LESSON 4: WIDGET PRODUCTION:
Producing More, Using Less

Trascript

Transcript of the interview with an expert, Adam Silver of DRI º a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Jack Rucker:

Welcome to Lesson 4 of the McGraw-Hill ECONnections series. ECONnections has been a lot of fun putting together and we have had a good opportunity to visit a variety of subjects and here, in Number 4, I think we are going to have as much fun as we have had all along the line with an opportunity today to visit with Mr. Adam Silver. Mr. Silver is from Lexington, Massachusetts, and he is an Associate in Corporate Consulting. Our questions today cover a fairly wide range, so let's get started. I am wondering from Lesson 4, where we talk about widget production, how will increases in productivity actually improve the living condition for ten to twelve-year-olds as they continue their education?

Silver:

I was thinking about this, and one of the first things technology has made available, but has not perfected yet, that I can see that will enable students to be more productive would be speech recognition technology. The ability to speak into a computer and have the computer record the text in writing would enable students to spend less time typing, which I am sure they would rather not have to do. This would allow students to write longer essays and focus more on learning and less on learning how to type. That's one example of the sort of thing in education where I can see their productivity being enhanced. Another would be the opportunity to telecommute, which is already happening in the work force where you can work from anywhere in the world. Students could have an opportunity to travel with their parents and still keep up with their classes.

Rucker:

It's an interesting concept. As we think about technology affecting our lives in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades, I can remember just about in that time frame and maybe you do as well, Mr. Silver, our parents saying "You've got to learn to be more productive." I am not sure I really understood then exactly what they meant by that, but I wonder if our students were to ask you how they could be more productive, aside from what you have just talked about, what advice would you offer them?

Silver:

Well, there is an old catch phrase for productivity-work smarter, not harder. If there is a better way of doing something, do it that way, not just the way it's always been done. If you are writing a paper and you can figure out a better way of doing your research--whether that's searching faster on the Internet rather than using a paper encyclopedia; or using a CD-ROM instead of a slow Internet connection, it's whatever it takes to help you perform your own work faster-that's the key. I think the number one way to do that is to just increase your learning and know what's available and what's out there, so you don't have to re-invent the wheel. You can learn from what other people have done and improve on it.

Rucker:

That makes it very understandable. I am sure that our students taking part in Lesson 4 have a better understanding now of what productivity really is all about. I know they have also been studying North America and they have been made aware that there is a disparity in the hourly wage that is paid here in the United States on average of around $6, to the minimum wage in Mexico (for instance) at 20 cents an hour. How would worker productivity help explain this difference in wages, Mr. Silver?

Silver:

Worker productivity in this case is going to be related a lot to the equipment the worker is using. Let's take an example of somebody building a house. If you have to build a house using hand tools, you have to use a hand saw, regular hammer and nails, and it takes a longer time to do it. You have to use a lot of hours of work to get that done; whereas if you do that with a proper power saw and a nail gun, that really speeds up that process, you can build a lot more houses in a lot less time. What that means is that one or two workers in the U.S. can do the work of ten or twelve down in Mexico. That's why you would have this difference in the minimum wage.

Rucker:

That's a interesting thought, and I think that does help us understand. We hear sometimes the statistic talked about without thoroughly examining the underlying cause and effect. What invention do you believe has had a significant impact on current and future productivity?

Silver:

The number one invention, (and this goes back 100 years ago) I would say, is Nikola Tesla's invention of alternating current generation. Thomas Edison, as I am sure the grade 4-6 students have studied, did invent direct current and was instrumental in inventing the light bulb, but Nikola Tesla, who is commonly overlooked, really developed alternating current generation which has allowed electricity to be transported over much farther distances. He also developed basic prototypes of logic circuit boards, the radio, and many different inventions that really undermine all of where we are today as an information Internet society.

Rucker:

I was aware of alternating current which we refer to normally as AC current, but I have long lost the name of the inventor and I probably wouldn't have put my finger on that invention, but as you explained it, it makes so much sense. I think it will to our students as well. We are all learning today. Let's wrap up our Lesson 4 questions today. Considering all the changes constantly occurring in the U. S. economy, what are some important things for students to consider as they continue their schooling?

Silver:

Well, the first think I would say to remember is that computers are the way of the future, but computers take operators. We need people to do the work. People have to know how to use computers. Computers are a great tool, but they don't replace people to do the work. Take the changes in computer technology in our own company--we had 500 people at one point who were involved in mainframe work here. Mainframes don't exist, they have been replaced by personal computers, and they now have different jobs. Jobs are going to be created and destroyed as ways of technology progress. The thing to remember is to be flexible and to be really good at learning. The better you are at learning, the better you are at finding the new opportunities and making the most of them.

Rucker:

Those are words well spoken and well explained, and I think will help us all as we think towards learning-not only in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, but as we go on through our junior high, high school and as adults with life-long learning. This is something we look forward to as adults. It is exciting because it's with us right now in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades where it all really begins in earnest. Thank you so much, Mr. Adam Silver. Mr. Silver is with DRI, a McGraw-Hill Company, and he is located in Lexington, Massachusetts. He is an Associate of Corporate Consulting.

Tune in next time to ECONnections as we examine questions for you to ponder in Lesson 5.