INDIANAPOLIS, IN (April 14, 2020) – Several prominent music publishers have temporarily allowed the use of their copyrighted music for educational purposes through an agreement with the NFHS and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). These guidelines are designed to allow high school musicians to complete their year-end assessments and for classroom instruction while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The agreement will expire on June 15.
“The publishers have been gracious with their permissions to allow students the ability to complete their year-end assessments while remaining copyright compliant,” said Dr. James Weaver, director of performing arts and sports. “The NFHS has worked for many years to help schools be copyright compliant. This move by the publishers should be applauded for the assistance they are providing schools in this unprecedented time.” Continue reading →
By Harry Keller
Former ETCJ Science Editor
& President of SmartScience
I feel as though going to stores right now is tantamount to going out in the worst part of a hurricane.
Apr 12, 2020 at 4:54 PM: I did it again. It’s easy to score deliveries on Amazon Fresh. You just have to be sitting at your computer ready to go at midnight. Keep refreshing your screen until you see the time slots available. Ignore messages about stuff being removed from your cart. If you try to fix that, all of the slots may vanish before you’re done. You must have filled your cart earlier in the day with whatever you could find, realizing that many things are just unavailable and that you must await another time or find another source. It is becoming slowly easier to buy your necessities.
By Harry Keller
Former ETCJ Science Editor
& President of SmartScience
What changes will we see in society après le deluge?
Apr 10, 2020 at 12:42 PM: As we all attempt to avoid cabin fever during this very real crisis, many — maybe most — of us think of the future world we will inhabit when it is over. The virus may be with us indefinitely unless massive vaccinations can eradicate it in the same way that smallpox was destroyed. Right now, we are banned from restaurants, concerts, movie theaters, and gatherings of all sorts. We cannot come close to others. We certainly are not shaking hands. Dr. Fauci suggested that the handshake may go the way of the dodo. What changes will we see in society après le deluge? It certainly is hard to predict. Will habit or fear prevail? A second wave, if it appears, will make everyone gun-shy and increase the likelihood of permanent societal change.
On the positive side, districts, schools, and teachers have finally been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. I would rather not have had this happen by tossing them all in the deep end of the pool, but here we are. Now that their toes are wet, how many will return to the friendly waters of remote learning tools, and how many will retreat to the dry land of traditional classroom instruction? Much will depend on which remote learning tools were being used. Some are not all that great.
On the positive side, districts, schools, and teachers have finally been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
The remote-learning water may look cold, but it is great once you are used to it. Just choose the right pool and gear up first. Continue reading →
By Harry Keller
Former ETCJ Science Editor
& President of SmartScience
Face masks are required of all store visitors in California beginning tomorrow.
Apr 9, 2020 at 5:35 AM: I finally managed a second Amazon Prime order. It wasn’t easy. I woke up at 11:55 pm and waited for midnight. My shopping cart was already set up. Amazon no longer gives me an hour after the reservation to fill it up. In fact, it won’t even allow me a reservation unless I have my cart ready to go. My delivery will be on Sunday between 7 am and 9 am. I repeatedly put toilet paper in my cart only to have it removed as out of stock or as not deliverable at my location. What’s with that?
I have been thinking about those delivery services for groceries. How many people touch your delivery before you receive it? One or more people pick the items from the shelves. They may specialize with one doing frozen, one doing produce, one doing canned goods, etc. Then, someone must pack them. Someone labels and loads the bags on the truck, and the truck driver, who is exposed to all of those other people, carries them to your door. Any of those people could have coughed on your order. Do they wear face shields? I hope that are forced to wear face masks, but I cannot say. If you receive a food delivery, take great care. Wash your hands after opening the bags and again after putting away the contents.
If you receive a food delivery, take great care. Wash your hands after opening the bags and again after putting away the contents.
Fortunately, I have two surgical masks that I picked up on previous visits to my doctor’s office (UCLA Health) and nitrile gloves that I have used when creating chemistry experiments for my business. Based on previous visits, my best hope for an uncrowded visit to a partially stocked store is Gelson’s. My wife and I will walk there early next week to fill in any gaps in our supplies. Continue reading →
By Harry Keller
Former ETCJ Science Editor
& President of SmartScience
Thank them. Then, thank them again. -HK
In an earlier comment, I mentioned the grocery-store workers who are risking their lives to provide the essential materials for our daily lives — food and other consumables. I had hoped that none of these would pay the ultimate price for their efforts. When you realize that too many of the workers faced the choice of safety or a minimal income to sustain them and their families, such a cost would be doubly unfortunate. With great sadness, I read of the deaths of four such workers from COVID-19.
Grocery-store employee was never a heroic job before, but things have changed dramatically. They, like those hospital employees who are not health-care professionals, also serve. -HK
In these times, when far too many families are living from paycheck to paycheck, it is morally wrong to force such choices on them. They do not have any financial reserves to weather this crisis. This tragedy of disease makes me even more sad when I think that the dead workers probably were infected from one of the hundreds of customers who patronize these stores daily. That a careless customer could have wreaked such pain on the family of someone who was probably working extra hours to ensure that that customer could buy necessities hurts my soul. Continue reading →
By Harry Keller
Former ETCJ Science Editor
& President of SmartScience
Sure enough, at about 10 pm, I was up and peeked at the front porch to see four large brown paper bags nicely illuminated by the porch light. -HK
Apr 6, 2020 at 6:57 AM: When I scored the very last Amazon Fresh slot for Sunday (7-9 pm), it was with some trepidation that I placed an order. I had read of some unpleasant experiences during this time of trial and lots of tribulation. I also thought of those who are risking exposure to make the deliveries in order to have a modest income while unemployment soars. My wife and I are usually in bed by 9 pm but could stay up until that time to receive this important delivery. I really had no idea what to expect.
Of course, I chose an unattended delivery so that I wouldn’t have to be physically present to receive the groceries. When an email from Amazon appeared that informed me of a two-hour delay in the delivery, I was very happy that I made this selection. At my age, some amount of BPH is to be expected (darn prostate!) so that I am usually up around 10 to 10:30 pm each night on my first of 2-4 trips. I left the porch light on upon retiring and settled down to sleep worry-free. Continue reading →
By Harry Keller
Former ETCJ Science Editor
& President of SmartScience
My primary problem has to do with two older people living together alone. If one contracts the infection, the other will necessarily have it, too. -HK
Apr 3, 2020 at 12:33 PM: After days of frustration, I finally found an Amazon Fresh delivery date that I could reserve. My cart had two items removed in the meantime. I added some more only to have one of these taken away at the last moment. For those wishing to use this service, I found that that slots were available at 3 am and were still there at 6 am. I think that the midnight slot grabbers were no longer so plentiful. The good news is that I have enough stuff coming on Sunday to keep my family of two going for another week. Continue reading →
Bert Kimura (4/3/20 10:45AM HST) shared an article by Michael Potuck1 on his Facebook page. Potuck reports that, “starting today, [Skype] users don’t need to sign up for an account or download software to join cross-platform video conferences. There’s also a simpler interface that allows users to start a video call in just one click. Skype announced the changes on Twitter and on a new landing page today:
Easy video meetings with no sign ups or download. Generate your free unique link with one click, share it with participants and enjoy unlimited meetings with Skype. Full set of features at your disposal. Your meeting link does not expire and can be used anytime.
You can instantly create a free Skype meeting from any device on the new Skype page here.”
Current Skype users should look for the “Meet Now” option.
In the University of Hawaii System yesterday (March 31), we received a memo about our 2020 summer sessions: The May 26 to July 3 session will be online only; the July 6 to August 14 session may include F2F sections if we’re clear of the COVID-19 emergency measures by May 15.
A potential registration problem in the midst of this pandemic is the blanket use of the word online. When nearly every course is designated online, the lack of distinction will be confusing for students. The question foremost in the minds of many will be: “Will we have to meet online at a specific time?”
This question highlights the critical difference between sync and async1 classes. Sync classes, although online, require students to meet at specific times on specific days. This is a hardship for many with responsibilities (e.g., jobs, caring for family members), in distant locations (e.g., different time zones), or with preferred learning styles (e.g., async vs. sync) that make it difficult or impossible to participate. Continue reading →
By Harry Keller
Former ETCJ Science Editor
& President of SmartScience
The richest, most “entitled” communities have the most viral spread. -HK
There are 88 cities in Los Angeles County, California. Each city has a mayor and a city council. -Wikipedia
Apr 1, 2020 at 5:06 AM: My little town of 36,000 is one of the few in LA County with more than 100 out of 100,000 reported cases of the virus. Others include Bel Air, Beverly Crest, Brentwood, Carthay, Century City, Crestview, Hancock Park, Hollywood Hills, Melrose, Pacific Palisades, Palos Verdes Estates, and West Hollywood. You may notice a pattern here. The richest, most “entitled” communities have the most viral spread. They thought that they were immune and ignored the warnings — or else, they simply are the ones with more access to testing because of their wealth. (Or both?) Continue reading →
A memo was circulated today by Maria Bautista, our Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs1, re “Assessment During Remote Delivery of Spring 2020 Courses or Proctored Tests Alternatives and Information Sharing.” In response, Guy Kellogg posted a comment about using Turnitin. In response to Guy’s comment, I posted the following reply:
There are also DIY means to discourage plagiarism as well as ghostwriting2:
1. One is to assign unique topics — as opposed to generic. To make a topic unique, here are some possibilities:
Require the inclusion of quotes from specific or nonmainstream readings, videos, or class lectures. The more specific or atypical, the better.
Require the inclusion of quotes from classmates in online discussions or from a personal interview.
Require the inclusion of a firsthand experience or observation, i.e., a paragraph or more of personal narrative — to support the student’s thesis.
Require the application of specific critical thinking tools — e.g., logical fallacies, SMELL, Henry, or Davis Oldham’s “Evidence” (Shoreline CC) — for the purpose of analysis.
Other: _______. Once you begin thinking in terms of unconventional writing assignments that are unique to your course, many other possibilities will spring to mind.
By Lynn Zimmerman
Associate Editor
Editor, Teacher Education
As an educator who is not currently involved in classroom teaching, I have been curious about what’s going on as school-age children are staying at home. On March 21, 2020, Frank Stasio, host of The State of Things, presented a program called “Pandemic Parenting: Tips, Tricks and Advice from the Experts.” The State of Things, produced by WUNC, focuses on what’s happening in North Carolina, but many topics, like this one, are of general interest.
Frank Stasio, host of The State of Things.
Duke University psychologist and professor, Robin Gurwitch, and eighth-grade English teacher, Amy Scott, were Stasio’s guests on the show. He and the guests talked with parents and caregivers about everything from how to talk to your child about coronavirus to realistic expectations of a stay-at-home-education routine for all children, including those with special needs and (gasp) teenagers.
I’d like to hear from K-12 teachers and parents of K-12 students. What is working for you? What lessons have you learned? What do you wish you had?
Berliner Philharmoniker is giving access to their Digital Concert Hall free for a month. I’ve just redeemed a voucher. I can listen to one of the best orchestras at home.
Overview of Berliner Philharmoniker’s Digital Concert Hall
By Harry Keller
Former ETCJ Science Editor
& President of SmartScience
Are we about to enter a new world, and how brave will it be? -HK
Mar 29, 2020 at 9:30 AM: I absolutely must give a huge shout-out to the doctors, nurses, and health care workers risking their lives under sometimes impossible situations to save lives. All of the support personnel in our hospitals, from janitors to pharmacists, also deserve our thanks for entering buildings under these conditions that threaten their lives and those that they live with. It is beyond unfortunate that we did not respond more rapidly to the wake-up call from China.
Yesterday was a great day for me because I had visits from both of my children and a walk with my wife.
It began with my son calling to say he was dropping by. He said that his 14-day quarantine was over. He arrived with his wife and an Indian lunch for us all to share. We still did not approach each other too closely. It seems that you cannot take too much care these days. Continue reading →
1) Students make their own accounts (free) with AAPPL.
2) Instructors send a class code to students.
3) Students log in to AAPLE and use the class code to access the shared material.
By Harry Keller
Former ETCJ Science Editor
& President of SmartScience
My daughter also informs me that her son’s elementary school principal has the virus now. -HK
Mar 27, 2020 at 2:01 PM: My wife and I continue in good health. We are now being more careful in what we do. We have found a local restaurant that is offering home delivery of boxes of fruits and vegetables in place of meals. My daughter has had one delivery and says it looks good. We may give them a try soon. She also found a restaurant that should meet our needs when we choose not to cook. I should say when I choose not to cook because I do all of the cooking.
Our beaches, bike paths, piers, and bathrooms have been shut down now. -HK
When you receive a box, it could be contaminated with the virus. It’s not likely, but it can happen because not every infected person has symptoms. You should put the box in the sunlight if possible. Ultraviolet light is very good at destroying viruses. Open it outdoors if you can. Some apartment dwellers do not have that option. Do not bring the empty box indoors. Recycle it outside. Continue reading →
For what it’s worth, here is a description of the past week, during which nearly all in-person courses were moved online in response to COVID-19. I wrote it to Sam, the volunteer campus gardener.
In your email, Sam, you asked: “How do you conduct your online instruction?”
I would rephrase the question and ask, “How do you conduct your instruction online?”
It’s a big challenge, but I have good students. I’ve taught online before, but since none of my current students signed up for an online class, I took spring break to up my skills, thanks to the indefatigable support of professional staff and volunteer peers, and I now offer a distance education class.
The best [Zoom] view to start with is like the old Hollywood Squares TV quiz show, but with 5×4 (20) students. -GK
Here’s how it works: We use a videoconferencing app (Zoom) to all meet. The best view to start with is like the old Hollywood Squares TV quiz show, but with 5×4 (20) students. We are all in our little boxes or windows, and we can all “see” each other and talk to each other that way. The students are now on two continents, but we all meet twice a week, and I have two classes like that. Continue reading →
Some of you might be wondering if there’s a way that students don’t have to print and scan to submit their tests and assignments. In other words, is it possible to do everything electronically?
The following method might work:
Instructors make a PDF form.
Instructors convert it to a fillable PDF form.
Instructors send it to student
Students work on the fillable PDF form on their computers
Students return the fillable PDF they worked on.
You don’t need to use a printer to work on the test or assignment nor a scanner to send back the assignment. Everything is electronically done. Continue reading →
I am looking for some ideas moving forward to replace lab experiences next term. I teach in a Kinesiology program and we have a lecture component and then multiple experiential labs for different courses. I am struggling with the experiential component: How do we allow them to engage given there is specific equipment required and usually classmates to work on. –Rob Burns, Clinical Instructor, Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo.
COVID-19 Pandemic Causes Closure of Thousands of U.S. Schools
Over 3,000 Schools Signed Up for Classkick in One Weekend Alone but Couldn’t Pay —
Classkick Now Free for Coronavirus Affected Schools to Continue Children’s Education
Children Learn from Home with Teacher’s Real-Time One-on-One Private Attention & Feedback
for Superior Education
Chicago, IL, March 23, 2020 — Classkick, www.classkick.com, the leading virtual learning app that shows teachers in real-time exactly what students are thinking and learning, announced today that they are immediately offering the Classkick Pro School Membership for free for Coronavirus COVID-19 affected schools (a $1499 value). Because of the widespread U.S. school closures, in one weekend alone in March 2020, over 3,000 new schools signed up for Classkick’s remote learning app, with over 1,000 schools unable to pay immediately. With many more schools expected to close soon and children’s education at stake, Classkick is offering Classkick Pro School for free for all schools in need. To sign up, go to: https://classkick.com/coronavirus. Continue reading →
By Harry Keller
Former ETCJ Science Editor
& President of SmartScience
Mar 25, 2020 at 1:39 PM: We are in a virtual bunker now. No more outdoor excursions until Sunday. We can go into the yard here in this rental cottage that has been our home for the last ten years, but that’s it. On Sunday, we will drive to our little bit of dirt in the mountains. This is the land we bought over four years ago to build a cabin in the mountains. So far, it cost us lots of money to obtain a building permit, but we have had plenty of aerobic exercise working the land. We are in fire safety one zone and must cut the weeds and trim the trees. We are building a stone wall. We have built a trail up into the mountains. Enough of the mountains.
3-D Perspective image of the Los Angeles Basin from the Landsat satellite using NASA’s Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) for topography information. The vertical scale is exaggerated one and half times. (Wikipedia)
On our visits to stores, I was impressed by the store employees still on the job despite the dangers from the motley groups of shoppers potentially spraying virus everywhere. They may be happy to have jobs, but these are high-risk jobs. Get sick, and you are out of work for weeks. You might die if you cannot obtain suitable care. Continue reading →
Self-quarantine and social distancing didn’t stop these Berklee College of Music (Boston, Massachusetts) students from putting together a virtual group performance. Watch their performance and learn how they did it in Elizabeth Blair’s NPR story below. This is an example of how asynchronous methods could be used to share performances in college courses.
“What the World Needs Now – for Virtual Orchestra,” by Shelbie Rassler, uploaded to YouTube on 22 March 2020.
Excerpt: “Rassler had also written a vocal arrangement of the song for a cabaret event at Berklee. Now seemed like a good time to see if she could rally an entire orchestra to record the song. She shared the idea on her Facebook page, explaining to her friends how it would work: ‘…. your job is to just take a video of yourself singing (literally pick any part/the whole song/just 10 seconds/riff to the gods/up to you!!), playing your instrument along to the track, choreograph a dance to the music, anything your heart desires, and I’ll cut everything up create an arrangement from what y’all send me, and share it with you all because WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE SWEET LOVE Y’ALL LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN.'”
UBTECH Expands Early Innovator Grant Program With UKIT Advanced Robotics Kits
LOS ANGELES – Feb. 21, 2020 – UBTECH Education, a leading provider of standards-based STEM education robotics kits and curricula, announced that applications are now open for the 2020 cohort of schools in its Early Innovator grant program. With a goal to address inequities in STEM education by exposing more students to robotics and engineering, and to prepare students to thrive in the careers of tomorrow, this new grant will provide recipients with free UKIT Advanced robotics kits, early access to curriculum, an advanced programming and AI development application called uCode, as well as free ongoing virtual professional development.
Early Innovator grant applications are open to educators in North America and are due Friday, March 27, 2020. Applications take about 15 minutes to complete, and can be submitted via the website here. Winners will be announced in April. Continue reading →
Note: This is another tip from Satoru about a free offer from Quizalize. View the application information and form here. An introduction to Quizalize can be found here. Watch the introductory video below. -Editor
In Quizalize, you can include texts, graphic files, sound files, even YouTube files.
My demo shows Quizalize with a graphic file and a sound file.
If you feel like getting hands-on experience, you can go ahead and join my classroom, which I showed in the video. Please access it at: http://zzi.sh
Class code is: ktp7679
In my opinion, Quizalize is much easier to use asynchronously than Kahoot.
More on the time frame and free offer: “The program will be active until August 1, 2020. We will offer opportunities to commit to an annual subscription at discounted rates along the way, but if you choose to pass on those opportunities, no payment information will be required and the program will end with no obligation on your part.”
By Harry Keller
Former ETCJ Science Editor
& President of SmartScience
My sympathies go out to the workers in these stores because they are being exposed to all sorts of customers coming in. -HK
Mar 24, 2020 at 7:47 AM: We are continuing to try to find a way through this crisis. We have toilet paper enough for about a week right now. We walked to the local Gelson’s Market, which is about 1.6 miles away with our modest backpacks, not the huge Rick Steves ones. It was around 2 pm when we left on our journey.
The first thing we noticed was lots of children playing in the streets. I hate to be repetitive, but this behavior is dangerous. One spot had a foursquare grid set up that spanned the entire street. Schools are out, and children are not studying. They are playing. I would be too. After all, few (if any) children like school. If the children from one family play with those from another, the virus can spread that way.
I think that we must all make a real effort to stop the spread until we can be vaccinated, or a cure is found. Continue reading →
Educational Technology and Change Journal 
