A 1964 Ohio University alum will return to his alma mater today to share insight with future educators.
Ron Giles will speak on A Teacher in Commercial Television: Dewey Meets Zettl at noon today in 214 McCracken Hall. His presentation is the most recent installation in the College of Education's quarterly lecture series.
I'm not a practitioner; I haven't been for 40 years
said Giles, who said he was initially confused by the invitation to speak.
The school's choice was deliberate, however.
His degree from the College of Education provided him with a firm foundation preparing him to lead in ways that uniquely qualify him as a role model for talented responsible
ethical educators
said Renee Middleton, dean of the College of Education.
After teaching for three years in the '60s, Giles entered the television industry. He served as executive producer of WBZ-TV in Boston and vice president of broadcasting for Warner Communications' first cable system in an urban setting, he said. He helped launch the QVC shopping channel and now serves as a consultant for those creating similar television operations. He recently authored two books and is working on a third.
I picked up seven regional Emmys for television production
he said. I also ended up doing a couple of favors for the state of Kentucky and ended up a Kentucky Colonel.
He hopes his presentation will demonstrate the variety of directions an education degree can take.
I have often thought that in television a lot of what I did was instructional
he said. A lot of what I did in the classroom for the three years actually played out in television.
Middleton said she believes all students would benefit from Giles's presentation.
I hope that students from across campus will attend his lecture
listen and learn from his breadth of experience
she said.
Junior Ashley Showen, who is studying public relations and interning in the College of Education, will be attending the event. She hopes the students who attend the lecture will walk away with a renewed understanding of their varied options.
I think it'll be an eye-opening experience for a lot of them to see that they will be qualified to do great things
and I think a lot of them will be inspired to follow their dreams
she said.
The title of his presentation - which touches on the transformation in his career - references John Dewey, a well-known philosopher and educator, and Herb Zettl, whose television handbook has been used extensively in college classrooms for years, Giles said.
