Day 219, October 21, 2020
Fall
Today's soundtrack: Oscar Peterson, Count Basie, and Joe Pass, 1980
The fall colors have shifted decidedly towards yellows and orange, with most of the reds having already fallen away or faded. It is such a vibrant time of the year, and on warmer days like today, the world is full of earthy smells, at least for the brief moment I was able to visit outside with Franklin. Driving throughout Western Massachusetts at this time of the year, one feels compelled look off into the horizon at the rolling hills, pause to look off over bridges to see the riverbanks nestled between the branches.
I had been listening to Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. It might strike you as strange to choose to read a post-pandemic dystopia in the midst of our own pandemic, but in certain ways it was comforting. In Station Eleven Shakespeare and symphonies survive the apocalypse, as do newspapers, love, dogs, cats, and a few other things. It is wondrous to imagine a world of danger and risk, but where the value of story and music are retained and treasured and protected.
In our world, the narrative of Station Eleven is compelling. I listened as I drove to work, while cooking dinner, while fixing an amplifier. I found myself driving slower so I could stay a little longer in the world of Station Eleven. It is one of those narratives where all the loose pieces fit together like a slowly assembled jigsaw puzzle, and in fact, one of the characters repeats, everything happens for a reason. It is like the old cliche that in a story, if there is a loaded gun, it must go off by the end of the novel. In that sense, in addition to being a dystopia, there is an aspect of magical realism. Perhaps that is what I found so attractive, that perhaps in our own world there could be a kind of magical realism, that in this strange dystopia we are living in, that there are connections being made that we are not fully aware of yet. That some of the things we are reading, treasuring, remembering, will emerge again as important, crucial, and life giving.
And there is hope in Station Eleven, that despite a far more dire situation than the one we find ourselves in, that people survive and find a reason to keep walking, to keep living, to seek more than just surviving. Yesterday, I shared some of the beautiful things that some of my colleagues shared with me, and today in a meeting I asked a few of them to read some of them out loud. It surprised me how moved I felt. People read about family reunions, travels to different places on vacation, seeing grandchildren, their own kids learning to swim. It was like opening a time capsule from a different time and you could almost smell the summer grill going, the swimming pool chlorine, the laughter of small children. It is not like I have forgotten those things, but it seems like I haven't allowed myself to really think deeply about those things, to imagine my family and friends, my colleagues engaged in the activities of life, community, and family.
It is a strange fall. Usually, fall is brought into being through one's excursions into it. It is the time to don a light sweater, that thrift store leather coat, the hikes with a sweatshirt tied around your waist. So, it is strange to spend an entire day within one's house. It is almost as if fall doesn't yet exist... and only comes into being when you turn around and spend a moment looking out the window, or take the dog out for a quick walk around the yard. I need to remember to be more observant, to relish the moment I am outside and the Canadian geese fly overhead. Even in a pandemic, it is a beautiful world out there, and it isn't so distant to remember when we used to go to concerts together, eat in restaurants, and gather with all the relatives to watch football on the television and eat wonderful food.
It is good to remember these things.
Take care and be well,
Leo
From Our Friends:
From the FCCDC:
|
|
From Inside Higher Ed:
From ACE Engage:
From Musica Franklin:
We collaborated on two video projects with Twice As Smart, an academic support program run by lead teacher Gloria Matlock.
A Children's Fashion Show and Re-imagining highlights some of the students' summer fun.
When We Can Breathe Again... features students and families talking about the impact of the pandemic on their lives. Check out the trailer of this powerful project and go to our YouTube channel to watch the full 30-minute video.
From the Cultural Research Network:
Join us for a Virtual Study Group on "Decolonizing Evaluation: An in-depth look into equitable evaluation work with First Nations communities."
Wed 28 October 2020, 9am AEST: Sydney
Tues 27 October 2020, 6pm EDT: Toronto / New York
Registration Link: http://culturalresearchnetwork.org/october-27-28-virtual-study-group-decolonizing-evaluation-an-in-depth-look-into-equitable-evaluation-work-with-first-nations-communities/
From the It Gets Better Project:
“Out in Front: Queer Youth Changing the World” is the new It Gets Better Project docuseries that offers a look into the lives of five LGBTQ+ activists who are using their voices to champion a better tomorrow. The first two episodes of the series are available now on YouTube.
From Inside Higher Ed's The Key Podcast:
Ep. 25 Anxiety and Isolation Among College Students
A growing body of research has shown that anxiety and mental health issues have become primary concerns for college students. To get a leadership perspective on this challenge, we spoke with Elfred Anthony Pinkard, the president of Wilberforce University, who talked about how his students have been coping with the nation's racial reckoning as well as the pandemic. We also spoke with Dr. Alan Dennington, the chief medical officer at TimelyMD, a telehealth provider focused on college students, who described a spike in demand for mental health counseling among students, and what appears to be driving it.
From the REBLS Network:
Massachusetts STEM Week
Massachusetts STEM Week 2020 takes place from October 19 – 23 (inclusive of the weekend before and after), and is organized by the Executive Office of Education and the STEM Advisory Council in partnership with the state’s 9 Regional STEM Networks. It is a statewide effort to boost the interest, awareness, and ability for all learners to envision themselves in STEM education and employment opportunities, and compliment the formal instruction happening in the Commonwealth beyond STEM week. Visit https://www.massstemweek.org/ for more information.
From MassHire:
Ends 4pm Wednesday, October 28
Today's Online Teaching Tips:
From Teaching Tolerance:
Anti-racist Action for White Educators
Too often, educators of color are burdened with leading and supporting anti-racist work in schools and districts—perhaps even more so during COVID-19 and this year’s widespread calls for such work. These resources can help white educators and administrators take action now, carry their fair share of this work and ensure they’re in it for the long haul.
From EducationAdminWebAdvisor:
|
From the Online Learning Consortium:
OLC Fall 2020 Three-Part Webinar Series:
Leading the eLearning Transformation of Higher Ed
REGISTER NOW
Please note: You will need to register individually for each webinar you are interested in attending by visiting our Webinars page.
Comments
Post a Comment