Guest Speaker via Skype

Some time ago I clued you in to a book by Will Tuttle, entitled, "The World Peace Diet: Eating for Spritual Health and Social Harmony."  I am using the book for a first year honors class in our new college of Health and Human Sciences.  The book is provocative and an eye opening read about how our dominat meat-based diets are seriously ruining our health -- which is a fact that few want to wrap their mind around and do anything about because it requires one to become enlightened, which is just too much work.

Anyways, the kids get pretty agitated and enthusiastic about the book when we are discussing it in class.  With questions such as "What was he thinking?" or "Why would he think that?" and so forth.  So one day I told them, "Hey let us ask the author what he thinks and why he thinks it and adress some of our criticisms and concerns?"  They said, "We can do that?"  Yikes, kids, of course we can so  I contacted the author -- who lives in an RV and travels the country giving lectures about the subject matter in his book and his life as a vegan and he was more than happy to guest lecture.  By the way, he has a very reasonable fee structure and encourage you to have him speak at your campus like I am arranging for him to do to our college.

Well today was the day.  The author spoke to the class via skype that was set up by our IT kids who know more about this technology than I ever will.  Will talked about chapter 7 -- The Dominationof the Feminine -- and what he meant by what he wrote. He then answered questions that we had submitted in writing ahead of time.

The class was an awesome experience for all concerned because we could see and hear the person who wrote the book we have been discussing in class.  It turns out that the person that students pictured or heard in their head while reading the chapers was not some crazy nutcase and in truth a healthy looking, vibrant, intellient man who wants to share his perspective on Veganism with the students.  A total eye opener for the kids.  We will be sending him a package of goodies to say thank you.

So I guess the message for today is think outside the box and try to integrate the marvels of technology in your classroom even if you -- like me -- have no clue how it works; somebody knows how to work it or it would not be in existence.  The two IT staffers know about this stuff and made my honors class today a very special experience with our author talking to our class and seeing the students from his RV outside of St. Louis, MO.