I was told that the classroom I had been assigned for teaching was equipped to send a television signal. The class was a graduate class of experienced teachers and some drove 90 one way to attend the class. That was after teaching all day. Ok, let's transmit the class and save the driving, maybe even an accident involving deer in the roadway. One thing led to another. The chancellor of my university was a former professor of communication and he understood the power of media. The communication department was already equipped with a good quality studio and savvy technicians to use it.
I have a background in a subject that many experienced teachers don't like: research statistics. They are the techniques that are often used to support an idea, such as the central idea in a master's degree thesis. Before long, our hot continuing education department was broadcasting my statistics lessons around the state. Then, continuing ed and communications made a CD of my lessons. It could be mailed to students anywhere. Over time, better statistics software emerged and my lessons fell in popularity. I was informed the other day that 10,000 CDs of my old lessons are now being used to make spinning toys for children. One never knows where one will end up.
