In the midst of the chaos at Binghamton University surrounding Coronavirus, all of our classes have been abruptly interrupted and have been forced to move completely online. Because this class is almost solely discussion based, this change threw quite a large wrench in our process of determining who we are going to donate to. Although what we are facing is unprecedented, it is very important that as a class, we remain focused on the task at hand. Without meeting in person and engaging in meaningful conversation about these organizations, it will be very easy to fall into a pit of complacency, where joining Zoom calls or having to rely on messaging each other online feels like more of a chore than it does discussion. I am not innocent of this ideology either, I have found that I struggled to find motivation to put my full effort into determining the best fit for our donation, if we aren't able to see these organizations first hand, then how do we know who we're really donating to? I feel like it will be much harder for us as a class to come to a clear consensus regarding where our money will be put to the best use, to put it in layman’s terms, the best bang for our buck.
I actually wrote that first paragraph above the night before we did our first Zoom call as a whole class, and obviously based on what I wrote, I had very low expectations for how effective our online class would be in actually participating in engaging conversation. I was under the impression that that amount of people in one call meant for discussion was going to be a train wreck of technical difficulties and people accidentally talking over one another. I am very pleased to say that I was very much proven wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time. Everything went very smoothly with our virtual site visit and I believed we definitely gained very valuable information about RISE that we previously wouldn't have been able to if we hadn't been able to meet. I especially liked that everyone who had a question for Nicole had an opportunity to speak up and ask and that it wasn't just questions and conversation dominated by those who presented on it, that is very important because having 28 other brains involved in the conversation is much more useful than just our group of 6. I especially liked being split up into random groups at the very end to extend the conversation with one another, this minimizes the chances that someone doesn't get a chance to speak what's on their mind and makes the conversation much more personal, closely replicating what we previously did at our table in class.
This change to online college is new to all of us, and it will most definitely take some time to get used to, especially if we are just quarantined in our houses with our parents and siblings if you're lucky to have any still in the house. My main focus during this adjustment period is to have a schedule and stick to it. This schedule goes outside of just being a successful online student, but it also helps maintain sanity while being cooped up at your house all day, time management and scheduling is very important, more now than ever. And as someone who has been notoriously terrible at managing my time and scheduling my days, these tips helped me a lot. I encourage you to read them if you're struggling with this transition or like me, have always had a tough time managing your time, most of the tips also provide an additional link to how you can combat lack of productivity specifically. One major tip that I suggest everyone to do is if you're struggling, don't hesitate to reach out to your professor and ask for more time or how you can better yourself as an online student because chances are, this transition is just as hard for them as it is for you.
I really enjoyed this post! I shared the same fears as you heading into this course through an online format. How can there still be effective conversation through speaking behind a screen? Since most of my other courses are lecture style courses, I love this class because of its foundation through discussion. When it was announced we were switching to an online format, it felt like an essential asset of face-to-face conversation was being taken away. But to my surprise, Zoom worked out extremely well. I even think that more people spoke through Zoom than in class. Everyone was able to ask the questions that they wanted to, and there were little interruptions. I also applaud Nicole for being flexible and still speaking with us despite being with us. This really changed my view about the online format and how we are not alone in all these changes. Seeing Nicole, a working adult, struggle with similar things that us as college kids have to struggle with now comforted me in knowing that we all have to adapt. I’m excited to see what the rest of the semester will bring, and even though we don’t get to do any site visits, I do not doubt that we will still make a difference in the community.
ReplyDeleteSkylar Lai
I definitely enjoyed reading this post, as I totally agree with a lot of points that you brought up. This will be a time period in history in which we will look back on often as our lives progress. I do not think anyone expected the drastic measures that were carried out to actually happen; though, they are the right move. Our lives have all been in a blender these last couple of weeks, and as you described, an adjustment period is very much at hand as we are shifting our learning online.
ReplyDeleteI too immediately thought the worst when I was notified about this shift to zoom, and it was interesting to see how we had similar responses after the first meeting. Technical difficulties was the first thing that came to my mind, and that was quickly shut down upon attending class. I think we are in good hands with this class, as Professor Campbell ran a great first meeting that was very informative and interactive, especially for being online. Itt is important to note that we are lucky to have a professor like him who is readily available and wants to help his students. This goes a long way. If we can stay committed during this time, we will definitely be able to continue our efforts productively.
Outside of zoom, I agree that there is potential for many different distractions such as your family and their activities when you are learning at home versus at school. The tips that you provided can be a very useful tool to help with this.
I really believe that we learn from our disasters. For me, I have learned over the years from personal experiences and by studying history, that people come together during crises in overwhelming numbers. I have been extremely grateful to find my peers and professors making themselves available via Zoom. People are afraid for their health, and for the health of their loved ones. Even so, they put on a straight face and attempt to resume their routines, either for work or school, and that is impressive.
ReplyDeleteAs a result of this crisis, I am also learning a lot about the world. It appears that dolphins and other sea life have returned to Venice's canals due to the lack of people around (https://nypost.com/2020/03/19/dolphins-appear-in-italian-waterways-as-coronavirus-keeps-tourists-away/) . A lot of people have claimed this news to be untrue, and it may be false. However, the idea that animals have resumed their rightful place (ie., Venice's canals) is a fascinating one. Perhaps, when all of this is over, we might look at the world differently. I am hoping that human beings will examine the damage they have caused to the globe and it's animals, and make a change. In Thailand, tourists have left the streets, and monkeys have entered (https://youtu.be/22JgHBb-0dg). I have been thinking endlessly about this, wondering how animals must feel at a time like this. It is time for change, and perhaps this is nature's way of letting us know we must do something for our earth and our animals.
Before our first zoom class I had the exact same fears as you did about how a discussion based course would work online, and if people would even be willing to participate. After the first two classes we've had I feel confident that this course will still be successful and reach its goals of picking an organization to donate to, as well as have all the students strengthen their oral presentation and writing abilities. I also find the course to be almost a highlight of my week. It's so hard being home all the time and not getting to interact with anyone besides my parents and brother, so it's really nice being able to see everyone from back at Binghamton and still being able to interact with one another, just in a different way. I think that the tips that you provided were also very helpful, I definitely need to start writing out my schedule for the day to ensure I get the things I need to get done completed. My family and I have also been trying to pick up new hobbies to do with each other. For example, my mom and I got paint supplies to paint, we've been playing board games, and looking up DIY activities. I would recommend doing things like this to other people because it helps the days be more enjoyable. Thank you for sharing, and I hope everyone is doing well!
ReplyDeleteI shared your expectations heading in to our first Zoom class. All I could think was ‘if there’s already been trouble getting people to speak just because our class is early in the morning, there is no way this will be able to work at all if people can attend class from their beds.’
ReplyDeleteAlso like you, I was joyous to realized I was wrong. Although unexpected, I think this break from the monotony of what our classes become mid-semester was exactly what was needed to get people re-invigorated and invested in class participation once more. Although a mid-semester slump seems preferable to quarantining due to COVID-19, this is the exact time this reinvigoration needed to happen since we have a huge decision to make. It would be doing a disservice to our finalist organizations, the Learning Through Giving foundation, Professor Campbell, and most importantly ourselves to not devote our attention to this stage of our class. This is not theoretical; we are going to affect lives with the decision we make on our grant(s). We are fortunate to be giving the way we are, and I think the worldwide pandemic has served to remind us of this.
It is also extremely important to be helping these organizations amid this pandemic, since it is likely some of their funding will dry up due to the situation. Federal or grant funding might specify the organizations take certain actions which have become impossible due to social distancing, or funds might be redirected to crisis management. As such, these grants might become even more important to these organizations—not to say that donating to crisis management is a less worthy endeavor (suggestions here: https://disasterphilanthropy.org/disaster/2019-ncov-coronavirus/).
Although this time is scary, our class is actually benefiting from the experience—perhaps more so than we would have if we continued as expected. Despite all of the issues, I for one am looking forward to seeing how this virus affects the decisions we make (I suppose it is the psychology major in me) and the process in which we make them.
Sabrina Reba
This was a great read! I definitely shared in your worries about levels of motivation with moving to online classes, and how that might negatively impact our decision-making process. I was really happy to see that the move to online only changed where we had our discussions, not how. Everyone put just as much time and care into researching and discussing each organization as we did when we were in class. Our last few discussions were some of the most intense and engaging of the entire semester. I definitely can relate to how important is is to set a schedule and stick to it in order to keep motivation and sanity levels high during these times, as I too have definitely not been the expert on time management. It's weird, I almost find myself being better at managing my time during this quarantine. I like how you mentioned that students should not be afraid to reach out to their professors if they find themselves struggling. I myself have done this with several of my professors, Dr. Campbell included, and have found they were both highly receptive to helping out, and as you said are in the same boat of adjustment.
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