Comfort Level--The Student's and the Teacher's

I really did use Power Point for a while--several years ago.  (I'll have to look it up.)  But the rooms were ill-equipped, and I'd have to get the projector from the fifth floor of Batmale down to the Bungalows and then attach all the cords and set it up--between classes!--so I gave it up.  Besides the stress it caused me, the students over-used it, cluttering their slides and not depending enough on their spoken words.  So now I'm back to using the overhead projector, which my high school French teacher introduced to us in 1963 as "something new!" 

I'm telling you this because yesterday when I visited the Audio-Visual room to get still more overhead transparencies, Alexander Valentine told me that someone was asking why they had so many overhead projectors in this day and age, and he explained that teachers had their own way of teaching just as students had their own way of learning, and some needed the old ways.  He gave the example of an adored SF history teacher (and head of the department) who wanted her slide projector, and when he offered to digitalize the slides, she said, "I like to do it this way."  So I got to be in company with her. 

I wonder from time to time whether the students realize how old the overhead projectors are.  Maybe they just fit in like the chalkboard--from time immemorial. 

Tonight I'm joining the CCSF-KQED group I used to be part of to have "closure" for Maxine, who is leaving KQED after 12+ years.  But the Samsung repairman just called to say he was running late, so I may be running late too.

But I'll use the time to work on the essays so I can come back here and talk about other activities.