It happens to older people. I got shocked that people in the room did not recognize teaching on television as a widespread tool, used all over. The attempts to avoid large, close assemblies such as classrooms and auditoriums because of coronavirus brought up a discussion of using the internet and television to teach people where they were. Many acted like it was a hot new idea.
From Fear, Fun and Filoz April 13, 2010 (note: ten years ago)
A weird type of semi-fame
For the past 20 years, I have been on statewide public television. There are 15 basic statistics lessons that run for an hour each and they run during the fall and spring semesters. There aren't enough weeks in the summer to accommodate an additional run. The subject is interesting and useful, to me but to 99 of 100 people, it is boring and obscure. We made the tapes in 1989 to assist students trying to learn statistics. At that time, there was no world wide web but tv was a good avenue to reach students. The lessons are totally unable to compete with shoot-'em-ups and low-cut blouses. The usual running hour is 7 AM on Sundays.
So, when I stopped for some coffee at a MacDonald's about 65 miles south and sat in my car drinking it before driving, I was very surprised when an electrical repairman stopped his truck beside me and asked if I taught statistics on television. Nobody had ever connected me to the lessons before. I was tickled to be recognized.
I was a little less tickled when we went to a furniture store 100 miles away, looking for lamps for our living room. We wandered through the large store and finally found just the lamps we wanted. We went to a service desk and asked for assistance in that part of the store. A salesman heard the call and came toward us. Before we could explain what we were interested in, he froze and said, "The statistics teacher!" We said yes, that's true and it is nice that you notice. Now about these lamps. "I just love your show!" Well, gee, thanks. Not many people do. These lamps are just what we want. "I watch every lesson. It is so interesting!" We kept working on sending our message and it finally got through. We did get the lamps and I don't think we were insulting or nasty but it was a struggle.
My friend, an expert in educational television, has a rule of thumb that in today's tv culture, a person seems real, actual and exciting if that person's face has been seen on the tv screen and is later met in person.
Once we spent a romantic weekend away. One night, in the dining room of the hotel, a couple caught our eye. They only had eyes for each other and their conversation was steady and animated. We were charmed. Eventually, they sensed our interest in them. They looked over at us and the man said,"Don't you teach statistics on tv?" It was quite surprising.
The oddest moment was when we visited a national park in Maine. We went up to the main desk to get a map of the park. The woman ranger asked me if I taught statistics on tv. I was hundreds of miles away but she had been assigned the lessons in grad school.
(copyedited by L.S.Kirby)
