#coronavirus #COVID19 #FlattenTheCurve #OnlineLearning #creativity
Many students will start the new school year studying online at home.
They ended the last school year that way, as most schools were locked down because of the coronavirus.
Now, many school districts are giving parents and students the option of virtual learning or coming into the classroom live, with some restrictions.
Reporter Vanessa McCray discussed this in an August 17, 2020, article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Now that they’ve had time to work it out, many teachers are setting up their own personal avatars to enhance the experience of learning online, the article says.
Tiffany Lester, who teaches science at DeKalb PATH Academy outside Atlanta set up her own personal online classroom, complete with desks, bookshelves and personalized avatars, McCray writes. There’s a cartoon version of Lester, complete with purple hair. Gary Fishlegs, her therapy dog, gets his own room, the article says.
Jennifer Hall, an educational technology specialist for Atlanta Public Schools, has helped teachers create these virtual fantasylands, the article says.
“It’s fun and creative in a space where teacher feel like they don’t have a lot of control. At least I can control what’s happening in my virtual classroom,” McCray quotes Hall.
So what’s the point of the story? Even during times when things are far from normal, people can get creative to make the most of them.
Some folks quarantine at home, waiting out the virus. Others don’t stop moving. They find ways to function within the guidelines to stay safe. Others pretend the virus doesn’t exist and conduct normal activities without restrictions – and hope for the best.
So how have you behaved during the pandemic? Are you waiting for things to get back to normal? Remember, in this case, good things don’t necessarily come to those who wait – and do nothing. More often, good things come to those who find workarounds, and create new normals.
Those who wait and do nothing will end up with new normals being created for them, and they may not like them.
Another question to consider: if you didn’t really like your “old” normal, why are you doing nothing while waiting for it to come back – if it comes back? Remember, some jobs that the pandemic took away won’t come back – ever. So, you may be forced to find a new normal.
So, what if your new normal could be so much better than your old normal? There are many vehicles out there that allow people to earn money – potentially more money than they earned before. These programs can be done from home, if the pandemic lingers. Anyone, regardless of education, experience or background, can do them. You just have to be open to looking at them to see whether they might be for you. Yes, you may not have ever thought you would do anything like them, so out-of-the-box thinking is required.
To learn about one of the best such vehicles, message me.
What was normal will change. How it will change no one knows. However, you can actively participate in the change by creating your own new normal.
Or, if your old normal never returns, you can create a new and even better normal. It’s entirely up to you.
Peter

#coronavirus #COVD19 #FlattenTheCurve #JobLosses #women
During the recession of 2008, men were hit harder than women.
Most of the job losses were in manufacturing and construction.
Samantha Schmidt tackled this subject in an article for the Washington Post. It was also published May 17, 2020, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
That same edition of the Atlanta paper also carried a story that said many of the so-called temporary layoffs could become permanent.
Schmidt writes that 70 percent of those laid off in the 2008 recession were men.
This pandemic has forced the layoffs mainly of restaurant servers, day-care workers, hairstylists, hotel housekeepers and dental hygienists – professions dominated by women, she writes.
“Women have never experienced an unemployment rate in the double digits since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began reporting data by gender in 1948, until now. At 16.2 percent, women’s unemployment in April was nearly three points higher than men’s,” Schmidt writes.
Her article also points out that women held some of the lowest-paying jobs – cashiers, hotel clerks, office receptionists, hospital technicians and teachers’ aides.
The pandemic wiped out job gains women had made over the past decade, just months after women reached the majority of the paid U.S. workforce for only the second time in American history, her article says.
Meanwhile, employers who early on expected to rehire all their workers once the pandemic crisis abated now would be lucky to hire back 75 percent, the other article says.
It tells the story of Britney Ruby Miller, co-owner of a small chain of steakhouse restaurants. Her quote: “I’m being realistic. Bringing back 75 percent of our staff would be incredible.”
Some large companies won’t have enough customers to justify bringing back all their employees. And, despite federal aid, some small businesses won’t survive at all, the second article says.
If you’re a laid-off employee, you’ve probably been looking for work in the companies that have continued to hire, like pizza delivery companies.
Indeed, job fairs are starting to be scheduled for companies looking to hire.
Other employees may have been looking at other ways to make a living. Actually, there are many vehicles out there that allow anyone, regardless of skills, experience or background, to supplement or even replace their working income. As a bonus, when necessary, the work can be done remotely from home.
Want to hear about one of the best such vehicles? Message me.
The main take-away from the two articles is that the pandemic may inflict permanent economic damage, particularly in the service sector.
If you can escape unscathed, or have only a temporary setback, consider yourself lucky. Remember, despite phased-in economic reopening, not everyone will feel comfortable venturing out. Many who do will do so in a restricted fashion.
The days of safe, large gatherings are still a long way away.
So this might be a great time to take stock of your future. How do you see it? Is the job you had even worth going back to? If not, the time to look at other options may be upon you.
Peter