in her hotel room. She figured Mary wouldn't mind if she borrowed it for an hour. "In 1876, Alexander Bell invented the telephone. Actually, there's some controversy about who actually invented the phone, but the patent belonged to Bell and so he is the one who gets the credit." She gave a quick explanation of the history and general timeline of the telephone and the principles of how it worked, before explaining how to use it. "Every person with a telephone has a phone number, a unique set of numbers associated with their residence or account. You dial the number on the number pad of the phone you're using and it will send a signal to the phone you're trying to reach."
Since the hotel phone wasn't plugged in, Cindy pulled out her cellphone and dialed the number of the cell phone next to Jaime's computer. "That signal makes the phone ring, and the person on the other end can answer it, allowing you to talk to one another. In the twentieth century, mobile--or cellular--phones were invented, using similar principles but a different system to facilitate communication. Though they work differently, the point remains the same: you use them to contact someone else's communication device to talk. Regular phones and cell phones can be used to contact one another, so you are not limited to communicating with people who only have one or the other kind of device. I believe each of you are given a room phone with your dorms. If you haven't done so already, I'd suggest you set up your voicemail so people can attempt to contact you when you're not in your room. Jaime can assist you with that if you have any questions. Many cell phones also have the benefit of texting, which is a way of sending short, written messages from one phone to the next. Many people are fans of texting as a way to communicate quickly when they are not able to engage in a conversation or when passing along messages that are short and quick--like reminders or agreements to meet somewhere or the like."
She then turned to the computers. "Phones put a dent in letter-writing, because they're fast and easy. There's very little effort in dialing a number and talking to someone, the call takes place immediately, and you can have an actual conversation rather than a one-sided one. Letters were made further obsolete after the invention of the internet--which we'll discuss in more detail in a later class--and the advent of email and other net-based forms of communication. Email is an almost-instant method of communication. Like a letter, you write down what you wish to say, then send it to your recipient's email address. Only instead of taking days, weeks, or even months to arrive, it can arrive within minutes or even seconds later, all the way around the world. Instant messaging is a kind of real-time text-based communication. It relies on written words, like an email, but is connected in real-time, like a phone. This way, it is capable of holding a conversation, but at whatever pace you'd like."
Cindy's computer was hooked up to a projector and she slowly demonstrated how to access the internet and go to her Fandom High email address. "Each of you have a school-based email account. Your email can be accessed from any device with internet capabilities--if you don't have one personally, you're welcome to use the school computer lab. If you haven't already accessed your email, I suggest you take a few minutes to do so. Then, I want you to practice emailing, calling, texting, and even instant messaging people. I've emailed all of you the numbers to the phones I brought in today. You can practice calling one another, or, if you know other people, feel free to call or text them instead. By the end of class today, I'd like you to be at least familiar with calling and emailing. You should also check your email and voicemails a few times a week, as that is how most people--including teachers--will try to get ahold of you."
[OCD up! Have at]