The full video for this interview is available; please check it out.
In this episode, Peter Dalmaris (that’s me!) talks with Richard Park.
Richard has been teaching full-time for twenty years. He teaches college-level Network Engineering and is creating an “IoT Explorations” course for the coming school year.
Richard also taught Secondary Technology Education concurrently for eleven years. In these venues, the topics included coding, operating systems, electronics, multimedia, and networking.
Before his full-time teaching career, Richard was a Cisco Systems Network Academy Area Manager, Apple Computer Systems Engineer, Texas Instruments Technical Instructor, and an IBM Mainframe Systems Field Engineer.
At Apple Computer, he designed and implemented the technology infrastructure for the Apple Market Center, a predecessor to today’s Apple Stores, and co-authored the “Apple ][ Primer”, Apple’s first classroom teacher training manual.
Richard holds AAS, BS, and MS degrees in Electronics Technology, Radio and Television Journalism, and Education from Southern Illinois University and Texas A&M University.
In my conversation with Richard, we touched on a wide array of topics, drawing mostly from his vast experience. He worked at Apple Computer for 20 years, at a time when networks were open and unencrypted, and witnessed firsthand Apple’s foray into education. He also wrote the Apple ][ Primer, one of the first programming guides for teachers. This discussion reminded me of my first computer, an Apple //e with 128KBytes of RAM.
Richard was one of the first users of Visicalc, one of the first visual spreadsheet programs for Apple ][ and defined much of how modern spreadsheets work. This knowledge was beneficial when he worked at Texas Instruments and revolutionized job costing.
We discussed Richard’s work at the CISCO Academy, where he teaches Network Engineering, and the course he is developing on IoT Fundamentals. In this course, Richard is designing, and he combines a Raspberry Pi and Arduino to teach IoT concepts by gradually building an IoT application.
We also examined Richard’s adaptation of the Raspberry Pi Full Stack application, which is one of my favorite moments of the conversation.
We talked about Radio Shack, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Mr. Wizard, breadboarding, and so much more.
I am sure you will enjoy this conversation.
This is Tech Explorations Podcast episode 5.
Welcome to Tech Explorations Podcast episode 5.
In this episode, Peter Dalmaris (that's me) talks with Richard Park. Richard has been teaching full-time for 20 years. He currently teaches college-level network engineering and is creating an IoT exploration course for the upcoming school year. Richard also taught secondary technology education concurrently for 11 years. In his courses, he covers topics such as coding, operating systems, electronics, multimedia, and networking.
Prior to his full-time teaching career, Richard was a Cisco Systems Network Academy Area Manager, an Apple Computer Systems Engineer, a Texas Instruments Technical Instructor, and an IBM Mainframe Systems Field Engineer. At Apple, he designed and implemented the technology infrastructure for Apple's Market Center, a predecessor to today's Apple Stores, and co-authored the Apple II Primer, Apple's first classroom teacher training manual.
Richard holds AAS, BS, and MS degrees in electronic technology, radio and television journalism, and education from Southern Illinois University and Texas A&M University.
In this conversation, we touched on a wide array of topics, drawing from Richard's vast experience. He worked at Apple during a time when networks were open and unencrypted, witnessing firsthand Apple's entry into education. Richard was also one of the first users of VisiCalc, one of the earliest visual spreadsheet programs, and helped define much of how modern spreadsheets work. This knowledge became incredibly useful when he worked at Texas Instruments, revolutionizing job costing.
We also discussed Richard's work at the Cisco Academy, where he teaches network engineering, and his current project developing a course on IoT fundamentals using Raspberry Pi and Arduino to build IoT applications. One of the highlights of the conversation was Richard's adaptation of the Raspberry Pi full stack application.
We covered a lot, including Radio Shack, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Mr. Wizard, breadboarding, and more. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this conversation. This is Tech Explorations Podcast episode 5.
Peter: Richard, it's a pleasure to finally have you on the podcast. We've been corresponding for a while now.
Richard: Two years.
Peter: But we've never had the opportunity to talk. So, it's a real pleasure to have you here. How are you today?
Richard: I’m very fine, thank you. Happy to be here.
Peter: Awesome! I understand you are in Texas in the US, and it's late Wednesday around 11 o'clock at your end, right?
Richard: Yes, it’s June 5th here, and this is the time when I get everything done because nothing disturbs me. It’s quiet and a great time for thinking.
Peter: Definitely the best thinking time. Would you like to take a few minutes to introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background?
Richard: Sure. For the past three years, I’ve been teaching full-time at Richland College in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Our specialty is computer information technology, and we teach a wide range of subjects, including electronics technology, network engineering, digital forensics, cybersecurity, and basic operating systems. In two years, students can come in with zero knowledge and leave with an associate degree, ready for a job.
I’ve been teaching part-time for almost 20 years at the college, but before that, I was in public education, teaching technology at the primary and high school levels. I taught electronics, programming, and robotics. For example, we had a champion robotics team in middle school, and our students were competing at the state level.
Before I became a teacher, I worked for Cisco Systems as a Network Academy Area Manager, and I spent nearly 20 years at Apple Computer, primarily in education.
Peter: Wow, that’s quite an impressive career! How did you transition into teaching?
Richard: After the dot-com boom in 2000, I was made redundant at Cisco Systems along with 25% of the workforce. Around that time, I had just completed my instructor training for the Cisco Academy. So, when I was laid off on a Monday, I found a college teaching job a week later. I didn’t have to travel anymore, which was great!
Peter: You’ve seen so much change over the years. One of the things I wanted to discuss is your work with the Apple II and your experience writing the Apple II Primer. Can you tell us more about that?
Richard: Yes! Back in the day, I worked on Apple’s first public education project. The Apple II Primer was a classroom guide to teach teachers how to use computers in the classroom. It covered everything from formatting disks to basic programming in AppleSoft BASIC. It really helped establish Apple in education.
Peter: That’s fascinating. I have to mention, my first computer was an Apple IIe! I still have it, and it still works.
Richard: That’s amazing! I’ve heard so many similar stories. The Apple IIe was an open system, and people weren’t afraid to experiment with it, just like today’s Raspberry Pi.
Peter: Speaking of Raspberry Pi, I know you’ve been using it in your teaching. Can you share some of the projects you’ve worked on, both personal and for your students?
Richard: Sure! I primarily teach network engineering, but I’m also developing an IoT course that uses Raspberry Pi and Arduino to introduce students to IoT concepts. One of the projects involves using the Raspberry Pi to collect temperature data from a sensor and store it in an SQLite database. I combine lessons from tech explorations with the Cisco Academy curriculum to create hands-on, project-based learning experiences.
Peter: That sounds fantastic. You’ve been adapting the Raspberry Pi full stack application, right?
Richard: Yes, I’ve modified the Raspberry Pi full stack project to incorporate simpler components, like the TMP36 temperature sensor. I wanted to create a version that’s easier to explain and build, especially for students who are just starting out.
Peter: I love that approach—starting simple and building up from there. How do you teach these complex topics to students who are new to this?
Richard: I take it one step at a time. We start with the basics, like connecting a sensor to an Arduino, and gradually add more complexity. My goal is to help students understand how everything works and build confidence. I also encourage them to make mistakes and learn from them.
Peter: That’s a great way to learn. I want to ask you about your own projects as a maker. What’s next for you?
Richard: I’d love to build a drone from scratch! I’ve had drones before, but I’m interested in understanding how all the components work together. It’s a fun project that gets you outdoors, too.
Peter: That sounds like a lot of fun. Do you have any advice for aspiring makers and educators?
Richard: My advice is simple: be curious. You don’t have to know everything to get started. Start with small projects, experiment, and let your curiosity drive you.
Peter: Fantastic advice, Richard. Thank you so much for sharing your story. It’s been a pleasure talking to you.
Richard: Thank you, Peter. It’s been great!
This concludes episode 5 of the Tech Explorations Podcast. You can find links to resources and more information about Richard on our website, techexplorations.com. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and we’ll see you next time!