Author Archives: Liza Loop

by | April 23, 2022 · 8:24 pm

Musings on what education is and is not

I am beginning to participate in a future oriented group that is forming to study “education”. This, of course, raises the question “what is education” along with its companion question, “what is not education”. One person mentioned issues about appropriate curriculum for 6 to 8 year olds. Someone else focused on dissatisfaction of employers with the skills new hires had mastered at the university level. There used to be a joke about Community Colleges in the United States which offered courses in “underwater basketweaving” and other subject that were purely recreational in nature. Current news worries about growing rates of suicide and other mental health challenges now faced by high school students. These topics fall clearly  within the denotational scope of the word because they are associated with schools. Is this enough?

The following chart is my attempt to capture the scope of ‘The Education Space’ in a wider sense. The blue area is rarely excluded in discussions of education. I think the green area counts as education as well even though it may not be taught in formal educational institutions. As we humans adapt to the physical and cultural changes taking place on our planet we may need to consciously address the green spaces on the chart.

Do we want to include all learning under the umbrella of ‘education’? I think not. ‘Learning’, in its broadest interpretation, takes place continuously and often without intention on the part of the learner, of any teachers, or of the environment that may necessitate something be learned for survival. (Think of a baby learning to swallow liquid.)

Does there have to be a teacher with an intention to convey a specific skill or bit of knowledge for a process to be ‘education’? Not in my book. Much, if not most, human knowledge and skill is acquired by the learner observing another person doing something, examining or dismantling a mechanism, or exploring a natural system. There may be no intentional teaching going on. However, there is an intention or goal on the part of the learner to learn. We can include self-education and teacher-led education under the broader heading of ‘education’.

 

 

 

Is this simply an “academic” discussion? Who cares where we set the borders of education? Everybody cares. People worldwide want themselves and their children to survive and thrive. The poor (those who worry weekly about survival) are told by the rich (those who are thriving) that education is the key to get from the former state to the latter. But more and more human beings who have basic formal educations are still failing to thrive, to achieve a lifestyle they would describe as “wellbeing”. It may be that the content and processes we have bundled under the heading ‘education’ need to be enhanced if humanity is to adapt and survive in the world we will inhabit today and tomorrow.

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by | February 5, 2022 · 2:05 pm

Are Equity and Access Enough?

One of LO*OP Center’s volunteers sent me the following questionnaire as part of his college research on Computers and Society. The wording of the questions suggested to me that we need to get smarter about the factors that impact ‘equity’ and ‘access’ to digital technology.

The first question seemed to be designed to establish my bona fides:

What has your experience been with providing low-income communities with access to technology?

newspaper article on ComputerTown USA! from May 26, 1980

ComputerTown USA! News in  neighborhoods in 1980

My response:

Before personal computers became prevalent and smart phones were invented I was filling the trunk of my car with small computers and demonstrating their use across California.
I ran a public access computer center that provided extremely low-cost access. I participated in ComputerTown, USA!, the first project to put computers in libraries for patrons’ use. This greatly facilitated access in low income communities. I also introduced computer literacy to teachers.

My experience is that members of low-income communities are just as capable of using computers and other high-tech devices as wealthy people. Access is related to having the means to purchase hardware and software but it is much more. Effective access requires a sense of agency, a commitment to continuous learning, permission to do things differently, and the availability of long-term mentors, factors that are often lacking in low-income communities.

The questionnaire continued:

Do you feel as though people from low-income households have equal access to technology?

My response:

Of course not. Income determines access to all commodities including food, health care, digital devices and connectivity.

To me the question seems like a throwback to the early 1900s when many people believed that poverty was an inherited trait like eye color or being able to curl your tongue. It’s not the poverty that’s inherited in our DNA. The poverty is maintained through cultural practices, the learned behaviors that are passed from grandparent to parent to child. Some cultural practices allow us to survive, thrive and celebrate our unique community identities. Others sap our self confidence, tell us things like, “our people are farm hands, not land owners.” Traditional cultures often rely on what worked in the past because the environment didn’t change much from one generation to the next. Schools can counter this stay-the-same mentality. They can give children permission to go beyond their heritage, to carry forward the language, art, cuisine and styles of their ancestors while revising work habits, attitudes toward money, and rejection of new technologies.

Are people from low-income communities any more or less inclined to pursue technology related studies than those from higher income communities?

Although it isn’t politically correct to admit it, most of us “apprentice” in our own families and follow careers that are similar to our parents. Our studies are highly influenced by our career choices. If your family is economically stressed you are usually less “inclined” to take risks because you have little or

no financial cushion to absorb the blow if you fail. We (educators and technologists) are making strides toward bringing low income students into our ranks but the cultural and educational barriers remain high. It’s important that we not “blame the victim.”  Instead we need to analyze more deeply the relationship between low-income and adoption of untried technologies and the risks of pursuing them. 

What do you think our education system can do to assist in giving equal access to technology and technology related skills?

Access is just the first step in the process of creating equal representation in electronic technology ownership, use, and employment. Schools are discovering that simply giving each child a tablet computer helps but does not solve the problem. Motivation is just as important. To address motivation our educational system must improve student perception of self-efficacy and overcome cultural inhibitions that prohibit participation in new employment patterns and financial success.

There is no one “silver bullet”, no single intervention that schools can implement that will magically lead to equal access to ed tech and subsequent economic success. Even multiple changes in schooling will not be enough. We need to see schools as one in a chain of community institutions that surround and support those among us who are not thriving.

 

words related to education and development

Word Cloud from Africa Voices Dialogue Workshop on 5 Feb., 2022

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by | November 9, 2021 · 3:48 pm

Research Interest Histories and the Forces that Shape Them

journal reprintsMany of us who read research literature may notice that research is a very “trendy” business. For example, the areas of “personalized learning” and “individualized instruction” became very popular for about 10 years between the late 1990s and the early 2010s. Subsequently this subject has faded away and few papers address the topic. Why?

Generalizing from my personal experience, I doubt that the shift in trend results from loss of interest on the part of the researchers. If one invests 10 years of study on a topic, boredom is unlikely to cause the shift. Perhaps we should explore three other possible influences.

First to come to mind is results. Many research projects focus on very tough nuts to crack. Figuring how to provide a custom curriculum for every student at scale isn’t easy. After chipping away at such a problem for 10 years it may continue to be of interest but an investigator may be daunted by how far in the distance a solution still appears. When significant results are scarce a line of research may be difficult to continue to pursue.

A second force may be the acceleration of technical change. In a field like education, one is concerned not only with the content being taught, the tools used to deliver that content become a subject of study in their own right. As computing devices infiltrated teaching practice, I’ve seen educational researchers struggle to separate the impact of motivation to play with the machine from both learner and investigator focus on the instructional content. Instead of varying one experimental factor at a time, researchers changed the phenomenon being investigated, the experimental methods employed and the situational context from one experiment to the next. No wonder results about the impact of computing in education have been inconclusive and/or unrepeatable.

A third force is inconsistency in funding for research. Funders, like the rest of us, tend to be dazzled by the latest and greatest innovations that are grabbing the headlines. A foundation may invest millions in a line of research such as personalized learning over a period of years and then suddenly switch to a sexier topic. When I follow the individual researchers who were publishing on personalized learning ten years ago, they show up today in searches for data analytics, MOOCs, AI in education, or workforce retraining. Personalization is no longer an effective keyword. Personalization may be an underlying factor in any or all of these new titles but the connection is difficult to track.

What makes interest histories important? By failing to sustain a line of research from conception of a problem to solution, we waste huge amounts of money and slow the impact of research way down. We discourage careers and often fail to recognize brilliant, although preliminary advances. We make it harder for those with an underlying passion for the same interest to find each other and collaborate.

complex sociogramToday we have some wonderful data visualization tools to make interest histories easier to track and thereby encourage valuable collaborations. We can display mesh diagrams showing student-professor relationships as well as co-authorship of papers and patterns of citations. We can see which journals are featuring articles we need to read, what conferences we would benefit from attending and how siloed groups of practitioners can cross-fertilize each other. The migration of keywords that indicate an underlying interest can come to light. Perhaps an even more practical use of such analytical methods would be to alert us when promising research initiatives begin to starve from loss of funding. I doubt that lack of interest is a key force here. It’s time we paid attention to what is driving trends in research.

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Contemplating Future Scenarios

In the spring of 2020, shortly after it was clear that the COVID-19 pandemic was not just a passing cloud briefly darkening an otherwise sunny global landscape, I was invited to join a group of forward-looking thinkers on the Millennium Project. Over the next 9 months we produced three “stories” about what the near future might look like as the novel virus rampaged through the world’s populations. Our purpose was not to blame or take political action. Rather, we sought to help medical, social services, NGO, and government decision makers prepare for an unpredictable future. (You can see a video report on this work here.)

This last week, Knowledge Management World published a review of the Millennium Project’s report. It begins:

“The American Red Cross is no stranger to crises and disasters. When things go bad, it is often among the first organizations on the front lines lending assistance.

Yet, last year, during the height of the pandemic, Michael Kleeman of the American Red Cross kept thinking a different approach was needed. In a recent report, he is quoted as reflecting at the time, “We’re so focused on what we have to do today to respond to the COVID pandemic that we don’t have time to think twelve-to-eighteen months down the road. But someone has to.” That’s when he turned to The Millennium Project for help.

Jerome Glenn, CEO of The Millennium Project, and one of the world’s top strategists, had to step back for a moment, since the vast majority of his body of work focuses on the long term. In fact, Paul Saffo, his colleague at The Millennium Project, studies time horizons spanning tens of thousands to billions of years. Never ones to pass up an opportunity, especially given the turmoil the world was (and still is) going through, they accepted the challenge.” Click here to read the rest of the KM World article

I posted these notes in the comments section following the article:

“Nice review, thank you Art.

Several points you made are worth emphasizing. First, future scenarios are not predictions. They are intended to bracket possible outcomes so organizations can prepare for a wide spectrum of events.

Second, the “citation ring”, echo chamber, or confirmation bias effect makes ferreting out reliable data difficult for experts and even more challenging for ordinary news consumers. On one hand, receiving the same message from a variety of researchers may indicate that the community of practice has tested a concept thoroughly and reached a convergent conclusion we can rely. On the other hand, multiple secondary reports may result from many writers picking up on the same, possibly fake, extremely preliminary, or mistaken published research. It take considerable sophistication to discern the difference.

A third issue you highlighted is data that did not “distinguish between purely COVID related deaths and deaths involving comorbidities.” This is an example of the logical fallacy, “post hoc ergo propter hoc” that concludes that if B follows A then A caused B. Under the pressure of so many hospitalizations of elderly and frail people, it was impossible to take the time to sort out whether an individual patient with COVID actually died of COVID-induced respiratory failure or something else.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the Red Cross is not the only response agency that could benefit from scenario studies similar to the one we did for COVID-19. Any time there is a large-scale event that plays out over a multi-year period, agency staff tend to focus on methods drawn from their recent training and experience. And, they talk most often to their known partners and colleagues which can enhance the echo chamber effect. But whether the event is a wildfire, a war, slow but inexorable climate change, or the impact of a new, rapidly-adopted technology, the uniqueness of the event calls for more robust and innovative responses. Scenario studies can both drive innovation and confirm the effectiveness of well-known practices. The world would benefit from more Millennium Project style thinking.”

My contribution to the Millennium Projects COVID-19 report was minimal and I was honored to be able to participate. Public health is not my area of expertise although I have been active in disaster preparedness and recovery in my home county, Sonoma, California. But, by joining this working group, I learned a tremendous amount about how to conduct future studies. Learning and education are my wheelhouse and the view from here is dismal.

Over the next two years I would dearly love to stage a Millennium Project study of the future of formal, non-formal and informal education. It’s not too soon to start taking names of those of you who would be willing to participate in the Real-Time Delphi process.

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by | November 7, 2021 · 12:46 pm
by | September 5, 2021 · 12:47 pm

Unprecedented?

IN LESS THAN two centuries as a US state, California has maintained its reputation as a sunny paradise while also enduring the nation’s most erratic climate: the occasional massive winter storm roaring in from the Pacific; years-long droughts. But recent investigations into the fossil record show that these past years have been relatively stable.

(from ‘The Biblical Flood That Will Drown California’ Wired Magazine Online)

 

“unprecedented” is one of the most frequent adjectives popular media attaches to current events. To me, most uses of this term are an egregious example of fake news ranking along with white supremacy, climate change denial, and anti-vaccination propaganda.

To be ‘unprecedented’ an event must never have happened before – ever. That’s not just within your grandmother’s memory, that’s never, never on this Earth, never in the universe. To label something that you haven’t happened to hear about as ‘unprecedented’ is the height of ignorant, self-centered egotism and very dangerous.

Why is this dangerous? Because it lulls the listener into thinking the event won’t happen again and that there is no point in preparing for it. It encourages confirmation bias, the idea that what I already know about is important and that broadening my information about the world has no value to me. It promotes a sense of helplessness, the feeling that, as a human being, I am in the grip of forces I have no tools to manipulate and am facing problems no one has ever confronted or solved before.

Whether a headlined event seems positive or negative to us, let’s push back when reporters try to exaggerate our emotional response with that word, “unprecedented”.  Humanity has survived and thrived for much longer than our historical record. As the article quoted at the beginning of this blog demonstrates, “hasn’t happened in over 100 years”,  “is unknown in my country”, or “is unacceptable within my culture” doesn’t mean it has never been seen before.

The news media needs to do its homework. Unusual or unfamiliar events, both bad and good, are an opportunity to uncover historical, geological, behavioral or cultural context, to see events within the broader scope of human and planetary experience. There isn’t much new under the sun.

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by | August 16, 2021 · 4:05 pm

Can ‘racism’ be a sustainable good?

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Recently, Kristine Hadeed published a piece on Medium titled:”I’m tired of being antiracist“. Kristine favors working toward “liberation” as a more emotionally sustainable position than constantly fighting racism. I agree with her clear and cogent argument. And, perhaps we can go even farther.

Paradoxical as it may seem, I think we need to reclaim race as a positive concept. We may all be equal under the law but we are not all the same. Sometimes we need to surround ourselves with people who share similar cultural values, look like we do, move the same muscle groups, are vulnerable to similar diseases. Except for cultural values, these are genetic characteristics we often collectively refer to as ‘race’. There are occasions when segregating ourselves or viewing others along racial lines can be useful. For example, children need to see people who look like themselves in successful careers and participants in family gatherings are very likely to have visual and cultural features in common. This is not an excuse for racially-based social or economic exclusion. It is an acknowledgment that all mammals exhibit an affinity for their own kind under some circumstances. So what could be an alternative to ‘antiracism’?

How about ‘celebracism‘ and ’embracism‘? What changes might occur if we, as individuals and as a society, acknowledged, accepted and celebrated our racial differences? We can be proud of our various complexions, round or almond eyes, kinky or straight hair. You wouldn’t refuse to have tea with your next-door neighbor because she had free-swinging earlobes while yours are attached. Liberation includes the freedom to notice, explore, even exploit our genetic (I mean racial) variations. We’ve spent 200 years trying to overcome the American legacy of racially-based slavery. Instead of demonizing racism or trying to ignore it, maybe celebrating it can move us into a more socially and economically equal future.

Two children in museum light show

photo by Liza Loop

In order to celebrate, we first have to embrace, acknowledge, accept, love and support. My grandchildren have a light skinned, freckled-faced, redheaded, round-eyed father. Their mother, from Japan, has clear olive skin, straight black hair and eyes with the epicanthal fold typical of many Asian peoples. There’s no way I could fail to notice that their children are of ‘mixed race’. Why would I want to? These kids are proud of their looks, their cultural heritages and the wonderful variety of friends and neighbors from around the globe. I embrace them, the rest of their family embraces them and so does much of the world.

I’m tired of ‘antiracism’ too. It’s time we stop kidding ourselves that race (genetic variation accentuated by acquired cultural behaviors) doesn’t exist. It’s time to acknowledge that sometimes gathering with people we feel an affinity to is a positive, self-affirming behavior not based on hate or a desire to oppress. Let’s try a little more celebracism and embracism and see whether that brings us well down the road to liberation.

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by | September 19, 2020 · 11:01 pm

Are positive political discussions possible on Facebook?

Sometimes I wonder whether it’s possible to do anything good on social media, especially Facebook. So many discussions rapidly deteriorate into either name calling or reinforcing one’s own bias. Today I had a Facebook interchange I feel pretty good about. I’ll share it with you and I’d like to hear what you think.

The interaction started when I came across this post on my Newsfeed. It originated in the Science, Technology, and Society Discussion Group (Public) which I follow.

Here’s the post

 

The Other 98%

3h

Happening NOW:

Today is early voting in Virginia and Trump supporters are physically blocking the entrance to the polling site in Fairfax. Earlier this week, Trump’s HHS official told Trump supporters to arm themselves, stockpile ammo, and be ready to take the streets to terrorize Democrats. Apparently they heard the call. What’s your impression?

Photo Anthony Tilghman

Visit the Voting Information Center for election resources and official updates.

Get Voting Information

Note that the picture with the post is a still, not a video. It shows the crowd but not the entrance to the polling place. It was posted 3 hours before I saw it at about 6 pm Pacific Time. So back up 3 hours to when the post was made, that would be 3 pm Pacific and forward another 3 hours to be Virginia time. That means “Happening NOW:” would have been going on in Virginia at about 6 pm Virginia time. Did I get that right? I wasn’t worried about the actual time of the event until later in the story. Let’s go on with the Facebook posts.

As is my usual process, I checked the comments:

Heather Hulett
That’s illegal. Arrest them.

Yup, I would agree. My impression is: I wonder if I have the whole story. Next comment:

· Reply ·

1h

Lisa Maas Martin
Blocking someone from.voting is against the law. The police need to get involved.

Hmmm. Sounds bad. Next Comment:

 · Reply ·

58m

James Morales
This is increasingly looking like its going to be a bloody next few months

This certainly could get a liberal all riled up. I’m basically a pacifist and not looking forward to armed clashes over voting.  So I posted the next comment:

 · Reply ·

52m

Liza Loop
Has anyone fact-checked this post? Crowds obstructing voting is a real problem if it is true.

This seemed a reasonable question to me. There’s a lot of fake news on Facebook all across the political spectrum. Here’s the response on my newsfeed:

· Reply ·

25m

Cathy Fuller B Cat
Author
Liza Loop I understand you don’t know me. If you did you would know not to question anything I post. All of it has been verified! Look it up yourself!

Oh, snippy! Don’t mind if I do look it up. Next reply:

· Reply

· 22m

Cathy Fuller B Cat
Author
Liza Loop https://www.fox5dc.com/…/trump-supporters-protest…

safe_image.php.png

Good. I can use this. I’m going to look it up in a minute but first I want to answer Cathy:

 Reply ·

21m

Liza Loop
Cathy Fuller B Cat Great Cathy. Please don’t be insulted that I advocate fact checking. I do this for all posts, not just you. Thank you for the reference. What do you suggest those of us who are outraged by this do beyond voting?

Be calm, Liza. Be reasonable. But I do wonder why she would take the position that her public posts shouldn’t have been verified, especially a report from Fox News, that most reliable of sources (not). And I’m always searching for people who will be part of the solution, not simply those who stop after whipping us up about the problem. She did honor me with a reply (not everyone does):

Reply ·

20m

Cathy Fuller B Cat
Author
Liza Loop I wish I knew. They are following the lead of their leader. He gets away with things he shouldn’t so I guess they will follow suit. It’s really infuriating. Vote and speak out to all the wrong. Beyond that, I am at a loss.

And now we get to the part that worries me the most – An infuriated liberal who is speaking out inflammatory words (as is her constitutional right) without any idea how to improve the situation. Well, Cathy, I’m not at a loss. I do have ideas. Some of them are pretty Pollyanna but at least they are better than inciting a riot between right-wing, possibly armed, protesters and armed police, many of whom are likely to sympathize more with the protesters than the laws they are bound to enforce. So I post my Pollyanna advice:

· Reply ·

14m

I recommend listening, especially to those you seriously disagree with. Get them to tell you why they believe what they do. Ask them to elaborate, define, explain. Don’t argue or attempt to persuade. Try to find points of commonality. We all love our children and want a better world for them. We want comfort and security for ourselves. We just choose very different ways to get there. By listening you build trust and empathy. Without those two, all you have is confrontation which isn’t a very effective way to win hearts and minds or to change opinions. Listening is a tough assignment that requires patience and a tight rein on the fury many of us experience on hearing misguided arguments. If you listen to another you increase the likelihood the s/he will listen to her/himself. Sometimes that will begin the process of self-doubt and questioning entrenched beliefs. Keep in mind that underneath all that posturing and bluster is very deep fear. Your empathy is the first step to building the courage to face that fear and overcome it.

Having said my peace (or is that ‘piece’), I go back to the process of fact checking by actually reading the online Fox News article. It showed video of the protesters taken around 10 am, presumably Virginia time.  It showed them at the required distance from the entrance to the polls, a detail that was not in Cathy’s still picture. The commentary said:

Tilghman tells FOX 5 that the protesters first blocked the entrance to the polling site before officials forced them to move 40 feet away as required by law…Tilghman reported that election officials eventually moved voters waiting in line inside because of the protests.

So a law was broken when the protesters got too close to the polling place but was resolved peacefully when they moved back. Biden supporters may find it unpleasant to have a noisy, pro-Trump rally going on but that’s free speech, not a crime. I’m glad I checked. And I’m glad I didn’t join the Facebook chorus of ‘arrest them, call the police, there’s gonna’ be bloodshed.’ Yes, Cathy, you posted the truth but not the whole truth. And we can see how your approach is a similar kind of rabble rousing that we so deplore in the current President. As I replied to Cathy, “underneath all that posturing and bluster is very deep fear. Your empathy is the first step to building the courage to face that fear and overcome it.” Have I taken my own advice and been empathetic with Cathy’s fear. Apparently not, here’s what she posted back:

Reply

1h

Cathy Fuller B Cat

Author

Liza Loop

I have tried that for months. Years. It does not work here in my area. They will not cite their feelings on any issues other than guns and abortions. The most common response I get on social media is trump 2020 with flags galore or trump train 2020 with a matching gifs or memes. I am surrounded here by solid red with the exception of a few like minded friends. They won’t read even short articles. And even if they see a video or audio recording of him as proof, I am told that it’s fake news. Hopefully y’all that are in different areas have better luck than I’ve had around here. I have lived here most all my life but I never knew there were so many racists around me until trump. I am now surrounded by his racist cult. I fear it will only get worse after Nov. 4.

No response from Cathy, yet, but it’s getting late on the east coast, time for dinner here in California. Apple pie for me, I don’t like rhubarb. The Walbridge fire is still smoldering less than 2 miles from my house. It’s mostly out but we still have our hoses at ready. The forest near me is actually managed by the State of California so Trump’s accusations about who should have cleared the brush are not completely wrong. However, the smoke I’m smelling tonight is coming from a national forest northeast of me. The buck stops with Trump on that one. I don’t think any of us is all right or all wrong. And I do think Trump is dangerous, scary, crazy.

The real enemy is the fear and being “at a loss”. Fear makes us cling to ideologies, paralyzes our ability to generate creative new solutions, keeps us from trying new processes, leaves us “at a loss”. We start with fearing what may happen in the future and progress to fearing each other and opinions that diverge from our own. Cathy and I probably share many political positions in common, have similar aspirations for our children and grandchildren, would furnish ‘a better world’ with the same kind of tables and chairs. I feel good about our recent exchange on Facebook. She has voiced her fear and had some of her ideas validated. I’ve had an opportunity suggest some alternative approaches to political conflict. I’m hopeful our conversation will generate some thoughtful reflection among its readers…

Oops! I spoke too soon. This just in:

Cathy Fuller B Cat
Author
Liza Loop

I take offense to both of your comments. Who are you to question what I do? Maybe you’re not convinced of anything I say because I don’t care if you’re convinced. You are none of my concern.

Clearly I need more practice to get the ‘preaching’ out of my Facebook responses. I’m sorry I’ve offended you, Cathy. If I’m really none of your concern then you won’t mind what I say next. Facebook is a funny mixture of public and private utterances. When we share our posts we are issuing an invitation for agreement, contradiction, rational/logical arguments and rebuttals. We are exposing ourselves to judgment by random web surfers whose opinions may or may not be useful to us. In spite of Cathy’s response, I appreciate the opportunity her posts have given me to air my point of view. I hope some readers will find listening with compassion, as compared to lashing out in fear, to be a useful strategy as they pursue their political agendas. As I wind up this article the conversation is still going on with others chiming in. There is some chance it will generate a “positive political discussion”.  I won’t question what Cathy does any further. And I don’t think I’ll shut down my Facebook account just yet.

 

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by | September 18, 2020 · 6:01 pm

Siberian Friends still working for international children’s collaboration 33 years later

I thought you might like to see what my friends in Siberia are doing today. Not all Russians are trying to interfere with the US elections. Many, such as my friend, Edward Shornik, are promoting activities that help children around the world find a common bond by participating in events like the one announced below. I met Edward in 1987 when my son and I traveled with a group of US Citizen Diplomats  (20 youngsters, 20 adults) to Moscow, Novosibirsk and St. Petersburg. We met with families, visited sites of interest, planted trees and got to know each other. People asked us why Americans hated Soviets. We replied, “We came all the way here, spending our own money on this trip, to show you that not all Americans hate Soviets. No matter what propaganda our governments try to feed us, we are all just people who love our children and are only too happy to share our joys and sorrows with you.” I’m still in touch with the friends I met then and we are all working toward more peace and friendship in this troubled world we inhabit together. If you know any young artists, you might want to pass on this invitation to them.

Rotary club Novosibirsk-Initiative
www.novorotary.ru

The International Online Children and Youth Art Contest “Heroes in White” dedicated to the International Doctor’s Day

ART CONTEST RULES

1. General Provisions

The following rules determine the conditions, procedure, organization and conducting the International Online Art Contest " Heroes in White” - dedicated to the International Doctor's Day (hereinafter referred to as the Contest).
Participants, from 7 to 18 years old, are invited to take part in the Contest. The goals are to identify and stimulate young artists, fostering and understanding the importance of a doctor's work and the responsibilities.
Based on the results of the competition, a film will be created dedicated to the participants’ art work and the best ones will be sent for exhibition display at the medical institutions, in Russia and abroad.

2. Contest Objectives

The contest is designed to promote:

+  The development of children’s creative activity, abilities, needs and interestsIdentification and support talented youth,
+  Raising civil awareness among young generation, a sense of national pride and respect for doctors’ work.

3. Contest themes

* Medical treatment and our easy-going attitude
* If I were a doctor
* The life of a doctor
* Helping doctors
* The doctor of my dreams
* My hero doctor

4. Contest art work registration

Original works made in the techniques of “fine art” and “computer graphics” (graphic work, realism). One participant submits one art work for the contest. The works must be scanned and, with the application form (scroll down), sent to the e-mail: katiapichikova@mail.ru marked “International Art Contest 2020”.  A personal photo of the artist is also required.

5. Art contest procedure

The competition is conducted in absentia (remotely). Works must be submitted scanned via email, no later than October 25th, 2020.

A Jury panel will review submitted art works during October 26-30th. During the same time the voting for the Audience Award will take place. The online broadcast of the award ceremony will take place on November 1, 2020 at 1 PM GMT* (Greenwich Mean Time) – 4 PM Moscow time.

The jury selects the winners according to the following criteria:
– exact compliance with the chosen theme;
– the originality of the composition;
– correspondence of the creative level to the age of the contestant, independence;
– work execution culture;
– performance technique and artistic quality.

The art contest categories: winners will be judged in the following age groups:
7-10 years old
11-13 years old
14-15 years old
16-18 years old.

In each age group, plus in the the “digital graphics” category, there are three prizes, as well as the Public Choice Award (voting will take place on the contest instragram page).

All participants will receive an electronic certificate of participation on the letterhead of the Rotary club “Novosibirsk – Initiative” with the partners’ and sponsors’ logos.

President of the Rotary club “Novosibirsk-Initiative”
Fedeneva Julia

Art Contest Facilitator
Tashlykova Ekaterina

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Application form

FIRST NAME:
LAST NAME:
ROTARY CLUB AFFILIATION:
COUNTRY CITY
AGE
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PARTICPATION

CONSENT

I (first and last name) authorize / do not authorize to post a photo or other personal information of my child (posting photos, videos and information about participation of my child in the international art – contest “Heroes in White”.
I allow to post them on the website: www.novorotary.ru, and on the page on Instagram contest page as well, and also in the video clip.
*(The Law on the Security of Personal Data on the Internet adopted on 01.01. 2010).

Please, indicate below the participant’s name, age and your data as his ’s the representative.

Underline “I AGREE” \ I DISAGREE

Signature

Date

Девиз Ротари – Ротари клуб “Новосибирск-Инициатива”
NOVOROTARY.RU
Девиз Ротари – Ротари клуб “Новосибирск-Инициатива”
Cлужение обществу – выше личных интересов Ротари это… …всемирная организация представителей делового мира и интеллигенции, верящих в важность оказания гуманита…

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by | March 24, 2020 · 10:43 am

Begin now to grow food just in case there’s a food shortage

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic many organizations are asking volunteers to help deliver food to people who cannot get to grocery stores. Helping to deliver food now is a worthy volunteer activity. However, if the pandemic continues long term we may find that food supplies may dwindle dangerously. We need to look ahead two possible problems: not enough food to distribute and not enough money to buy it.

 

 

Each one of us can grow food in pots and home gardens to supplement our commercial food sources. Tomatoes, beans, lettuce, radishes and herbs grow well in pots on your porch, balcony, patio, fire escape or garden plot. Potatoes may need a little more space. Growing food at home is a wonderful activity for both children and adults.

In addition to home food production, many schools already have substantial gardens and towns often have community gardens. Volunteers can keep these gardens productive while remaining the required 6 foot distancing between people. If your local school has a meal distribution program that brings parents and students to the campus, check with your school staff to see if you might also spend an hour in the garden.

(https://www.moneycrashers.com/how-to-save-money-with-a-hom…/)

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by | March 12, 2020 · 2:04 pm

UV-C Lamps Inspire Hope and Caution

While the world panics over the spread of the Covid-19 viral disease little attention is being paid in the news media to a known way to kill the virus on surfaces. Exposure to UV-C light damages the DNA of almost all living things, including the novel corona virus. Here’s what a quick but thoughtful internet search reveals.

Be Safe

Exposure of human skin to UV-C light will burn you and eventually promote skin cancer. It can’t be used directly on people and lamps that generate UV-C should only be used by careful and cautious members of the public. Here’s what a supplier to the heating and air conditioning industry says in their blog, UV-C Lamps: Playing it Safe

“Light in the Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) spectrum has proven effective in killing virtually all known microorganisms, making it the ideal solution for cleaning HVAC cooling coils and decontaminating the upper air in public spaces such as schools and hospitals.

The potency of UV lamps, however, means that care must be taken when servicing these systems. Unlike some hazards, exposure to ultraviolet light does not offer a natural avoidance response (e.g. squinting eyes in bright sunlight) or a physical cue that protection is necessary (e.g., heat radiating from a hot pan). Furthermore, the physiological effects of UV-C exposure are delayed and can appear up to six hours later.

While damage from UV-C is temporary, the HVAC/R industry takes steps to safeguard service personnel from avoidable ultraviolet exposure and the consequences of its short-term or chronic effects.”

With precautions noted, perhaps this disinfectant method could be used more widely, both in homes and in public spaces. Before we go further, let’s look at what UV-C light actually is.

UV-C Explained

Back in February of 2017 the blog, Noticias de Salud, carried and article entitled “Scientific Opinion assessing health risks associated with UV-C radiation from lamps concludes that further research is needed”.

“UV-C is ultraviolet radiation in the wavelength range of 280 to 100 nanometres. Most people have heard of the dangers of UV-A and UV-B exposure from the sun or from sunbeds. UV-C is also produced by the sun, but it is the shortest of the ultraviolet wavelengths and is almost entirely filtered out by the atmosphere before reaching the earth’s surface. The shorter the wavelength, the more impact ultraviolet radiation could have on human health.

Artificially-produced UV-C has been used successfully as a germicide and bactericide for decades. It can kill or disable micro-organisms like bacteria, viruses, mold and mildew, and doesn’t require the use of chemicals like chlorine. It is cheaper and more energy efficient than other methods of disinfection, using very little energy. Due to these advantages, UV-C is being used for an increasing range of applications, including for disinfecting air systems, wastewater treatment plants and air-conditioning systems. It is also used in food and beverage industrial processes and in hospitals to sterilise instruments, work surfaces and the air.

Although most appliances are sealed systems there is now increasing use of devices where consumers may be directly exposed to UV-C radiation.”

So, we now know what UV-C light is, that it does kill viruses and that direct exposure to it should be avoided by humans and animals. How can it be used to quell the raising panic over Covid-19?

UV-C in Hospitals and Commercial Spaces

A March 4, 2020 post from CHINADAILY.COM.CN suggests how the technique can be used in hospitals. This particular article doesn’t indicate whether such equipment is in broad use in that country or not.



 

 

For airplanes, an American company, Dimer UVC Innovations, has developed a robot to use for disinfecting passenger cabins.



 

 

 

 

According to IEEE SPECTRUM, a technical engineering publication, the GermFalcon has not actually been tested on the virus that causes COVID-19 but the company is willing to try it out for free on selected airlines.

Whether this device is actually in production and what it might cost an airline didn’t show up in my search.

Using UV-C in the Home

Clearly, products for home disinfection are on the market.

Google search for UV-C

Buyers should beware of several potential issues. First, only some UV lamps produce UV-C wavelength light. UV-A and UV-B and plain UV won’t do the trick. Second, while the lamp bases are relatively inexpensive they don’t always come with a bulb. It’s the bulbs that are costly. Thirdly, consumers need to understand the risks of exposure to UV-C. While the supplier may include instructions for safe use the pictures I saw show devices with minimal or no shielding. I suspect nothing you want to stay alive should stay in a room with such a device on – that means no pets, no children. I have no idea what UV-C does to plants.

People are beginning to purchase UV-C lamps as cases of COVID-19 are announced. Hopefully they will be effective in preventing its spread. In addition, we need to be sure we don’t create a secondary crisis of UV-C exposure.

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