With things still up in the air and the shelter-in-place order still in place, we are getting back to business the safest way possible…

Classes start up again today via Zoom VideoConferencing.

What is ZOOM?

I think by now, most people have herd of Zoom. Some good stuff, some not so good. It’s a videoconferencing platform that allows people to get together face to face. A lot of companies have already incorporated Zoom into their business models. We’ve been using Zoom for attending committee meetings at the state level for a while now. It’s actually pretty convenient and a far better way to connect than through the older technologies offered by such companies as WebEx which allowed people to phone conference. Seeing people while talking to them brings social interactions to a higher level than simply speaking to a group a people over phone lines.

As an instructor, I’ve taught via WebEx and I can’t say it was ever a good experience. It helps to see students’ faces as I teach, to gauge their reactions, read their body language or facial expressions. Okay, video will never replace live, but still, it’s a step up from simply teaching into a phone.

This pandemic is causing us all to regroup and rethink. I mean, who would’ve thought we’d have to tell people to wash their hands? Or how to wash their hands? In the classroom, we are now being forced to really embrace and utilize technologies that have been available for a while now, but it had been easier to simply go with systems and process that were already in place. Implementing new systems can be cumbersome and time consuming. But now, with COVID19 changing the way we do… everything… it’s forcing us out of our comfort zone.

It’s not a bad thing when you think about it. Sometimes, change is good. While the reason for the change is terrible and frightening, the end result could be something truly worthwhile!