I recently attended my ##^th (not a typo, I just don't want to think about the number) college reunion. As one tends to do at these things, I walked through my old stomping grounds. A lot has changed over the years. One thing I noticed was the interesting teaching aid for learning how to write ionic formula shown below. I don't remember seeing those when I was a student, so I imagine they were tucked away in some back corner collecting dust, which is a real shame.

Seeing these really got me thinking. I think we tend to see teaching in the old days as being very dry lectures where facts were delivered and there was no regard to student learning. But a learning aid like this makes me think that might not have been true. Sure, they might not have had some of the fancy tools we have now, but there had to be at least some consideration into helping students learn.

As I was contemplating this I happened to glance at my book shelf. On it I have some of the college books that belonged to my wife's grandfather. He was a chemical engineer earning his degree before WW II. As I look at some of his undergraduate textbooks I can't help but think about how much has changed since he was in college. Looking at his general chemistry text it has very little in common with the course I currently teach. In particular the level of the math is so much higher than what I currently expect. There are likely countless reasons for this, but it makes me wonder if a college education just meant more to his generation.

And then I see my own daughter, a high school junior. I have heard her question, 'Why do I have to know this when I can just Google it?' I am apparently not the first person to have heard this. I won't lie, this worries me. I wonder if members of my wife's grandfather's generation said the same of me.