15 School Supplies You Never See Anymore
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Remember when getting ready for school meant stocking up on all sorts of cool supplies? Times have changed, and many of the things we used to love are now relics of the past. Technology and new learning methods have made some of our old favorites obsolete. Let’s take a fun trip down memory lane and look at some school supplies that kids today might never see.
Trapper Keepers
These colorful binders were the ultimate in school organization. With their Velcro closure and fun designs, Trapper Keepers were more than just a way to hold papers – they were a fashion statement. Kids today, with their sleek tablets and laptops, might never know the satisfaction of that loud Velcro rip.
Overhead Projector Transparencies
Remember when teachers would write on clear sheets and project them on the wall? It was like magic! The sound of dry-erase markers squeaking on those plastic sheets is a memory many of us share. Now, with smart boards and digital projectors, these transparencies are a thing of the past.
Floppy Disks
These little squares were how we saved our computer work back in the day. Kids now would be amazed at how little data these could hold. Explaining that some school projects came on multiple floppy disks would probably blow their minds!
Pencil Sharpeners (The Wall-Mounted Kind)
That hand-crank pencil sharpener mounted on the classroom wall was a fixture in every room. The sound of grinding pencils and the mess of shavings are memories every student from that era shares. Now, with mechanical pencils and electric sharpeners, these old-school tools are disappearing.
Chalk And Chalkboards
The screech of chalk on a blackboard is a sound today’s kids might never hear. Writing on a chalkboard and clapping erasers outside were daily rituals in many classrooms. Now, with whiteboards and smart boards, chalk is mostly a thing of the past.
Card Catalogs
Libraries used to have big cabinets full of cards to help you find books. Learning to use the card catalog was a skill all its own. Now, kids can find books with a quick computer search. The satisfaction of flipping through those little cards is something they’ll never experience.
Filmstrip Projectors
Before YouTube and streaming video, we had filmstrips. The teacher would play the audio on a record or cassette, and someone got the important job of advancing the film at the beep. It was high-tech for its time, but would seem ancient to kids today.
Mimeographed Handouts
The smell of a freshly mimeographed worksheet is unforgettable to anyone who went to school before photocopiers were common. That purple ink and slightly damp paper were part of every test and handout. Kids today, with their crisp printouts, will never know that unique scent.
Slide Rules
Before calculators were allowed in math class, we had slide rules. These rulers with moving parts were used for all sorts of complex calculations. Trying to explain logarithms without a digital display would be quite a challenge for today’s students!
Book Covers Made From Paper Bags
Remember carefully covering your textbooks with brown paper bags from the grocery store? It was an art form, getting them smooth and writing your name in bubble letters. With many schools moving to digital textbooks, this back-to-school ritual is fading away.
Typewriters
Before computers were in every classroom, typing class meant learning on actual typewriters. The clacking of keys, the ding of the carriage return, and the frustration of fixing typos with correction fluid are all foreign concepts to today’s students.
Dewey Decimal System Posters
Every library had posters explaining how to use the Dewey Decimal System to find books. Learning these numbers was a crucial skill for any research project. Now, with digital catalogs, these posters have largely disappeared, along with the need to memorize that 920 meant biographies.
Protractors
These half-circle plastic tools for measuring angles were once a staple of every math class. While they’re still around, they’re used much less frequently now that computers can easily create and measure angles. The struggle of lining up the protractor just right is a lost art.
Encyclopedias
Before Wikipedia, we had massive sets of encyclopedias. These books were expensive and took up a lot of space, but they were our go-to source for information. Now, with the internet, the idea of a book that’s outdated as soon as it’s printed seems quaint.
Cursive Writing Guides
Those sheets with dotted lines to help you form perfect cursive letters are becoming rare. Many schools have reduced or eliminated cursive instruction. The art of connecting your letters in a flowing script is becoming a lost skill in the age of keyboards and touchscreens.
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