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Library

James Decker

Location:

Remote

Recorded by

Steven Zetlan

Summary:

This interview with James Decker took place via Zoom on November 19, 2020. James is a sixth grade social studies teacher based in Portland, Oregon. James has been teaching for 20+ years within the Salem Keizer Public School system. The pandemic has been a successful experiment for him and his students. He has been able to translate his project-oriented style of teaching to the online setting without much trouble, although it takes a lot of time. The only issue he has had is with Canvas, the learning management system, which he feels is clunky and hard to learn. Otherwise, he feels his students are engaged and learning, and he has been able to develop good lessons. His administration is supportive of the teachers, and the teachers are supportive of one another.

Interviewer Bio:

Steven Zetlan is a tenured faculty member of Laney College, a community college in Oakland, California, where he teaches English language skills to immigrants. He has had fun teaching his students to interview each other using the studio of the college radio station.  In addition, Steve has a personal interest in documenting and celebrating LGBT history, and preserving the memories of holocaust survivors. Originally from New York, he has lived in the Bay Area since 1987. Steven received a master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from San Francisco State University in 2002, after a career in marketing, and has an undergraduate degree in communications with a specialization in broadcasting. 

Additional Info:
Interview language(s):
English
Audio quality:
Medium

Audio Quality Scale

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Medium - There is background noise, but the narrator is audible.

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This interview is hereby made available for research purposes only. For additional uses (radio and other media, music, internet), please click here to inquire about permissions.

Part of this interview may be played in a radio broadcast or podcast.