Years are marked in highs and lows, memories made in good times and in bad, but also in personal growth and achievement. As a popular Broadway musical asks, “How do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in cups of coffee, in inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife? In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure a year in the life?”
Sometimes it’s the big things you remember, others it is the little things that make all of the difference. Our family at New Horizons Learning Group have come together to share some of the memories they’ve built over 35 years, in honor of New Horizon’s 35th Anniversary. Our team has come together to talk about how technology has changed their lives in the last 35 years, and how it has shaped them into the people they are today. In some areas, technology has made it possible for families to grow. Take for example one of our Technical Instructors Martin Wuesthoff who expanded his family through adoption, something he says, “would not be possible without the connections we have made and have been able to keep over the years with people around the world.”
Others like Sales Manager Sean McKesson remember going to university, and jokingly mentions he went in, “with every intent to write essays in old leather notebooks.” He now works with clients to provide computer training to facilitate on a variety of topics to employee growth on a daily basis, something he admits he finds easier digitally.
In many ways, the advancement in technology has made life simpler (even as some things get more complex—how many connectors do we need for the TV again?). Communication has become instant, more efficient and keeping records has become easier with the ability to store documents digitally. “Research was at our fingertips, creating and editing documents became simple. I remember when I had to correct an essay with an eraser and a brush on a manual typewriter. I used to dream of having a simple key built into the typewriter to erase my stroke error,” Cindy Sutherland, VP of Career Development. Simplicity is one of our values at New Horizons, and technology helps us keep it that way by keeping our communication quick and efficient.
The advancements in technology and the reliability of the internet has changed the way we teach and learn. As Account Executive Barbara Duncan points out, “Learning online in the comfort of your home is so great. No more excuses not to be an expert in whatever one desires to learn.” At New Horizons, we believe that fully. We use technology to teach technology, providing solutions for all of our students depending on their needs. If a student cannot make it into one of our centers, we provide OnlineLive education, which can be taken from where they are in the world. Perhaps students are strained on time, we have On-Demand courses available as well! Technology has innovated education for the best, providing more flexibility and a wider breadth of knowledge at one’s fingertips than ever before.
Though many satirical comics show smart phones, tablets, and other mobile devices to be something that separates us from others and the world, many of our staff cannot disagree more. Dan Miner, Resource Specialist, demonstrates this when he talks out his relationship with his smart phone: “So many things as much easier and more accessible now. The smartphone is the biggest improvement, no longer strapped to finding a payphone or missing out on calls and emails because you are out of the office.”
“I’ve never known a world without technology, and I’ve seen it change drastically over the last 25 years. I see kids who know how to use a phone better than their parents. I remember having a Thomas Guide that I had to navigate for my mom when she was driving me to soccer tournaments. Now we can ask Siri or Alexa for directions right away,” states Marketing Manager, Morgan Landry on technology and how it has shaped her life.
How has technology changed your life, or how has growing up in the technological boom shaped how you view the world? I remember when dial up was the only way to access the internet, and the screech-scratch of it booting up brings back memories. Not to mention, the time before Google when you resorted to AskJeeves.com or Yahoo.com. Times have changed, and now there is talk of virtual reality, cybernetic medical advances bringing better prosthetics to the people, and providing sustainable solutions to the environment. It’s amazing to see where we’ve all gone in just a few short years, and breath-taking to know that it’s not over. Technology is constantly evolving and so is our world.
