Help! 1982 vs. 2007 - differences at schools?

I've been teaching at the same school for 25 years. Late tomorrow afternoon, we have a teachers' conference, with a Christmas party afterwards. A "little bird" has informed me that I'll be getting an anniversary gift, and will be expected to give an acceptance speech. I've been thinking about what I should say, but haven't actually formulated anything.

So, can you come up with things I should include? PCs weren't standard equipment at schools back then, nor Internet access. Cell phones were only available to the rich, and were huge; teachers didn't have to collect them before tests in those days, out of fear that students would use them as cheating devices. There was no email, and faxes were something "new". VCRs were around, but not DVDs, so if we showed films at school, we couldn't set subtitles to support comprehension. IPods didn't exist. TV channels were limited, so homework didn't compete with "Gray's Anatomy".

Any and all suggestions are very welcome!

hmm, i bulit my first pc in 1982, that seems ages ago.

but, i think what would be fun to hear, is not some much about how the toys have changed, But maybe your impresson of the students over time, And also making that move to teaching in germany,,, that my idea anyway

Congratulations on 25 years!

I think you covered the big ones I can think of. Can you mention who was famous on TV then or something about what the biggest fad was then? I can't give specific suggestions unfortunately....I was around in 82, or at least for the last 3 1/2 months of it....

Perhaps remind them that we still had cars back then...

We were suppose to be able to fly to work by now

Didn't MTV first air in 1982 or was that 1980?

Wow, first of all congrats!
As for your speech, it is always great to hear about the changes throughout the years but what about including the things that have not changed --- like the bond between teachers and students in the classrooms, or the goal of the teaching profession which modern technology will never replace... something like that?

Congratulations for 25 years!!

Originally Posted by jcat

Cell phones were only available to the rich, and were huge;

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OMG were they ever HUGE

Originally Posted by yayi

Wow, first of all congrats!

As for your speech, it is always great to hear about the changes throughout the years but what about including the things that have not changed --- like the bond between teachers and students in the classrooms, or the goal of the teaching profession which modern technology will never replace... something like that?

Click to expand...

Thats an excellent idea!

Originally Posted by yayi

Wow, first of all congrats!

As for your speech, it is always great to hear about the changes throughout the years but what about including the things that have not changed --- like the bond between teachers and students in the classrooms, or the goal of the teaching profession which modern technology will never replace... something like that?

Click to expand...

Great idea! That'll give me a good ending.

CONGRATES>>>

I was using a computer but was only five , and the puter was a box with a screen and attached keyboard..... we got cable at the cabin that yr which gave us four good channels instead of one fuzzy and we paid 50 bucks a month for it..Mom got a vcr that yr also ..lol.. it had a remote that was corded to the machine... I could walk the mile to the mall with grandma

Thanks for the suggestions and support. I started to actually give my little speech, but a former colleague, whom I've known for ages, was there, and he kept interrupting with "Oh, tell them about the time...../the dog stealing lunches/that strange guy who only ate raw fruit, etc.", so he basically gave the speech for me. I kissed him for it!