PERSON TO WATCH: Thaddeus Taylor

Plenty of people bring a cooler to the office, but few contain something less lunchlike than Thaddeus Taylor's.

When the Tennessee Aquarium educator walks to the Imax 3D Theater to prepare for his next lesson, he's toting teaching materials that slither, crawl and hop.

Taylor is one of the main presenters in the aquarium's Distance Learning Program, which uses video conferencing software to stream lessons to students across North America on the Internet. The program recently received the Pinnacle Award from the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration, based on teacher evaluations.

In the last three and a half years, Taylor has led about 80 lessons on subjects such as animal habitats and the adaptations of different shark species with students from preschool to high school as far away as Texas, Washington and Alberta, Canada.


Q: What benefits are there to teaching by webcam?

A: On camera, they can see (the animals) really close up. Children are probably getting a much better view of the animal via the camera than they would in person.


Q: How do you make sure technical issues don't affect your instruction?

A: When I start every lesson, I make sure there's an adult in the room who is aware that I will be utilizing them as a tool. I don't know any of the kids' names, and if they're in a dim room, I can't even say, "You, in the pink shirt." I'll utilize them to clarify, and many times, it's very helpful.


Q: What was your first lesson like?

A: I can imagine that I was rather terrified of being in front of the camera. I don't remember it because I was reading a list. (Laughs.) That time, I had every single thing I was going to say written.


Q: You're also an actor. Is there bleed-over between the skills you use onstage and during lessons?

A: Absolutely. (Distance Learning Program coordinator) Bray McDonald ... really likes to have myself and (senior educator) Julia Gregory in front of the camera because we're very animated when we're doing the programs. It would be very easy to just be the talking head, but Julia and I make a point of being animated and active and moving so ... they're not staring at a practically still image and hearing our voice.


Q: What are animals like to use as teaching props?

A: They're never consistent. Even the animal you've used multiple times ... you'll take him out one time and something crazy happens. I was trying to take a salamander out one time that normally would lie there and never do anything, and one day, it thought the tip of my finger was a little mouse and latched on. I've had animals relieve themselves multiple times - always a teachable moment. Sometimes, they're wiggly. Sometimes, they're shy, and it's harder to get them to show something you need them or want them to show a group.


Q: Are the animals any calmer without the students in the room?

A: (Laughs.) I don't think much fazes our animals anymore. They're used to 3-year-olds suddenly screaming and groups ooo-ing and ahh-ing. The biggest difference is how warm they've been, the time of year and when they've last eaten.

Upcoming Events