Mattie Mott
HRTM 134
Professor Uhlik/Baltimore Skype Broadcast
See
As class was beginning, our Skype coordinator was getting the computer and microphone set up
for the teleconference. Professor Uhlik was absent from his regular location at the front of the
class. The class took their usual seats and began having small conversations with those
surrounding them. In order for the screen to be seen, the classroom shades were closed and the
lights were out. As Skype was being set up, I momentarily saw Professor Uhlik on screen,
dressed professionally as usual in a collared shirt and tie. The slide show began as it normally
does and was in the same format as our usual class PowerPoint. Many students came in late and
disrupted the presentation. It was difficult to see the slide show occasionally because the
streaming wireless would go out and the slide show would have slight glitches. Also, at certain
times, the screen saver would come on from the computer located in our classroom and the
Skype coordinator would have to reconnect to the show. Most of the students took notes as they
normally would, however, many of them left in the middle of class. During the presentation, our
class had to complete in class participation through two questions that we turned in at the end of
class.
Hear
When I first entered the classroom, it was quite loud with excitement. Many conversations
persisted throughout the initial start of the presentation. It was somewhat difficult to hear
Professor Uhlik in the beginning because the Skype volume was not connected very well. His
voice sounded like it was in a barrel and was cutting in and out occasionally. Once the Skype
coordinator got that problem sorted out, his voice came in very clearly, so long as the rest of the
class stayed quiet. This seemed to be a problem because of the lack of a real professor present to
monitor all the small talk. Many students kept coming in and out of the classroom, which caused
the door to slam loudly. Interestingly, during the presentation, I could hear a fire truck’s siren
coming through Professor Uhlik’s feed. Our class only lost Professor Uhlik’s sound completely
one time, which caused much ruckus with the other students who felt like this was their
opportunity to start talking again. Overall though, as the presentation really got going, everyone
was listening diligently and remained quiet.
Feel
Upon arriving to class, I was extremely excited to participate in this teleconference. I was
somewhat skeptical that this presentation would actually work and was very surprised when it
did. During the presentation I was annoyed at all of the small conversations that were happening
because it made it difficult to hear Professor Uhlik. The presentation was amusing because I
initially assumed that this teleconference would make class time impersonal; however, this was
not the case. The overall class atmosphere remained unchanged from any other normal class day.
There were however, certain times when I did feel a sense of loss because of the absence of
Professor Uhlik. Connecting with your professors in a real way is extremely important to your
learning ability. At the end of the presentation I felt content that the class was able to proceed
with the lecture even though our class had no professor present, but I also felt semi frustrated that
Professor Uhlik was not around in person to answer questions.
Think
My initial thoughts relating to the presentation were filled with curiosity concerning what this
Skype program would be all about. I had heard of it before, but had never seen it successfully
carried out and because of this, was left with much doubt whether or not it would actually work.
I did not know that during the presentation Professor Uhlik would be able to hear us and that we
would be able to see him. This presentation had my mind scrambling to understand the
mechanics of it all. It seemed impossible to me that this could actually work as well as it did. I
also thought that the Skype coordinator should have had a little bit more to do in regards to
crowd and noise control. I also thought that it was rude that many students did not want to
participate and decided to have small conversations instead. During the presentation I thought
only about retaining the information I was being presented with. It was only after the class was
over that I truly reflected on the entire experience. I thought the overall presentation was a
success because it contained relevant information, practical examples of new technology, and it
gave me a new, unimaginable experience.
Learn
Compare
This presentation was unlike anything I have experienced before. I have never had the
opportunity to participate in something like this in any of my classes or jobs. The only time I
have experienced something similar was in my church. For one of our guest speakers we had a
simulcast broadcasted to our church. I did not get to participate in that broadcast like I did in the
Skype one. This experience was only similar to other classes in that it was a normal lecture day,
complete with PowerPoint slides, in class participation, and note taking. It was also similar in
that it occurred in our normal classroom and Professor Uhlik used the time to give his lesson
plan. Finally, it was similar in that our class got to talk back and forth with Professor Uhlik
throughout the lecture.
Contrast
This experience was completely different in that it was the first time I had gone to class for a
lecture and there was no professor present. It was also different because when a professor is
absent in my other classes and tells the class to meet, no one shows up. This class was filled with
students even though there was no professor there. This experience differed from my other
experiences because I rarely listen to an entire lecture when I cannot see who is speaking. It
makes it too impersonal and difficult to understand what is actually being said and what the
person is trying to get across. This experience was also different because this was the first time
that I have had a professor utilize new technology in order to overcome a foreseeable absence
and continue with the lesson on the calendar. Too many times professors just cancel class and the
class falls behind.
Connect
This experience connected with our textbook in many ways. Technology is one of the major
trends that is spreading across the globe. Technology can allow for greater efficiency and
flexibility within an organization. This experience demonstrated how technology could also be
utilized to connect an audience with a speaker, who might be far away from one another. This
experience could be what the book calls, “teleconferencing” because Professor Uhlik was able to
work and lecture from another location besides the San Jose State campus. This experience
would also fit into the force field analysis tool. Professor Uhlik was able to take the threat of
missing a day of class and falling behind and converted it to an opportunity to experiment with
new technology and find a way to overcome the obstacle for a better outcome. I had often heard
about this technology from the media, however had never seen actually experienced the benefits.
Personally
Personally, I am excited for the future. I am looking foreword to what will be on the horizon of
new technology and am anticipating utilizing it more in my future. From my viewpoint though, I
am seeing more and more impersonal interactions between people. I am also coming to an
understanding that technology not only exists to make certain tasks easier, it also demands more
efficiency and productivity from people. I am reminded that while technology can be a blessing,
it also brings with it many problems. I personally enjoy having my professor in class to interact
with. I know that technology is wonderful, but sometimes I wonder if it changes our behavior
and personal development in society.
Professionally
Professionally, I am forever changed by this experience. I no longer see the limitation of what
technology can do for me. This experience will influence my professional future because one
day, I too will have the opportunity to use this technology and can now say that it was a
successful alternative to not being present due to other circumstances. Many companies are using
this sort of teleconferencing in their businesses and for me to have used it before will benefit me
greatly. I have made a commitment to embrace technology, while at the same time, I will
remember that it can dehumanize me and my life if I allow it to.
Nearly perfect: content superb, with 5 s/g issues = 95 of 100