Todd Waymon,

Learning About Computers in the Information Age
(Takoma Park, MD: Montgomery College, 1993), pages 3-4:

Paradigm refers to a set of assumptions and beliefs that shapes the way we perceive our world and how we act. There is a saying: "We see the world not as it is, but as we are." This means that our paradigm of reality strongly influences how we see new things. In the Information Age our view of "how things work" is changing enormously from the paradigm of the Industrial Age of the recent past, just as those assumptions were very different from those of the Agricultural Age. The power and capabilities of the computer have helped to form our new paradigm of the Information Age.

"I am a farmer. I live in a village with other members of my wife's tribe. Our fields and animal pens are around the village. We manage to provide food for everyone and save some for the winter. We make almost everything we need right here. Oh, we trade for salt and iron, which we can't find around here, but all in all we have everything we need. I get up in the morning when the rooster crows, usually have porridge and bacon for breakfast with my family and help my chidlren feed the animals. We all make things: my wife is an excellent weaver, I enjoy carving bone. We celebrate the seasons with our tribe, make lots of music and dance, and worship the Earth and Rain and Sun which make our food for us. It sure beats the old hunting days when we had to follow the herds. I have time to play with my children and make things. Life is good."

"I am a steelworker. I live near the steel mill and work shift work; this week I'm on 4-till-12. This mill makes I-beams for construction and rails for the raildroads. It's hot, hard work but I like helping to make these very important industrial materials. I earn a good wage and have enough money to take pretty good care of my family, although my older boy has gotten it in his head to go to college so he's working too, down at the railroad depot. I hope he does well so he can move up in the world. My wife takes care of the younger children and has supper ready when I get home, when I'm on day-shift, that is. Depending on the shift I'm on, I often go down to the club or take the family for a drive in the car. On Sunday we always go to church. Life is good."