Spring Break
Things I've learned, with Prof. Gardner
Issue date: 2/7/08
Slightly out of breath when he sat down at Barnes and Noble, Christopher Gardner explained that his trip back from Towson took longer than expected. It turns out that Gardner, a visiting professor of medieval history at Hopkins, also teaches a class at Loyola College.
During his interview with the News-Letter everything from French soccer to technology and politics managed to tie into his love of medieval history and what it's like to live with another medieval scholar.
News-Letter (N-L): Did you just get back from teaching at Towson?
Christopher Gardner (CG): No, actually I had a computer class up at the Apple store. I'm learning how to improve my Web design skills, so now and again I take a class there. I'll learn a little bit and work on it by myself for a few weeks. Obviously it's a hobby, but it's one that I really enjoy, so when I get a chance I try to learn more.
N-L: So do you try to put what you learned to use in making the Web pages you have for classes? Such as the one for you had for The Medieval West?
CG: Yeah, students seem to like them, and it gives them a chance to see materials online. As you know I use a lot of images and music in the lecture about medieval culture, so a Web site's a handy way for students to review.
N-L: It seems like some history teachers don't do the whole technology thing.
CG: I think it depends. I think I'm just young enough that when I was a student and when I was in graduate school, technology was just coming into use, and I was young enough that I saw its uses "naturally." So I think generally that will change because as young people such as yourself move into professions, they'll have all these computer skills, so [technology use in the classroom] will become more and more common. But I think I am more at the beginning of that process for my generation.
N-L: What is exactly a visiting professor?
CG: Usually, [the school] invites someone to teach a class or two because a professor might be on leave for a semester or for a year, or in this case one of the Hopkins history professors has moved into a different position and another one has become dean. They invited me to come take one or two of the medieval classes while the department fills that department permanently.
During his interview with the News-Letter everything from French soccer to technology and politics managed to tie into his love of medieval history and what it's like to live with another medieval scholar.
News-Letter (N-L): Did you just get back from teaching at Towson?
Christopher Gardner (CG): No, actually I had a computer class up at the Apple store. I'm learning how to improve my Web design skills, so now and again I take a class there. I'll learn a little bit and work on it by myself for a few weeks. Obviously it's a hobby, but it's one that I really enjoy, so when I get a chance I try to learn more.
N-L: So do you try to put what you learned to use in making the Web pages you have for classes? Such as the one for you had for The Medieval West?
CG: Yeah, students seem to like them, and it gives them a chance to see materials online. As you know I use a lot of images and music in the lecture about medieval culture, so a Web site's a handy way for students to review.
N-L: It seems like some history teachers don't do the whole technology thing.
CG: I think it depends. I think I'm just young enough that when I was a student and when I was in graduate school, technology was just coming into use, and I was young enough that I saw its uses "naturally." So I think generally that will change because as young people such as yourself move into professions, they'll have all these computer skills, so [technology use in the classroom] will become more and more common. But I think I am more at the beginning of that process for my generation.
N-L: What is exactly a visiting professor?
CG: Usually, [the school] invites someone to teach a class or two because a professor might be on leave for a semester or for a year, or in this case one of the Hopkins history professors has moved into a different position and another one has become dean. They invited me to come take one or two of the medieval classes while the department fills that department permanently.
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