Burma Byte #1

My students are obsessed with a computer game to practice their typing skills; however, I think it's the fact that you kill zombies by making their heads explode the faster you type a word that really draws their attention. Anyway, I was talking with a few students in the computer room one day and they told me a bit about their computer class in university in Burma. Apparently, there were 3oo students in one class with one computer. Yes...one computer. So, the students would file behind the sole computer in a line that wrapped around the room, out the door, and into a surrounding field. The teacher would stand next to the computer, monitoring, as each student passed the computer, sticking out their forefinger, and pressing one key. The students would file through the line, typing one letter each, until class was finished. I asked my students if the teacher would tell you a specific letter to type and you had to find it on the keyboard. They said no...you just typed any letter you wanted. The reality of this story became evident as we looked around the room at the other students playing the zombie slaughtering typing game...everyone with one forefinger, erect and strong, frantically trying to type the words flying towards them on the screen.