Teaching Statement
Teaching with Technology
Jennifer Deer
Fall 2006

I teach audio documentary. Technology is inherent to this field. Even a class which aimed solely to engage the students in a discussion of the art and the elements of audio documentary would require the ability to listen, and therefore some form of technology: a laptop, a CD, CD player, an ipod, a radio...

Technology as I approach it in my teaching can be considered in 3 main areas: equipment necessary to do the work, technology as a support to classroom instruction, and technology-based resources for the students.

EQUIPMENT
How much of a financial investment should students be asked to make? My students are often beginners in this medium, or they are thinking of it as a support to their primary medium (such as writing, video or photography). In either case, they may not know enough yet about the work itself or about how committed they are to audio as a medium, to be able to judge whether or not to invest in their own equipment, and if so, how much of an investment they should make.

The podcast phenomenon has made digital audio recording equipment more mainstream. More stuff is out there and more information is available about it. I am not a techno-wizard, and this can be a source of frustration for students when they are just trying to figure out what stuff to buy. More resources are now available, and I am able to send students to websites and other online resources, such as this very helpful product review from a recent New York Times:

Some Hot Recorders for Those Cool Podcasts
Broadcasters, musicians and serious audiophiles have long been consumers of high-end portable audio gear, but podcasting has created an expanded market for this equipment.

This allows me to focus on teaching what I do know, without leaving students clueless. The "Tools" section of Transom.org is another invaluable online resource. Students can educate themselves about equipment and software. Offering Transom as a resource also introduces students to the larger community of radio/audio producers.

CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION
I use to teach with a boom box. That works. But the ability to use a laptop in conjunction with a projector makes for a much richer classroom experience. I bookmark all the websites whose audio content I plan to use as examples during class. We can then listen to this material in class. I do not have to keep up with CD's, the students can see the websites and make note of addresses if they care to. Prior to the first class meeting, students are instructed to visit online sites and do some research listening. My website enables students to access this assignment (and saves me emailing it out repeatedly). They can also access the course description and a link to registration, as well as a reading from NPR on audio postcards before the workshop.

An even more significant advantage of projection use in the classroom is that I now have the ability to show the students what a digital audio editing session looks like. Working on a session together, as I makes the actual edits and the students are able to watch, has been one of the top take-aways commented on by students. The editing software and the skill of editing are the most challenging aspects of audio work for most students. Group activity around editing is a highly valuable teaching tool.

RESOURCES
As stated earlier, audio as a medium for creating documentary and other types of work is usually new for my students. They leave a workshop hopefully turned-on, but not always sure what to do next. My website offers them a way to be in touch with me, and my links page can serve as an evolving resource for them.