This is our fifth Guest Post related to the impact of school and university closings that are catapulting schools into distance teaching on the fly!
It’s our second post from Martin. (Thanks, Martin!)
We’ll have the original post later on. Open Thread. Carry on!
Martin
A few updates:
Zoom is now free for all schools and colleges. That was announced the other day, so check with your campus if that’s now an option. That was a solid move by them.
I didn’t mention Google Classrooms because I don’t have more than cursory experience with it and I don’t know any universities that use it. My K-12 district uses Canvas for 9-12 and Google Classrooms for K-8. It’s not as comprehensive as Canvas, Blackboard, etc. but for creating and collecting assignments and maintaining a gradebook, I’ve heard very good things about it. So if that’s an option by all means check it out. Google tends to be very good at designing these things to be easy to use. I’m almost 100% a Google Drive/Docs user, with some Excel for data too big for Sheets to handle. Overall, I find their stuff to be excellent.
schrodingers_cat
That is a very weird looking dog.
Flanders' Other Neighbor
Alton Brown teaches hand-washing 101.
https://youtu.be/rnI0PHIFEMA
Dorothy A. Winsor
My writer group is going to try a zoom meeting on Wednesday night. We’ll see how it goes. I’ll be sad if we can’t arrange something.
mrmoshpotato
@schrodingers_cat: LOL
Mary G
God, this press conference is a train wreck. “One month ago, nobody thought about this,” what the actual fuck.
JaySinWA
The Washington state governor Inslee’s Q&A was an audio disaster, with feedback and echos when they unmuted the press. It would be helpful for a future session on how to manage Q&A with novice users.
Dadadadadadada
As of last night, both my kids (aged 4 and 6) are out of school indefinitely. My wife has been furloughed from work for most of a week, so she’s home with them and trying to put some kind of home-school regimen together. One school has already done Zoom meetings, and the other is set to follow in a few days.
And now, lucky me, I’ve gotten furloughed too (the 15-20-person staff I work on is going skeleton crew, so only 2 of us will be working on any given day), so I get to worry about all this too.
Martin
@JaySinWA: Am I the only one who watches these things and has eyes on the ASL guy. I love the ASL translators.
Tulip
Sort of on topic (sort of) Bay Area just declared a shelter in place for the next 3 weeks for 6 counties. 6.7 million people will be affected including me. Trying to figure out what we are going to pay people, what is essential in terms of accounting etc. This is cray… reeling trying to figure out how to clear my desk. Thank goodness I will have remote access.
Martin
@Tulip: UC Berkeley had a good plan to keep lab instruction in place that I helped design. That just went out the fucking window.
Oh well. Bigger problems to solve. We probably didn’t really need those labs experiments anyway.
rikyrah
The Dow is down 3000!!!!
Mary G
@rikyrah: Twitler says the stock market will take care of itself. WASF.
Tulip
@Martin: well hopefully everything will get back to normal in 3 weeks!?! I’ve been following this from an HR perspective, we’ve been planning for something like this at work, but wow. This came fast. Wonder if other counties will start to follow.
Litlebritdifrnt
Can someone please explain to me how a Payroll Tax Cut is going to help
a) Staff in restaurants etc., that have been closed down due to the virus.
b) Parents who have to take time off from work because their kids schools have been closed.
It seems to me to be just a stealth way to defund SS and Medicaid.
JaySinWA
@Martin: I had to turn the sound off.
The closed captioning was distracting from the ASL guy, but I thought I caught a jerk off sign out of the corner of my eye. He was pretty expressive / impressive when I watched though.
Martin
@Mary G: It would if he’d shut the fuck up.
But, we kind of need an economic hibernation. Close the markets, put all loan repayments and rent collection on hold for everyone. Put a national moratorium on evictions and repos. Have the fed backstop the banks on the lack of loan payments rather than add liquidity, which nobody needs.
That will keep most people economically stable. Then when this is over, unpause, and extend the term of the loans to make up for the pause.
Because if the national economy stops but the finance guys keep going, they’ll do more damage than the virus does.
WaterGirl
@Tulip: I am not Martin, but things will not be back to normal in 3 weeks.
zhena gogolia
Thanks, Martin. It’s hard to focus on anything right now. I look forward to being in a state where I can absorb it.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@WaterGirl: even trump just said we’re looking at this going on till July or August
WaterGirl
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Wow. Somebody got a dose or reality. I wonder who/what got through to him?
It makes me wonder if he tested positive.
Immanentize
@Martin: BANK HOLIDAY!
Call George Bailey…
JaySinWA
@WaterGirl: I don’t think she was talking about normal, just the shelter in place order. That will be difficult to sustain.
Martin
@zhena gogolia: That’s okay. I think we’re all learning how life can overtake plans.
I’m guessing that in a few weeks we can start to back off on some of these plans, at least in certain parts of the country. We may still be distance learning for a while, but we’ll be out of the ‘everything is getting worse every hour’ state of things. We can repost this stuff when people are ready to re-absorb it.
A number of my faculty were relying on using their offices and such for streaming lectures and they’re now under orders to stay at home because they’re over 65. We haven’t even started to sort that out.
The Dangerman
@JaySinWA:
LOL. I know it would be their last time, but, hell, go out in a blaze of editorializing glory. Or as SNL says wrt to Eric, it’s “roll the dice”.
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
WaterGirl
@JaySinWA: I didn’t catch that, but I stand by my original response.
I think we’ll be going out for groceries, but not much else, for a long time, if we don’t want people needlessly dying because there aren’t enough doctors/hospitals/respirators for people who need them.
eachother
Highly obvious by virus and consequences, we are all connected in invisible and indivisible ways. As it ever was.
Our representatives in Washington had the chance to rid us of the president. They didn’t though the laws broken were high crimes and misdemeanors. Now he’s nuts and can be removed for that.
People are dying and he’s no leader.
Immanentize
@WaterGirl: I don’t think he got tested at all. He couldn’t describe the test in the presser. “It was, not pleasant, You know a medical test so not very nice.”
From memory, but no detail.
It’s a friggin throat swab like for strep.
Brachiator
Actor Idris Elba has confirmed that he has tested positive for the corona virus.
Making big headlines in the UK and making a splash over here as well
Angry Black Lady sent Twitter message: If Idris Elba has the rona, none of us are safe.
WaterGirl
@Martin: I just changed this to an Open Thread and we’ll just repost the original thread when the world isn’t exploding.
Mary G
@zhena gogolia: I saw on the earlier thread that you were thinking of quitting Balloon Juice, and just wanted to add my voice to those who hope you don’t, if you will be OK with that. You’re someone I value very much.
I miss raven/RAVEN and Kay, too, among others.
WaterGirl
@Immanentize: Head/desk. I am amazed that he can even complete sentences at all at this point. It seems to me that he is barely functional, completely disconnected from reality, probably has a voice in his ear telling him what to say.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Immanentize: I thought it was a nasal test? I had one of those a few years back for, IIRC, MRSA, before rotator cuff surgery. It was worse than the surgery
ETA: yes, I am a big baby
WaterGirl
@eachother: History will not be kind to every f-ing republican who voted not guilty.
catclub
of course, you cushion the blow by only bringing this up after everything gets cancelled for two weeks.
…. oh, by the way, not two weeks but 5, (or really, we still have no idea how long)
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Mary G: hear hear
Brachiator
@Litlebritdifrnt:
By itself and if the funds are not restored, it’s a bad deal
But you have to do something to help small businesses and individuals.
The entire economy is taking a hit.
Just heard that movie theaters can’t seat more than 50 people in a screening. That hurts a lot of people. And leaves a lot of unpopped popcorn.
Immanentize
@JaySinWA: I am sure there are tons of exceptions…. When the Marathon Bombing happened, people were ordered to “voluntarily” shelter in place for a few days. People did it, but then again a massive hunt including shoot outs were happening.
Is the San Fran order mandatory? Marshall law — you will be arrested or shot if we catch you out? Or “voluntary?”
WaterGirl
@catclub: Bill Penzey (Penzey’s Spices) put out the most honest thing I have seen so far.
It will still be longer than even that, but at least “virtually everything shuts down for a month or two” is a lot more honest and realistic than 2 weeks.
Elizabelle
@Brachiator: Saw that about Idris, and my first thought was of lamh36, who is going to be none too pleased about that news.
Assuming she gets to come up for air and even learn about it.
Immanentize
@Mary G: me too.
mali muso
Welp, one day into “working” from home remotely while trying to occupy a three year old and keep her from becoming a TV watching zombie. Oh and just to make life more stressful, hubby is in Africa visiting family with a scheduled return of next week. Assuming that there are any flights to be had by then.
Some of the educational apps and video libraries are actually coming in handy as the kiddo enjoys “working” on them on my iPad next to me while I type on my MacBook. Quoth her: “you do your work, mommy, and I will do mine.” lol
WaterGirl
@Elizabelle: I saw that, too. Not Idris! Then I thought, would I take care of Idris Elba who is sick with the virus? Nope, I guess lamh wins this round. Maybe I’ll get him next time.
Elizabelle
@WaterGirl: FWIW, I love that dog. It has the proper WTF?! expression.
A lot of us probably look like that now. Less cliched than a deer in the headlights.
zhena gogolia
@Mary G:
Thank you. I love you too.
WaterGirl
@Elizabelle: I love him, too. I took him down along with the rest of the original post. This is an Open Thread now.
Never fear, the dog will be back with future distance teaching posts. I do find him captivating.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Brachiator: The problem with a payroll tax cut now, is many folk aren’t getting a paycheck, and those that do have limited places to spend it.
Mandalay
Well it took a while, but finally: White House encourages people to stay home.
Now if Trump can publicly order Limbaugh and Hannity to stop spreading dangerous lies and misinformation about the virus being no big deal, and how we should preserve our normal routine, we’ll be making some real progress.
West of the Rockies
@Mary G:
I second that, zhena. Yours is always a welcome voice.
WaterGirl
@West of the Rockies: thanks for contacting eric, by the way.
Are you feeling better?
Brachiator
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Yeah, we have multiple issues that must be addressed. You could give people $1,000 each and they would also have limited places to spend it.
WaterGirl
@Brachiator: but if they owe rent or a mortgage payment and need food or medicine, who cares where they spend it?
trollhattan
@Brachiator:
IMO it’s a feeble adjustment just prior to theaters closing completely. Effective staggered seating isn’t all that easy to arrange.
We went to a play Thursday, after a retirement party. The play was the final performance in that theater until further notice. I met (briefly) the state supreme court chief justice at the retirement party. She better not have given me the virus, or there will be words!
And our final public act until who knows when, was the HS soccer end-of-season party with kids now out of school until…?
This has been a year with a ton of last-ofs.
artem1s
I’m scheduled to work the polls tomorrow in Ohio. We were supposed to have a meeting tonight at our polling stations to prep. Just got a call that the prep meeting tonight is canceled. They are calling later about whether we should still show up tomorrow to work. Ohio is trying to figure this out on the fly. They extended the deadline to request mail-in ballots already. I kind of hoping they postpone, continue early voting at the central county offices where it’s pretty easy to distance, and/or go 100% mail-in.
So much for the Berner’s plans to disenfranchise Biden voters.
WaterGirl
@artem1s:
What does that mean?
noname
Deleted.
Sister Golden Bear
This is a BFD….
Still wrapping my mind around it. For me the biggest difficult is that I’m required to show up at work on the 31st to sign the layoff severance package (which for someone has to be signed that day). Given I was counting on that income, this a real problem.
ETA: Saw others beat me to it.
Gvg
My nephew in 5th grades first day of virtual school bombed. Teacher tried to use apples FaceTime and many of the kids got not available or were dropped while In class. Tomorrow they try GoTo. It’s a learning experience for the lucky teachers (sarcasm). I am sure it might have worked better if the county hadn’t delayed closing till the state told them too. It was announced just after the students left school Friday.
Here, they are starting with a two week closure and the public schools are treating it as an extended spring break, no classes. That will change, but it buys them some time I guess. The private school isn’t bothering to pretend and I guess this week will be trial and error.
Marcopolo
This is about a 2 minute clip of an aerial view of northern Italy today, with a focus on roads. Click though if you want to see an eerily vacant landscape:
zhena gogolia
@noname:
Thank you. We sadly decided not to take the cats right now. I was waking up at 3 AM worrying about how to feed and care for them on top of everything else. It seems the owner has found at least a temporary place for them. I was hoping we could take them when everything “settles down,” but it doesn’t look as if that’s going to be any time soon.
zhena gogolia
@West of the Rockies:
Thanks.
Sister Golden Bear
@Immanentize: Per the Chronicle, “it wasn’t immediately clear how, or to what degree, it would be enforced. The order calls for the sheriff or chief of police to “ensure compliance.””
WaterGirl
@Sister Golden Bear: Do you have someone you can contact by phone or email?
Renie
@Sister Golden Bear: Ask if you can do ‘docusign’ for the documents.
Ruckus
@Flanders’ Other Neighbor:
Good stuff!
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: I’m sorry, that’s sad. Surely smart, but still a loss, I imagine.
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl:
It’s unutterably depressing.
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: I know. On the positive side, the new kitty would surely have picked up on the uncertainty and anxiety, and that wouldn’t be helpful in settling in. Was it two kitties?
Ruckus
@Mary G:
It will take care of itself.
It won’t be good for anyone with real money or invested in the stock market but it will take care of itself.
Said care may exist of jumping out of tall buildings or jumping in front of a bus but they will manage. And the reality is that other than bank failure and our current governments inability to do anything anywhere near correctly most of us will be OK. Right up until the moment the depression hits. So really all is well…….
Sister Golden Bear
@WaterGirl: @Renie: I’d actually emailed my HR rep this morning about what to do if the office was closed, or if I got sick and couldn’t leave the house. Haven’t heard back (and I don’t know if she was also one of the people who getting laid off — half the office is getting laid off or having their jobs moved out of state).
Docusign would be the logical alternative, but I don’t know if they’ve thought that far ahead.
Ruckus
@Litlebritdifrnt:
Bingo, you win the prize today.
It is a useless response because in the end it will make things a lot worse for a lot of people and only short term possible help for a relative few.
rivers
My meditation group is also going to try a Zoom meeting.
Brachiator
@trollhattan:
IMO it’s a feeble adjustment just prior to theaters closing completely. Effective staggered seating isn’t all that easy to arrange.
For movie theaters with electronic seat selection, which a lot of multiplexes have, I think you could handle audiences fairly efficiently and spread them around, even allowing for more than 50.
But I think yeah, the theaters will end up being closed down.
FelonyGovt
@Sister Golden Bear: Docusign or even just adding your signature to a pdf form? Shouldn’t be that hard but if you’re not getting any answers it’s a worry.
Ruckus
@Marcopolo:
Italy has fucking shut down. I watched about half and saw 3 vans driving and staying away from each other.
Ohio Mom
Hearing rumors that Ohio is considering postponing tomorrow’s primary. Talk about last minute — this is chaos in the making.
There are some important local contests and a critical bus levy on the ballot I am eager to vote for. I generally like the short walk to the poll and seeing neighbors there, so I didn’t consider a mail-in ballot. Oops
Ruckus
@zhena gogolia:
Sorry about the cats.
Please stay. We need your voice.
We all get a bit testy at times but we are for the most part a big extended family. And my family is all gone so this and a couple of friends and work is all I have. And tomorrow I’m having the talk with the boss about that. I don’t want to stop even for a short time but reality wears an ugly hat and it’s about as real as it gets right now. I’ve been in a major natural disaster – a major earthquake, and that was no fun at all. This is far, far worse.
Feathers
@Sister Golden Bear: How and where do they have to be submitted? Those are the people to let you know what is required. Back in my admin life, I sometimes resorted to submitting the pdf and mailing a hard copy of the signature pages. You need what will satisfy the people saying it has been submitted.
ETA everybody is working out how to work from home. Give everybody else until the end of the week to get back to you.
Brachiator
@WaterGirl:
Again, we have multiple issues. In some cases where stores are closed and you cannot leave the house, you cannot spend the money you have
Issues of paying rent or mortgages add a whole new layer that needs to be addressed
zhena gogolia
@Ruckus:
I hope you can find a way to stay safe. I love you.
sdhays
@WaterGirl: I think this is related to Dump’s new attitude: Trump’s Mar-a-Lago getting a deep clean after confirmed coronavirus cases.
Capri
So I just came from a meeting at my work where my department discussed how to change how we do business due to the corona virus threat. We have students and work with the public, so we’re talking real risk. We can only go in with crappy half measures because the head of our entire school wants to keep doing “business as usual.”
I can’t even….
WaterGirl
@sdhays: Of course! It’s always money or status related for Trump.
WaterGirl
@Capri: I hope you live in a blue state or somewhere with a sane governor or official who will set a standard that is reasonable. What you described is horrible.
Nora Lenderbee
@Immanentize: According to the SF Chron:
A later article says:
Geminid
This epidemic will bring real economic hardship to many people. I remember how the 2008 crash deflected my economic situation down for several lean years, and I know that many others were hurt worse than me. This will be worse in the short term. I sure hope its not worse in the long term, but we may not know till this time next year. One potential benefit though, is that a lot of Americans will get to slow down for a few weeks. I think that we are somewhat stress addicted as a society, and doing without “the everyday running around” may help some of us see better what makes life worthwhile.
Capri
@WaterGirl: Unfortunately no. Ruby red state. When this is all over it will be fascinating to compare red vs. blue state outcomes.
Feathers
@Capri: My fear is that the red vs blue state outcomes will be seen as proof that this was an evil liberal scheme to wipe out Republicans.
The only way to stop this is if something or someone ends the Fox News propaganda machine.
WaterGirl
@Capri: Sigh. There may not have been red states and blue states when Obama gave his famous speech, but there are now, and it’s about to get worse.
I’m sorry, I hope your boss comes to his senses soon.