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Hip Pocket Planning for Teachers #COVID2019
FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS I've been using video conferencing facilities (such as the one above), first with my laptop and now with my Samsung Note 9. I think some of the hard-learned skills could be put to good use if we have to close our campus to stave off COVID-19.
Today, I used my Zoom.us meeting room as the first mention of a major assessment concerning a module about Content Management Systems. I had my Powerpoint deck on my laptop, a 10 euro Bluetooth headset plugged into my ear, and Moodle.LIT.ie pointing students to the meeting details. I saved the cloud recording from Zoom of the short briefing.
After my short briefing, I watched students dive into the tasking. They could review the Powerpoint deck by scrolling through Moodle. They could collaborate with team members using their own back channels (some prefer Messenger or WhatsApp, others like Slack or Discord).
I'm blessed by having the attention of focused third level students in the second year of their BSc Honours Degree. I know my lab briefings often take less than 10 minutes with notes detailed on both Moodle and inside O365 Class Notebooks. Nonetheless, the taskings are sophisticated representations of work that junior web developers would be expected to perform in the workplace.
I've worked with a wide variety of students while teaching them hands-on skills through immersive learning techniques. If the Corona Virus hits our campus, I think 88 students I have in four different modules will prove the viability of third level learning powered by virtual learning environments.
FOOTNOTE: It takes time to produce the sort of content best suited for flexible learning. And it often takes more time to monitor and assess the items produced by students who have no physical contact with teaching staff.
[Bernie Goldbach teaches creative media for business on the Clonmel Digital Campus for the Limerick Institute of Technology.]
Ultraviolet Knits: Twelve knitting patterns featuring UV-reactive hand-dyed wool
I’m thrilled to announce the release of my latest book, Ultraviolet Knits: Twelve knitting patterns featuring UV-reactive hand-dyed wool (Anchor and Bee, 2020). This collection features 12 original accessory knitting patterns designed with black light-reactive hand-dyed wool-based yarns. Inspiration This book...
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Preparing for Isolation: Tips & A Shopping List
I’ll be honest here. I’ve been betwixt and between about writing this shopping list. I don’t want anybody to think I’m jumping on a bandwagon because I’m not. It’s no secret that I maintain about a month’s worth of supplies in the house (okay it’s more). My supply levels are not a ‘prepper’ thing or even a ‘money saving’ thing. It’s simply that it was not too long ago that I didn’t have the buffer of a full store cupboard; when times were tough financially and I had to seriously plan out every meal.
Being so open about my kitchen stores has led to a few requests from people on social media looking for an idea of where to start in case they do end up having to shut the front door to the world for at least a fortnight and go into isolation. I’m not suggesting you stockpile. Please don’t actually; please check and see what you have in your store cupboards before you go to the supermarket. Only buy what you need as otherwise you may end up with food waste and a rake of stuff that you might not need in the future.
Do be careful about calculating what you need to eat. It’s natural to want to comfort eat when you’re confined indoors, but your exercise levels will be far lower unless you have exercise equipment in the house that you’re going to use everyday.
I’ve deliberately included food here that is easy to prepare and cook just in case you do come down with the virus and aren’t feeling great. Cooking an epic slap up meal is the last thing you’re going to to want to do. If you generally eat more convenience food or would like to make your shop this way then go right ahead. I’ve not included alcohol; I figure most people have it in some form in their house if they really want it or will add it to the list.
After the (non exhaustive) shopping list below you’ll find other tips on how to survive if you’re not able to leave the house.
Fridge
- Apples (in a paper bag)
- Carrots (in a paper bag)
- Broccoli (if plastic wrapped leave it that way it’ll keep for longer)
- Peppers (in a paper bag)
- Tomatoes (yes I know they shouldn’t be stored in the fridge normally but this will preserve them for longer)
- Cheese (1 block, see also freezer)
- Butter (1 block, see also freezer)
- Yoghurt (see also freezer)
- Milk (see also freezer)
- Salad leaves (held loosely in a paper bag)
- Oranges
- Pears
- Turnip
- Parsnip
- Cabbage
- Beetroot
Freezer
- Oven chips
- Pizza
- Milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt can all be frozen to make them last longer than 2 weeks so fit them into your freezer if you can. We go through about 6L of milk a week for reference
- Meat/protein of choice – I’d suggest sausages, chicken breasts, minced beef, chops, all items that are easy to cook
- Sweetcorn
- Peas
- Greenbeans
- Sliced pans (just take out a slice or two at a time)
Store Cupboard
- Pasta
- Rice
- Noodles
- Baked Beans
- Passata
- Tomato puree
- Tinned chickpeas/blackbeans/beans of your choice
- Potatoes (keep in a cool dry place in a paper bag away from sunlight)
- Onions (store in the same manner as potatoes)
- Porridge Oats
- Wheat Biscuits
- Sugar
- Plain Flour
- Eggs (about 2 dozen but as many as you think you’ll need, store them in the fridge to make them last longer if you have to)
- Nuts
- Crisps
- Popcorn
- Dried Fruit
- Seeds
- Cocoa Powder
- Honey
- Stock Cubes
- Paprika
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cooking Oil
- Vinegar
- Chocolate
- Jellies
- Tea
- Coffee
Other essential items
- Soap
- Toilet Paper
- Petfood
- Surface cleaning spray
- Bleach
- Paracetamol/Ibruprofen (in liquid form if you need it for children)
- Dioralyte or Zero tabs for rehydrating when ill
- Washing detergent
- Toothpaste
- Shampoo/Showergel etc
Other tips
2 weeks or more is an incredibly long time to be shut off from the world. There’s a lot to think about if you want to be prepared.
- Make sure your prescriptions are up to date, filled, and that you have at least 2 weeks in stock in your house. Speak to your pharmacist if you are unsure about what you might need.
- If you pay your utilities using a pay-as-you-go meter make sure your card is topped up and that you have access to a way to add credit if you need to without leaving the house.
- It’s mad the things you don’t think about needing when it’s so convenient to nip out and grab them; do you have enough batteries/plasters/nappies/sanitary towels?
- Get a free library card (if you haven’t already) and get yourself set up with BorrowBox on your smartphone and/or tablets. You can borrow ebooks and audiobooks from the comfort of your home for free. I guarantee you will go nuts if you watch TV all day.
- Organise your friends and family to facetime/call you at intervals during the day. Think about playing games online with one another to keep in touch face-to-face (without touching faces that’s a no-no).
- Have a routine for emptying the bins out to the wheely bins then sanitising as you go out and back.
- Have a plan for deliveries coming to the door that you may have to sign for.
- If you have kids board games will come in handy along with learning a new skill, maybe origami or knitting.
This might help you/it might not. If you have any suggestions or tips to add to this blogpost please comment below so that everybody can benefit. To those who asked me for this in blogpost format I hope that this answers your questions!
The post Preparing for Isolation: Tips & A Shopping List appeared first on Caitriona Redmond.
6 Scenic Drives in Ireland
While it may seem like an eternity before your next sun holiday, why not explore the Irish landscape to satisfy the wanderlust in you! Experience our glorious heritage by visiting historical attractions and admiring our unrivalled coastal scenery. I’ve teamed...
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It's 2020 and we're fighting patriarchy. [Flickr]
Bernie Goldbach posted a photo:
My concern as a father of three daughters. Screenshot from @LEBassett in the Washington Post.
The Parenting Path Less Travelled
I’m more conscious about what I post online in the past few years. I’ve always included the boys in the conversation surrounding the blog. I have a blog and they understand that what I do is online. However, they are getting older and they are starting to make their own individual footprints in the online world so I’m trying to share what is going on without too much identifying information.
When you parent a neurotypical child your path through life is fairly predictable. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not without its twists/turns/bumps/surprises, but society and the educational system is geared towards the normal child progressing to be a normal adult. Whatever normal is.
Neurotypical. That’s a word that’s part of a brand new lexicon that I’m rapidly becoming accustomed to.
Like every other parent who has found themselves on a slightly different path than they envisioned the last while has been difficult.
My child is still the same they have always been. Nothing has changed about them. Life will be similar but better for them now that we know what their differences are. I, however, carry around worries that they will come up against so many more obstacles than their peers and that life will be even more challenging for them because they are marked differently to everybody else.
Now we have to channel our efforts in this direction and steel ourselves for a prolonged journey into the land of dealing with various state and semi-state institutions. To plead, not for what he needs, but for what he’s entitled to. There’s a big line down the middle of his needs and entitlements. At times the chasm that the line has become is taking my breath away.
Life goes on; we are resilient and will adapt. It’s time to get used to the new normal.
I’ve had this post in my drafts for quite some time. A long time as it happens. For months when I went to post on the blog it became an obstacle to posting something new. I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve when it comes to parenting. I’ve edited and posted this a million times in my mind. This is not a ‘poor me’ or a ‘poor them’ blog post. It is what it is; we are where we are.
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How to handle raising boys
Raising children is a blessing, but it’s also a huge responsibility. And whilst there is plenty of crossover in terms of handling the development of genders, there are differences too, and we’re going to look at how to handle boys....
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Auditing to improve #workflow
I'M STARTING TO WEAVE free transcription services into my daily workflow because it's an easy way to hit a personal goal of producing 1000 words a day. I'm using high quality .wav files and Otter.ai services to get content with 90% accuracy such as in the text that follows below. It came from episode 490 of the Topgold Audio Podcast.
Topgold Audio 490.It's Bernie Goldbach on the 20th of the second of 2020 talking about three audits that I need. Three audits for three things I've lost.
First, I've lost my 3-7-1000 focus that I started at the beginning of the year. Three: I want to contact three people a day. Seven: I want to do a seven minute workout with Dylan. One Thousand: I want to write 1000 words a day.
I haven't done those things regularly. It is time to kill these failures. So I'm going to go after the three people by focusing on folks that can make an impact. I want to contact a mid performer, a low performer and a high performer on my academic modules every day. That's what I'll do. Doing that will make an impact. Dylan and I were going to do seven minute workouts. Dylan is going to hold down my feet so I can do my sit-ups, he is going to count the number of push ups that I do, and that will get me back into the routine.
The Thousand Word Thing is something I really feel good about when I do it, and I got to make that happen, even if it's just a diary entry of 1000 words.I've also lost my self funding. I used to fund stuff like Google One, Patreon, and web hosting--all on the back of my current account. And I'm not doing that. I fell off the cliff. I have been distracted by moving into a new house and doing a lot of Home Repair and buying equipment. Everything from special tools and power outlets. It's time to improve my current account. I need to do course development work on our Clonmel Digital campus.
Finally, I finally I've lost my daily recap. I used to be able to look ahead by a day or two to a calendar, and then look at the stuff that happened on my handset and interact with those things. And I haven't followed that process. This bothers me. So I'm making a proper checklist and will tick off the things I need to do at night because if I push those things to the morning, things like walking the dog get in the way. So I will do it at night. I will wrap up a successful day with the checklist. Then use that tick off list to plan.
Alright, for those interested the technical side, I'm using a Zoom H6 field recorder that you can see on Instagram where my handle is Topgold. You can see some of the setup. It's a Zoom H6 with the MSH-6 mid side module on the top. I'm lining it out directly to Spreaker Studio, which means I can publish directly onto the internet with a big old microphone. In this case, I'm simultaneously recording onto an SD card which I love.
Listen to "Audit Needed E490" on Spreaker.[Bernie Goldbach is @Topgold on all good social networks. You can hear him by just asking Spotify for Topgold Audio Clips. This 500 word blog post was transcribed by Otter.ai.]
Google Nest Mini with Amazon Echo Dot. [Flickr]
Bernie Goldbach posted a photo:
Smart 8yo with Smart Speakers
I DON'T THINK our 8yo will ever learn to type because he has mastered smart speakers. Dylan (who learned some of his first phrases from Alexa) and I chatted about this during a Topgold Audio Clip that you can hear on Spotify.
We made the three minute audio clip and then let Audioburst create the transcript that follows. It was 91% accurate.
Topgold Audio Clip 489. I'm with Dylan and we're looking at two smart speakers.
What's this first speaker called Dylan? What's it called and who makes it and who makes it?
Google.
Who makes the second speaker?
Alexa. Actually, it's made by Amazon and it is an Echo Dot.
How do you use the Nest Mini?
You want something and then you say, "Ok, Google".
Listen to "Using Smart Speakers At Home E489" on Spreaker."Sorry I can't help with that yet."
"Ok, Google. Play Shut Up and Dance With Me."
"Alright. Shut up and dance by walk the Moon playing on Spotify".
Dylan knows how to talk to both Google and Alexa. He knows he has to be disciplined. Don't yell. You've got to be disciplined about not make it up as you go along. Think about what you're going to say that say clearly. Alexa would work the same way.
We discovered we can power Alexa directly from the 3.1 amp USB outlets on many of our mains wall sockets
So that's a quick demonstration of Dylan who understands spatial computing. And this was a quick Topgold Audio Clip.
You can follow what we're doing by reading InsideView.ie or subscribing to its newsfeed where you can get links, clips, and images. We have a series of images inside our Underway in Ireland Podcasting Album.
For now, that's all we have. You can see the two pieces of technology on the cover art of the podcasting episode. The Amazon Echo Dot and the Google Nest Mini.
See more of dad and son podcasting by swiping through the Underway in Ireland Podcasting Album.
[Bernie Goldbach teaches creative media for business on the Clonmel Digital Campus for the Limerick Institute of Technology. Dylan wants his own radio show.]
20200214_150840 [Flickr]
Bernie Goldbach posted a photo: