Olden Days

Well, we didn't know any difference with early blogs.  That's how they were.  I asked so many people where they got some of the add-ons (which they were then) and how to add them.  Most had pretty good instructions but still!!  Not easy!  I'm so glad it's all easier now.  Some of you made some hilarious comments about it, too!  Just appreciate it and wait for the next new technological advances!
 
When I first started teaching, we had mimeograph machines.  Tests and hand-outs were typed on manual typewriters on this blue waxy sheet.  The typewriter cut a stencil into the wax so the ink could be pushed through it during the printing.  Corrections were made by brushing the blue stuff from a bottle with a little brush (sort of like nail polish) over the mistake, letting it dry, and then typing over it.  (White-Out didn't come until later for all this.)  That blue sheet was attached to a drum that let black ink come through the letters.  Copies were black ink on white mimeograph paper.  You had to be careful taking that blue sheet off the machine because that ink was messy and hard to get out of clothes.  I hated it.

 
Later on we had ditto machines that were sort of like a slick page over what was sort of like carbon paper and purple.  This was a major improvement over the mimeograph.  They could be typed, handwritten, and drawn on.  Those top sheets were torn off and put on the ditto machine which was also a round drum that had ditto fluid in it somewhere that interacted with the purple carbon-type stuff.  I'm sure some of you remember those in school and how the pages felt cold and got sniffed by many students when fresh off the press!   Anyone remember that smell? 

Imagine how fabulous it was to have copy machines!  Early on, they made copies and that was it, but it was still wonderful.  Who knew what they could become!  Now they collate, staple, punch holes, copy on both sides, can be in color, and much more.  It's absolutely wonderful to use computers to produce the material to give students and to make out tests.  For one thing, they are SAVED!  Then to copy them on the copy machine makes life so much easier!