Computers are Miraculous!

I love computers! I think they are the most outstanding invention of our century. But then I am an

Howdy Doody 

early adopter of technology! My father had one of the earlier televisions in the Wasatch Front, back in 1950 when there was only one station---KSL channel 5. I remember watching Howdy Dowdy on it when I was only six years old. Maybe that was why I love technology!

My Trusty Apple II-E

I worked with the first “computer” in 1982 when I took a basic programming class from Enterprise State Jr. College. It was very basic, but I remember making stick people who waved as well as mathematical computations and other things. It was not made for personal computers, mind you, but for main-frame computers, which were the only thing available at the time.

In 1984 we moved to Vicenza, Italy and it was there we purchased the first “personal computer”—an Apple II-E. I loved it even though it didn’t have a hard drive, but had to boot up with large 5 ½ inch floppies, and then run from other floppies. I used it mainly for word processing and kept my journal on it and many other writings, including letters from 1985 on. All my letters to my oldest son, Marlowe while he was on his mission to the Rome, Italy Mission were written on it. And my journal entries from 1985 to 1990.

Computers can also do things you are too cowardly to do. It was on that Apple II-E, I wrote to my father telling him I was pregnant with my fifth child, when I was in my 40s. I called my sisters and my Aunt Ruth (my mother’s sister) to tell them about my newest addition to my family, but I didn’t dare tell my Dad. Why?

My Father who I notified by computer about
about my late-life baby and My Deceased Mother
whose example I followed

My Dad had always thought it was because Mother had her seventh child, my youngest sister Ann, after having breast cancer, which weakened her so she had her second bout of breast cancer when Ann was a baby. Mother died of metastatic cancer when she was 48. I had had breast cancer six years before I became pregnant with my “40s baby,” and I could imagine Dad yelling at me at telling me I was killing myself having a baby at my age if I called him; so I copped out and sent him a letter written on my trusty Apple II-E and he had time to adjust before he wrote me back. And I am still alive to tell the story.

My children used it for games. I recall that my oldest, Marlowe, bought a computer game based on the book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. However, he’d left his book in storage in Alabama, so when he played the game, he couldn’t remember the answers. So Marlowe did the logical thing--he hacked into the program and discovered the answers, popped back out and put the answer in. (I think that’s called using a “cheat sheet” long before there were “cheat sheets.”)

We brought back the Apple II-E we moved back to the Chicago in 1987 and used it even when we lived in Sacramento, California. But when we moved to Centerville, Utah in 1990, and the Personal Computer was becoming ubiquitous, the Apple II-E wasn’t good enough, I had to have a PC. Luckily I had a step-brother who helped me convert all my Apple files into Windows files so I didn’t lose any of my precious files.

It was then I started using WordPerfect for word processing when I started working soon after we moved here. I loved WordPerfect, and I subscribed to a magazine that helped me learn all the tips and tricks of WordPerfect and later Word--or word processing, another love.

In 1993, I started working for the editorial offices of the Liahona magazine. It was an international magazine published in 40+ languages and I worked as liaison between the editorial and production/design departments. All of the people in our office used MacIntosh (Apple) computers, but I also communicated and converted files from all the translation offices throughout the world and they all used PCs; so I was using both PCs and MacIntoshes!!! I loved them both.

Liahona Magazine where I worked
with both PCs and MACs

I was always trying to learn new technology and I even learned Databases; I created a program to track all correspondence that came into the office, through all the processes, until it was rejected, answered or purchased for publication. Those purchased would then be tracked through the publication process. If anyone had any problems with their computer, I loved to solve their problems.

In 2000, My husband was working for the Davis School District as a School Technology Specialist (teaching teachers how to use technology) when a new opening came for another STS. He and my middle-school son Bryan convinced me I wanted to work for the school district so I’d have the same working schedule (including school vacation) as they did. I applied and got the job.

Working as an STS was fascinating because it was two jobs in one—I was a computer trouble-shooter; if a computer had problems, I had to fix it. Often I was intrigued by the puzzle and loved to figure out what was going on and why. Then I figured out how to solve it. I was much more comfortable with software problems than hardware problems. My husband loved to get into the computer hardware and dissect it. I was trained to do that, but it intimidated me. I much preferred de-coding the software to find the problem.

The second part of my job (and the most important) was teaching the teachers how to use the many types of technology that is now available for them to use!
 

I loved learning how to use everything that was available from projectors in each classroom, to interactive computer games to teach children, and everything in between. I loved learning all the software as well as tablets, phones, laptops, podcasts, electronic storytelling, Photoshop Elements, etc. I could go on forever. All of these items just made teaching fun!!!!!

I have always loved using computers for writing; it simplifies and makes writing faster and easier. Whenever I think of writing with my crippled arthritic hands, I bless my computer. Whenever I remember the ubiquitous, “wonderful” (then) but obsolete typewriters, I want to kiss my computer and my laptop. You can erase and redo and rewrite at the speed of light with computers.

But my favorite thing to do with a computer is something I’ve been

The page in the parish record showing my great-great-great
grandmother's christening in Denmark

doing for over sixty years—genealogy research and family history. To be able to research original parish records in Danish on the internet with a computer is like flying to that country in a second. To look through the original ancient parish records is to see your ancestors’ lives come alive in front of you. No microfilm, or microfiche to tediously scroll through hoping not to get dizzy; because with the computer, the records are indexed.

The same grandmother's grave and headstone in
St. Joseph's Cemetery, Logandale, Clark
County, Nevada in the Great Muddy

You want to know about your great-great-great grandmother Ingeborg Christina Jespersdatter born in Vester-Marie, on the Island of Bornholm, Denmark in 1802, you put her name in the search box, and within minutes you are looking at the record of her birth, baptism, confirmation, vaccination, engagement and marriage in the parish record. It shows when her first husband died and she married again, was baptized into the Mormon Church and immigrated to Utah and died in Nevada. It is truly like going back in time and meeting your ancestors.

My dad used a computer until he died—even if it was just playing Solitaire. I guess I will be playing with technology (but NOT solitaire) until I am too old to use my hands—but by then it will be voice-activated software like “Dragon” software that decodes your voice and translates it into type. But technology makes life fun. At least it will keep my mind active and I can keep up with my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren. 

How a Class I took Taught Me about Learning

I love to learn. I have always loved to learn, and taken classes whenever I could. When we lived in Italy in 1984-87, I was able to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in English by taking classes at the Army base we were stationed at, Vicenza Army Base, through University of Maryland, European Division. However, no matter how many classes I took in Vicenza, there were still classes not available there that I needed to take to graduate. To complete these, I took classes by correspondence, and a creative writing class in Denia Spain on the Costa Blanca during the spring equinox.

One of our discussions onsite in Paris for our class.

     

 And I took, with a girl friend Susan, a one-week class in Paris, France in July 1985, “Expatriate Writers in Paris at the turn of the Century (Fin de Siecle).” We were given a list of eight books that were written by American authors who lived in Paris at the turn of the 20^th century to read and evaluate. Then we took the overnight train from Vicenza to

Me on the overnight train from Vicenza Italy to Paris

Paris to join the group of students. We shared a tiny hotel room in the center of Paris and met each day to visit the sites that were important in the lives of the expatriate writers we were studying, Henry James, Edith Wharton and others. We were immersed in the whole “Paris” experience—the art, Art Nouveau, Oscar Wilde, and theater.

       

 Each day was an adventure as we discussed the authors, their books, and the art that influenced them. There were no multiple answer quizzes, no true/false tests. Everything was discussion and dialogue. The two teachers directed the discussions, but allowed free expression and ideas. After classes we met at street cafes and talked some more.

        

As our week drew to an end, we had decided what the thesis of our final paper would be—what direction it would take about which author/s. Then our instructors realized that Susan and I would be leaving from the Paris Train station and our final Paris Project was set. The Paris Train Station was built in the late 1800s and was a favorite site for people to meet and see off their friends as they left for places all over the world. Our instructors reserved a room in the train station and planned a formal “farewell” for Susan and I. It wasn’t a normal party—it would be like someone in 1899 or at the Fin de Siecle would dress and act. Furthermore, each of would choose one individual in one of the books we had read and discussed, come dressed as that person, and stay in character all evening as that person. That would portray our in-depth knowledge of the character and book, and be included in our grade.

  

Susan (far left) in costume at the Paris Train Station

 

 

 

I can remember Susan and I looking all over Paris’ flea market for something to transform our clothes into a turn of the century costume that we could remove in a second after we boarded the train to look normal. My final costume included my black slip wrapped around my head; I purchased a flamboyant feather plume, black gloves, and a large black nylon scarf/shawl that I wrapped around to look like a long skirt. You can see Susan in

Me for my final project at the Paris Train Station

the mirror taking the photo, with a red wrap, paisley full slacks and one of my print scarves on her head. 

      Our teachers and others wore more elaborate costumes, but it was a fun and exciting experience to pretend to be a fictional character and to try to remember everything. I can only recall that I was a character from an Edith Wharton novel, and worried that someone would catch me making an error about a fact. I had to make up some reason for her to be taking the train to Vicenza because in the book she never went there—but that was acceptable.

      

Our instructors at the Paris Train Station

 

What did I learn from this class, besides the material taught in the class? I learned how you can make any class more interesting by making it more personal. You can relate anything to the student’s life and it will become more alive to them. You can involve them in role-playing and they will understand how another person feels.

I learned from that class that teaching is more than lecture—speech, talk, discourse. Teaching is imparting knowledge, enlightening, educating (teaching comes from “to lead forth”).   

 When teaching is done right, learning is fun.