Mr. R Davidson’s Blog

I am a 59 year old computer teacher at a regional middle school in the lakes region of New Hampshire. During most of my twenties, I taught English as a second language to business people in Germany. I did most of my work for multinational companies. I also taught a class in American studies at Stuttgart University. On returning to New Hampshire, after two years of running a camp check business, I took a job as a manger for a photo retail chain. This eventually led to creating my own photography business that included a retail store, a film processing lab, and a studio. Fairly early on, I became interested in computers and their potential as part of the imaging process and as a tool to track business expenses. I also worked closely with local schools as a sports photographer and as a senior portrait photographer. I also had the opportunity to work on a couple of independent film productions and started doing more and more video work. My interest in computing increased as digital photography and video evolved. A local high school needed someone to facilitate a newly acquired computer lab so I accepted the challenge and my wife took over the principle operation of the business. When a German teacher left, I started teaching German and eventually got my first certification as a German teacher. My real passion, however, was not language teaching but computers, photography and video making.

When I saw the opening for a computer teacher at my present school, I applied and was hired. During my time there I have created a curriculum that consists of word processing, desktop publishing, spreadsheets, Internet research, simulation games, multimedia presentations, digital photography, and digital video making. I have also been the yearbook advisor, computer club advisor and media club advisor.

The purpose of this blog is to encourage myself to occasionally reflect on what am teaching, how am teaching, why I am teaching, and what I could do to improve, both as a human being and as a teacher. I am also interested in experiencing blogging as a participant as I see it as important form of communication. I also see the potential value of using blogs as a way to encourage students to express themselves, through technology, while using the traditional skills of reading and writing. I welcome feed back.