On-line Classrooms and the Shimano 200E7 Baitcasting Reel

So, spring is finally here, which means that I have been spending my weekend mornings watching fishing shows on cable. I’ve noticed that all the fishing pros talk with a southern accent and fish lakes that are in the SE. I noticed this same trend when I watched fishing shows in Illinois (frustrating while in Illinois, inspiring now that I’m in GA). This excitement has branched off recently to fishing magazines that my neighbor and I share back and forth. A recent magazine highlighted the latest in baitcasting reels. I haven’t purchased a baitcaster in probably 15 years most likely due to the fact that they are difficult to use. Anyone that fishes knows what I’m talking about. The main difficultly is the finesses one needs to pitch a lure accurately without the line winding up into a ball in the reel (backlash). This requires some thumb-eye coordination that I just didn’t have with my old reels 15 years ago. Despite my experience with this form of tackle, I have a renewed interest as a result of the fishing shows and magazines.

I recently came into some free money in the form of a graduate school stipend for participation in the Future Faculty Program at UGA. My brain considers this free money because it is above and beyond my TA stipend (the measuring stick I use to assess the status of money in my pocket). This extra moola possessed me to purchase a new baitcasting rod and reel while visiting Dick’s Sporting Goods. In good form, I purchased the most highly rated reel in a recent magazine article: Shimano 200E7. Technology has advanced in the past 15 years since my last purchase of a baitcasting reel. The reel has a Cast Control knob that adds friction to the spool so that backlash is minimized when the lure hits the water. However, this isn’t anything new, my old reel from 15 years ago had this, and I still had problems. The reel also has a variable brake system that is adjusted from inside the reel (one opens the reel and fine-tunes the reel by moving small weights up or down). The variable brake spins like a centrifuge and minimizes backlash at the beginning of the cast….this is new. It also has a 7:1 gear ratio (my old reels had a 5:1 ratio) which means you can crank the fish in faster (or weeds). I also purchased a 7 ft. St. Croix graphite rod (the most expensive one in the store). The whole thing is light as a feather, a feature baitcasting outfits didn’t have 15 years ago.

Fishing line has advanced in technology as well. Fishing line strength is based on how much weight it can hold prior to breaking. I’m not sure of the exact test; however, all I know is that 15 lb. test line is much stronger than 4 lb. test line. The main problem with 15 lb. test line is the thickness increases, stiffness increases and this becomes more difficult to cast with a baitcasting reel (more backlash). I purchased some 15 lb. test braided line: fibers woven into strands that are then woven together. Interestingly, the diameter of this line is the same as 4 lb test of 15 years ago. Amazing!

I just tried out the whole combo this weekend in my backyard. I was flipping side-armed 40 foot casts within 1 ft. of where I wanted the bait to go (actually, about 3 ft on a bad cast and dead center on a good one). I was pitching the (hookless) bait right under the nose of my dog, to the cat in the bushes, in front of the patio chair, corner edge of the bushes, back to the cat …wow, he took the bait, back to the dog…dog is now running into the house….I have finally become my heroes on the cable TV fishing shows. Interestingly, I haven’t backlashed the reel yet. My point, technology advancement in the fishing industry in the last 15 years can make a novice baitcaster in today’s world a superstar. This prompted me to think of my experience with remote classrooms and on-line class technology.

15 years ago I substituted for a guy teaching a class at a local JC. The class was being offered to a remote location as well: students could take the class at the main campus or at the remote location. I remember remote classroom technology at the time was extremely confining. The cameras contained you to a 4ft x 4ft space. I wasn’t able to use the chalk board, overhead or walk around. However, there was a video projector of sorts that allowed you to display pages of a book, rock samples or textbook pages. I could switch back and forth between the projector and a camera facing me. I had a visual of the remote location and the ability to hear them. I could also move the camera around at the remote location to view students (that looked like faceless blobs in chairs). Movement of the camera obviously made noise based upon the reaction of the blobs whenever I chose to move the camera. I had to teach a test review section and administer an exam. The whole experience was difficult and awkward. A student would ask a question at the remote location, and I would move the camera around to see which blob made the question. Monitoring the exam at the remote location was even more difficult. Every time I scanned across the room, the blobs would look up from their exam to see what I was doing. At one point I scanned across the room and realized that a student was sitting off to the side unnoticed. He could easily been cheating with his textbook-notes out and I wouldn’t have seen anything.

What’s my point? Our introduction to on-line courses was enlightening. It made me face my prejudices concerning remote classrooms in the same way I faced issues with fishing reels. It smacked me in the face as if to say, “hey %$^&@3 (dumb-ass), technology has changed in the last 15 years and things (remote classrooms/on-line classrooms) aren’t as bad as they were then…embrace the technology…%$^&@3! I have realized that past experiences can really hold you back in the most unrecognizable and subtle way. Embrace the technology %$^&@3 and you will be able to pitch pedagogy right in front of the noses of your students from 40 ft (miles) away…side-armed!