Back to the Future

http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x30plj
http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x31upf
http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x324c3

These videos, created in 1987 may have seemed outlandish at the time, but twenty plus years later the creators should be astounded at how similar reality has become to their past visions. These short films are pure evidence of how quickly technology evolves and how what we dream up can easily come reality.

One example of how these videos from the 80's relate today is how the injured athlete can easily stay up with the rest of the class from his home. When students are required to take an absence from school email, telephone, internet, and web camera setups all make it simple to get information and to stay connected with the teacher and or class. A second similarity to the short films and education opportunities today is that information is literally at the fingertips of the students. At any time if a student is feeling motivated to gain knowledge in a given area, the internet and vast array of resources available makes it easy to stay up with the  expectations of the class. This was represented when the injured student was at home finding information about the history behind the creation of the word "marathon". There are also all sorts of options for us to talk to computers, computers to talk to us, and for computers to connect us with peers.

A difference that I can think of when comparing the videos to reality today would be the way we react to technology. We do not act the same way that the characters in the video did. I suppose that would be a cultural difference relating to the time periods. I think that my generation of students relate to technology as if it is a second nature. It would be difficult to predict how humans will relate to future developments. As far off as they may have thought they were, I give props to the creators of the videos for getting a nearly accurate vision of what was to come.