Category Archives: Mind Uploading

Welcome toMovie DNA, a column that recognizes the direct and indirect cinematic roots of new movies. Learn some film history, become a more well-rounded viewer, and enjoy likeminded works of the past. This entry recommends movies to watch after you stream The Old Guard.

The concept of immortality has been around since the dawn of storytelling. And its an idea that will probably, appropriately, live forever. Gods, vampires, masked slashers, childlike androids audiences never get tired of such everlasting characters. Now we can add the eternal warriors of The Old Guard, a Netflix movie based on the comic books of the same name.

Led by the ancient figure Andromache, the titular group also consists of a pair of lovers who met during the Crusades, another man born in the 19th century, and a newbie who has just learned shes immortal. They tend to take on missions to help others in need but are now fighting for their own freedom against a pharmaceutical company that wants to use them as guinea pigs.

Gina Prince-Bythewood, who directed The Old Guard from a script by creator Greg Rucka, has mentioned some of the movies she watched as inspiration for her adaptation (you should also watch her previous movies, especially Love & Basketball). Those titles are joined below by some personal picks that seem relevant in a kindred manner.

I recommend you watch them all sooner than later because nobody really lives forever.

Before creating The Old Guard, Greg Rucka wrote many superhero comics, including award-winning runs of Wonder Woman for DC Comics. He didnt have anything to do with the Wonder Woman movie (though he did receive a special thank you in the credits), but the way the title character is depicted here an immortal figure stemming from a world thought to be mythological easily comes to mind while watching Andromache, an immortal figure thought to be mythological, in The Old Guard.

Also, Wonder Woman comes up in interviews with Prince-Bythewood about The Old Guard because she called the movies director, Patty Jenkins, for advice on doing a big comic book movie. She also says in an interview for the BFI, I remember going to the premiere of Wonder Woman and just being so floored and full of pride. Patty stepped up and succeeded and opened the door for the couple of us that have now come after her.

I was going to just recommend the sequel Maze Runner: The Death Cure, but that movie doesnt make much sense without seeing the prior two adaptations of James Dashners YA book series. The Maze Runner is about a bunch of boys trapped in the center of a maze, and while its not clear in the first movie, the boys are all guinea pigs in an experiment because theyre immune to a virus that has wiped out much of the world. In later movies, you learn that the evil organization behind the maze is also attempting to harvest enzymes from the immune in order to create a cure.

The trope where a character is immune to a specific disease and may be the source for a cure or vaccine is common. The idea of imprisoning and harvesting some humans to save the rest of humanity is still a bit far fetched, however. Another movie I thought of recommending for a twist on the idea is I Am Legend. In that, Will Smith plays a survivor of an apocalyptic disease thats turned everyone into vampire-like creatures. He uses himself as a lab rat in the effort to find a cure, which if the creatures were truly vampires would mean trying to find a cure for not becoming immortal.

There are no documentaries about real immortals (that we know of), but there are a few films warranting a recommendation as this weeks obligatory nonfiction pick. I could have recognized Transcendant Man for the umpteenth time; the doc is about Ray Kurzweil and includes his idea of achieving immortality by uploading your mind to a computer. Theres also the 2009 doc How to Live Forever, which does concern the quest to live forever but also just deals with how to live as long as possible (and Kurzweil is in that as well). But The Immortalists is a little more interesting while also being more easily digestible.

The documentary focuses primarily on two doctors, Aubrey de Grey (who is also in How to Live Forever) and Bill Andrews who are attempting to find a cure for aging. Not unlike the villain in The Old Guard, but theyre not searching for human immortals to use as guinea pigs. That isnt to say theyre the most likable people either, however. Obviously, theres not much in the way of how to solve the problem of aging and death, so the plethora of information shared and the science explored here involves the study of how and why living things (and our cells) do age and then die the way that we do. Its a fascinating primer.

Immortals dont really exist (that we know of), but when someone lives to be around 100 years old, they sure seem like they lived forever. Especially if their life was filled with a lot of different events. (Like we saw with the recently deceased Carl Reiner.) Or a fictional character like Allan Karlsson, the protagonist of this movie (and its source novel). Through flashbacks, we see that the centenarian touched many significant things throughout the 20th century, including the Spanish Civil War and the Manhattan Project. Hes like the immortals in The Old Guard or like Forrest Gump but a little more believable maybe.

The most recent of a number of known martial arts movies that Prince-Bythewood watched in preparation for The Old Guard (she says in one interview there were twenty but has only named five that I can find).Wong Kar-wais Oscar-nominated biopic looks back on and dramatizes the life of Wing Chun master IP Man. Instead of following him from birth through death, the movie picks up his story when hes in his forties and sometimes reflecting back on earlier events, shown in flashback. Not that unlike how the past of the immortals of The Old Guard is shown.

In addition to Asian action movies, Prince-Bythewood has cited Zero Dark Thirty, Logan, Man on Fire, and the bathroom fight scene from Mission: Impossible: Fallout as inspirations for The Old Guard. Logan likely because of Wolverine finally becoming more vulnerable after being seemingly immortal due to his healing factor. Man on Fire, which she discusses at length on a new episode of the Switchblade Sisters podcast, but I just recommended that recently (albeit a different version) with another Netflix Original. Zero Dark Thirty, though, seems to be a more significant influence, and not just because its also made by a woman.

Zero Dark Thirty for the grounded feel of it and the way that Kathryn [Bigelow] stayed with the action, Prince-Bythewoood tells Slashfilm of borrowing the hand-held style of filming. Shooting it in handheld with 65-millimeter cameras, which hadnt been done until now, because theyre so heavy. The clarity that they give, I just wanted to try it and props to our camera folks for doing that for sixty-three days. They did get massages every week. But also being able to really tell that story by being able to see the action, feel the action, and you certainly do that with what am I going to do with the handheld, being up in there.

Another of the Asian action movies that Prince-Bythewood names as an influence on The Old Guard. As she says about the lot of them in the BFI interview, Over here, we are desensitized a bit to violence. We watch people like Rambo, who kills a bunch of people and then hes pumping his fists and making a cool quip after it. In Asian cinema, you see the effect of it not only on the person that has been hurt or killed but on the person that did the killing. That makes for more interesting storytelling.

The plot of the first Raid movie doesnt have much in common with The Old Guard, but the climax of the latter does involve the main characters having to make their way to the top of a pharmaceutical companys building, where the evil CEO is hiding in the penthouse, killing many anonymous minions along the way. The Raid, meanwhile, follows a member of a police force making its way upward through a building to get to a crime boss, killing many anonymous minions along the way.

You might expect Blade of the Immortal to be the recommended Takashi Miike film, but 13 Assassins is the one that Prince-Bythewood acknowledges is among her influences. And at least the BFI interviewer assumes she means this remake and not the 1966 original. The film follows a bakers dozen men united to kill an evil feudal lord in 19th century Japan. Though its not likely a part of why Prince-Bythewood chose it, 13 Assassins does have a hint of an immortal character at the end.

Of the martial arts films included on this list, Prince-Bythewood has named The Raid the most in interviews. Ong Bak 2 is a close second, though, as being among her favorites. It goes without saying that you will likely first want to watch the original, Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior. But Ong Bak 2, which again stars Tony Jaa, is actually a prequel. So you should be just fine skipping the initial installment and watching this movie following the hero Tien during his martial arts training.

Years ago, Prince-Bythewood noted that she went through a whole Zhang Yimou phase just after film school. She apparently watched at least this one again in preparation for The Old Guard. Featuring Christopher Doyles most deliciously colorful cinematography, the wuxia film is set in Ancient China and stars Jet Li on a mission to kill a king after successfully defeating three other assassins, the stories of which are told in flashbacks.

When I think of immortal warriors, I first think of Highlander. The movie has spawned a number of sequels and television series, but for me, there can be only oneentry in the franchise. The big difference between Highlander and The Old Guard is that the immortals in the former are more powerful in their rarity, so some of them wish to eliminate all others like them. Also, they can be killed, and only be killed, by beheading, which made me wonder throughout The Old Guard what would happen to its characters if their heads were cut off.

As long as youre watching Highlander, which features Sean Connery in a supporting role as the immortal who trains and teaches the main character, you might as well also watch Zardoz. Connery stars in this movie one of his first big titles after retiring from the James Bond franchise for the second time and famously wears one of the most ridiculous costumes in all of cinema. Anyway, Zardoz is a weird post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie in which immortals rule over mortals. Of course, that description makes it sound like the plot of the movie is so simple when its anything but.

Charlize Therons character in The Old Guard, fully named Andromache of Scythia, is possibly based on the mythological character who was the wife of the Trojan prince and warrior Hector (and/or shes an Amazonian warrior, another way she links to Wonder Woman). The Trojan Women, adapted from the ancient Greek tragedy play by Euripides, stars Vanessa Redgrave as Andromache opposite Katherine Hepburn as Hecuba, Genevive Bujold as Cassandra, and Irene Papas as Helen. The story depicts the aftermath of the Trojan War as the surviving women consider what happens next for them and their ruined kingdom.

The same Andromache character appears in any number of other movies set during the Trojan War. In the most famous of these, 2004s Troy, Saffron Burrows plays the role. Patricia Marmont portrays her in a smaller capacity in the 1956 film Helen of Troy. As far as I can tell, there are no films featuring the Amazon called Andromache, who is more likely the inspiration for Andy in The Old Guard. Most movies featuring Amazonian warriors leave such character nameless. But there were Amazons in the Trojan War, so watching films like Troy and The Trojan Horse can sort of fit regardless.

Read more from the original source:

Watch The Old Guard, Then Watch These Movies - Film School Rejects

Ihsahn appears to be teasing new music, with the Emperor vocalist and guitarist uploading a short audio clip to his Instagram page.

The only piece of information to go along with the clip is the date July 17 this coming Friday. This could indicate a new track or his new five-track EP which would follow Telemark which was released in February this year.

Speaking previously with Prog, Ihsahn said that while Telemark represented his heavier side, the as-yet-untitled companion EP would show his more progressive side.

He said: The plan is to follow up this EP with its aesthetic and musical counterpart, wherein I can distil all those more progressive, experimental and mellow elements of my music.

Ultimately, its all a means for me to get some of those ideas out of my system, giving myself space before I delve into the next album.

Last month, Ihsahn revealed that he and Matt Heafywere continuing to work on theTrivium frontmans long-awaited Mrityu project while in lockdown.

He said: Me and Matt Heafy have been tracking some killer vocals.The current situation prevents us from travelling, but with this technology, it is almost like were in the same studio.

Matt is absolutely killing it and were making great progress every session.

The project first came to light eight years ago when Heafy was looking to explore his love of black metal.

Responding to Ihsahn's latest Instagram post, Heafy posted a row of 'mind-blown' emojis.

Continued here:

Ihsahn teases new music and hints it's coming later this week - Louder

This is the second in a series of invited responses to some of the big, unanswered questions facing Americas schools as they prepare to reopen in the fall. The Center on Reinventing Public Education, in partnership with The 74, fielded responses from a diverse roster of educators and policymakers in order to promote creative thinking and debate about how we can collectively meet student needs in an extraordinarily challenging school year, and beyond. You can see previous installments here.

Black and Brown children need a radical new beginning

By Lakisha Young

Oaklands education system was in crisis before COVID-19. One-third of our district schools are labeled as some of the lowest-performing schools in California.

Now, closing school buildings amid the pandemic has only raised the stakes, exacerbating the inequities that have left our Black and Brown students underserved and undereducated for decades.

When schools first closed, our leaders began describing steps they would take to ensure the continuity of learning. At The Oakland REACH, we are shouting from the rooftops to say we dont want that: The learning experience our children have been receiving cannot continue. Less than 30 percent of African-American and Latino students are reading on grade level. Continuity of learning keeps our kids on a pipeline to prison not college.

So, if you want to know what features our systems should keep in place, my answer is: None.

We need to tear down this system that has failed us for generations and rebuild it from scratch. We cant just work to bring our Black and Brown students closer to an equal playing field. We owe them a massive leg up that we build into the system from the start. And if theres ever going to be a moment when we have the community on board with this kind of bold thinking, it is now.

There is something new since this pandemic started that I do want to keep in place: the anger, the passion and the spotlight on injustice. I want to keep our demands for change too big and too loud to ignore.

For so long in Oakland, too many privileged folks have sat at make-believe tables of equity with Black Lives Matter signs in their windows. Meanwhile, they are taking full advantage of an out and exercising choice for their own kids, buying their way into expensive communities or sending their kids to private schools, while they fight to curb our families access to choice in policy debates.

Now, with a global pandemic and systemic racism thrust into our headlines every day, no one can look away and pretend injustice isnt there. We are all getting mad, and we are all demanding something new. But like a lot of people, I worry that this sense of urgency for change will fade. My hope is that from this painful time of massive upheaval in all of our lives will come inspiration to move forward with radical, innovative transformation for our kids. If that means staying loud and starting over, lets do it.

Lakisha Young is co-founder and executive director of The Oakland REACH, a parent-led group committed to empowering families from the most underserved communities to demand high-quality schools for our children.

Universal technology access: An overdue necessity, especially for students with disabilities

By Margaret Molloy

COVID-19 forced schools to seriously consider a long-overdue priority: one-to-one technology and universal internet access in and out of school.

Remote learning demands that every student have internet access and a laptop, something students with disabilities have needed for a long time. Now, any student with a disability can receive text-to-speech, read-aloud or other accommodations that allow them to access the curriculum at all times. Likewise, students learning English can use online dictionaries and translation features seamlessly.

Ubiquitous technology access allows all students to work the way adults do. When they find unfamiliar words and concepts, they look them up. When they need to figure out how to complete a task, they watch tutorials. If theyre reading a book set in a place thats unfamiliar to them, they can pull up a map. Technology is an essential tool, not a crutch; we must teach students the specific skills they need to expertly wield it.

Hopefully, now is when we realize that technology benefits all students so we can move beyond criticisms like Its too expensive, Thats an unfair advantage or The real world isnt like that. The real world is like that! All working adults rely on technology, and it behooves educators to strengthen the technological skills students can use to solve problems.

I have the privilege to work at a school that made tech and internet access a top priority upon closing for the pandemic. My school also cultivates community and trusting family relationships that enabled us to have not just a successful technology rollout but also a partnership culture that kept students and parents engaged in remote learning. We leveraged student relationships and family partnerships to ensure that students had access to all school-provided social services, including meals, mental health supports, translation services, rent relief and health consultations with our school nurse.

Had we not had these trusting relationships prior to the onset of the pandemic, the technological progress we made would not have happened. Schools have long served as community centers, and the pandemic proved that they must continue to do so.

Not all school districts made technology and internet access a priority, and not all districts sincerely strove to provide all students with the accommodations and social services they needed prior to or during the pandemic. After ensuring student and family safety and access to food, clothing, shelter and mental health services, technology access should be every districts priority.

Margaret Molloy is a fifth-grade English teacher at Excel Academy Chelsea in Massachusetts.

Teacher training, parent choice and technology access are three important areas of progress

By Louis Algaze

There are three educational areas that have had an increased focus that I would like to see continue: professional development for teachers on navigating the online learning environment, educational choice and an investment in technology.

Districts, schools and teachers in Florida moved quickly to transition to remote learning. With school in session, they had to be nimble and work with the infrastructure in place to finish out the year. The verdict is still out for many schools on plans for reopening in the fall, but many are evaluating a blend of traditional school and online courses. By providing teachers with more intensive training for the online classroom, districts can better prepare to make sure students education needs are met.

There is an increase in awareness of the educational choices available to families. The ability for parents to select the learning environment that best fits their childs needs is a critically important focus. Some families may find that a comprehensive online education is a better fit for their child. Others may feel it is not right for them. Regardless, it is imperative that we put the needs of our students first.

Technology and internet access are key to an online or blended learning environment. Investing in devices and internet access for students and teachers, as well as expanded server capacity, will bridge the digital divide and ensure that students are able to stay on track with their education. Florida Virtual School created an online learning community as a free resource with best practices, information, webinar recordings and more for teachers, school administrators and parents who are new to the online learning environment. We also upgraded servers and systems to expand our capacity to be able to support up to 2.7 million students in Florida.

This is an important safety net that is now in place, should we see a need in the future.

Louis Algaze is president and CEO of Florida Virtual School.

The future of education: Parents living, working and learning alongside their children

By Cath Fraise

A quiet revolution is going on that is not just about education. It is about reinventing the way we live, learn and work, and it is about having flexibility in how families can organize their lives. Gone are the days when every family was subjected to the snails pace of large, highly regulated, self-serving systems that did not serve their needs.

Families are waking up to the fact that children do not need to be in a school five days a week to learn. In fact, learning happens all the time, and there is an abundance of resources that configure learning to suit the needs of every member of a family. The conventional structure of schooling is inefficient, and it breeds conformity and passive consumption of material that is learned outside of context and soon forgotten.

We actually need the opposite: a generation of divergent thinkers, solving real-world problems, finding meaning and collaborating with others, preferably embedded in a community.

During this time, liberated from the four walls of a classroom, children are getting a chance to explore. Parents are finding online spaces where children can safely discover what resonates with them. People are also finding that you can build a powerful and dynamic community online quite well just look at teens playing multiplayer video games. To create such a community, you just need to be meeting regularly to master something together.

The schools of the future will be combinations of online and offline interdependent communities, with families coming together to create the education they need for their children by choosing from a vast array of available options. It is already happening. Families will be able to customize their lifestyles as easily as their Starbucks orders.

A new type of social architecture will be a fixture in every town or school system: a vibrant co-learning community with professional guidance to serve every child, with an attached co-working space for parents to reinvent themselves, learn alongside their children or lend their own expertise to the learning community. After all, we are all lifelong learners.

There are many benefits of creating communities of learners, and schools need to be exploded into vibrant learning communities with much more flexibility. This requires a shift in perspective, and the pandemic has opened up the possibility to design the learning infrastructure of the future.

Cath Fraise is the founder and executive director of Workspace Education, a co-learning community in Bethel, Connecticut, and the founder of the International Association of Colearning Communities.

We cant simply return to normal; normal didnt work for many kids

By John Deasy

This pandemic has been a terrible event. It has laid bare the known, but often not discussed, situation that many youth and, in particular, youth who live in circumstances of poverty and peril were never getting a quality education. These youth have constantly fallen behind their peers academically and in terms of access to quality instruction and supports. For decades, their outcomes have been tragic, even before the pandemic.

I often hear the phrase We must get back to normal. I hope we do not go back to normal, the way things used to be, because it was never good for so many of our youth. I urge us to use this horrible event to establish a new normal, one that so many have hoped for and tried to establish for so long.

Therefore, among the things that would be good to keep from our unplanned national experiment with distance learning are the new methods of building and sustaining constant connection with families and youth. Weekly calls, principal and superintendent town halls, home visits, and customized tutorials for those who never had tutorial support are among a few examples. Another is the creation of astonishing content and interactive processes that teachers have created out of whole cloth and, more importantly, shared with their colleagues. The experience of seeing true open-source material created by teachers, and teachers helping each other, has been a joy in a dark time.

We must never give up the practices that engage families and youth in authentic ways. Learning and the development of executive function are communal events in so many ways. Returning to classrooms from a distance learning format will give us the opportunity to learn again the power of individual and collective support, in and out of the classroom.

Lastly, among the less-discussed results of distance learning has been a dramatic fall in reports of bullying. In fact, many students report this as a bright spot on the terrible times we are going through. When we return from distance learning, we must not give up on a bullying-free experience for all.

John Deasy is the former superintendent of Stockton and Los Angeles unified school districts.

Our families need a more resilient education system

By Brbara Rivera Batista

Understanding the basic needs and circumstances of each student and family has been key to our purpose. Aiming to eradicate poverty is our mission. We help the next generation succeed by providing an excellent education for young people, sustainable economic alternatives for their parents and social-emotional resources for families.

Vimenti School is in its second year of operation as the first charter school in Puerto Rico, with 92 students from kindergarten through second grade and 83 families, 80 percent of them living under the poverty level.

COVID-19, like many other disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, has continuously impacted our students and families. And focusing and maintaining a connection with the families have proved essential.

A census of our families at the beginning of the pandemic showed that 65 percent did not have computers at home, 47 percent did not have internet access, and 31 percent lost their jobs during this challenging period. We needed to move fast to address those challenges in a creative way.

Focusing on family relationships was crucial to ensuring their well-being. Weekly calls from case managers, teachers, and economic and health support staff were part of the family support network.

Other efforts include cash assistance for families, internet connectivity, and identifying the necessary equipment and platforms for distance learning.

To accommodate the needs and challenges of distance learning without devices or connectivity was difficult. Teachers were very sensitive to these situations and worked with each family to provide support. This time of remote learning has strengthened teachers ability to be empathetic, meeting families where they are, and creating solutions that will work for everyone. This will continue into the next phase of remote, hybrid or in-person learning, and we must not forget how important it is to have strong school-home relationships to meet students needs.

Individualized instruction, sending assignments to students homes, was the first step to education continuity, but we knew that not all children and parents could handle information in the same way. We organized students into small groups according to their needs and looked for ways to reach everyone according to their resources. We transferred the classroom structure to an online environment, meeting the students at their levels. From now on, maintaining an alternative system for teaching will be crucial to ensuring that we are able to continuously serve our community and fulfill our mission.

Brbara Rivera Batista is director of Vimenti School, an initiative of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico and the first public charter school on the island.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated our distance learning infrastructure overnight

By John Legg

We have learned some valuable lessons as a result of transforming our brick-and-mortar classrooms into digital remote learning experiences.

First, educators no longer fear technology and can use it to provide content, assess students and collaborate. This forced immersion into remote learning has demonstrated that educators can be proficient with digital curricula and platforms if we give them the support they need.

Too often, school leaders underestimate the skills and ability of our educators to integrate content and technology.

Educators have awakened to the idea that they are able to unlock a wealth of resources that make learning more engaging, efficient, relevant and easily accessible to a broader range of learners. This spring, I witnessed educators collaborating and using innovative educational programs such as Nearpod, Newsella, Loom, Kahoot and Quizizz.

However, no software could substitute for live, real-time interaction between students and their teachers and classmates. As students interacted with the teacher and their peers, the level of engagement, excitement and learning increased dramatically.

Second, students are masters of technology and need the proper connectivity, digital devices and instructional platform to succeed. When digital resources are available to everyone, learners of all socioeconomic backgrounds can excel. Too often, adults make excuses for why learners cant do something, before even allowing the students to attempt to succeed. At the charter school I co-founded, in a matter of hours, learners as young as kindergarten were navigating educational platforms such as Schoology and Google Classroom. Students were uploading and downloading lessons and interacting with teachers and other students often with little to no assistance from adults. The challenge is ensuring that each learner has a functioning device. The low cost of Chromebooks allowed us, as a tech-oriented school, to provide a device for each learner. We partnered with our local internet provider so all learners were able to have access to free internet.

Finally, rigorous content, collaboration and customization must be safeguarded and not sacrificed. Far too often, schools inadvertently focus on digital implementation, instead of actual learning, as the goal. Educators must resist the temptation to simply celebrate the success of delivering digital content. We need to make sure the content itself remains robust and rigorous. A less-than-engaging in-person educator will be the same lackluster educator via distance learning perhaps even more lackluster. But great educators can deliver engaging lessons that enable all learners to reach their intellectual potential even in the face of a global pandemic.

John Legg is co-founder and business administrator of Dayspring Academy, a pre-K-12 charter school near Tampa. He served for 12 years in the Florida Legislature, including four as chairman of the Senate Education Committee.

The current crisis has forced some important innovations

By Jennifer Charlot

Some say that the only way education will change is if a monumental event causes the system to fall off a cliff. It could be argued that the system has fallen.

This sudden fall has had serious consequences. It has not only exposed, but deepened, inequities. However, as we observe in 3 Jobs That Matter for Schools Navigating a COVID World, it has also forced schools to lean into reinvention and opened space for educators to unlock their own innovation potential.

For example:

Understanding learners lives: Having learning occur in the home can make it much more intimate. It enables educators to see whether their students prefer to work at a table or under their bunk bed. They meet the family pets. Parents and siblings pop in to say hello. What happens in the home is top of mind and cant be ignored. This level of vulnerability creates the possibility for deeper relationships.

Relevance: Students are getting bored; they arent signing on. This concern plagued many educators and caused them to ask what they could do to make learning more engaging. Some opted for more relevancy a shift that learning science has been pushing for years. For example, instead of doing science worksheets, some students were asked to study the soil samples in their backyard and explain their findings on a video call with their peers. Others assumed the role of journalists and investigated the lives of essential workers during the COVID pandemic.

Family engagement: This homeschool situation has invited families to gain closer insight into learning and determine their own views on their childrens education. In the best of situations, teachers are coaching caregivers on how to support learners, and families are doing more than ensuring compliance with schoolwork. At one school we work with, families advocated that teachers send a smaller amount of disconnected work home and instead make assignments more coherent.

Learner agency and personalization: When asked, one of the biggest things students elevate when reflecting on distance learning is the control they have over their time. It also enables teachers to target their attention to the learners who need it most for more extended periods of time. This kind of individual attention was rare in our pre-COVID learning environment.

These changes arent universal, but where they are happening, we shouldnt turn back.

Jennifer Charlot is a partner at Transcend, where she focuses on school design services and learning science. Transcend is a national nonprofit organization focused on supporting communities to create and spread extraordinary and equitable designs of school.

Excerpt from:

Reality Check: What Will It Take to Reopen Schools Amid the Pandemic? 8 Experts Weigh In on What Parts of Remote Learning and In-Person Teaching We...

Sally McMullen 0:13Hey, everyone, welcome back to Pocket Money. It's Sally here and I've got my lovely co host Kate with me. Right now many of us are experiencing a lot of change. Whole industries are on ice right now, while others have had to pivot fast. We're also fast on track to record unemployment numbers, and with a recession nipping at our heels, plenty of career plans and dreams might be feeling a little crushed right now.

Kate Browne 0:41So how can you plan a career during a global crisis? Our guest today Kate Richardson used to be a high flying marketing executive who worked at Sydney Opera House network 10 and agency Naked Communications as well as a suite of other places before she hit her own career crisis and pivot a few years ago. Kate pulled plug on both her career trajectory and her hometown of Sydney when she decided to move to Melbourne and pursue a completely different career as an executive career coach and career mentor. Kate is joining us today to talk about what she's learned about the career pivot from her own experience and what she's learned from others and helping them grow to. Kate, thanks for joining us today. The world of work seems extremely different to the way it looks in February. Would that be fair?

Kate Richardson 1:30It is, Kate. We've seen a lot of industries up ended a lot of people losing their jobs and I think people generally just rethinking their and companies rethinking their relationship to work and how they actually run their workforce.

Kate Browne 1:41Yeah. What are you seeing out there at the moment, obviously, as you said, there's people losing their jobs, there's underemployment, a lot of lack of stability, but also like trends that are emerging.

Kate Richardson 1:52Well, that's the thing Kate COVID has really just added fuel to the fire. There's a lot of changes that we've already been seeing in the world of work in what I call the 21st century career. So 21st century career is really defined by two things. And the first one is meaning. So we're all looking for a little bit more purpose in our work. There's a great quote that says we've traded up from money to meaning. So once upon a time work was something that you just did and there was a kind of grin and bear it attitude. But increasingly, we don't want to go and spend all day in a job that makes us miserable, or doesn't really bring us that much joy. So I think also COVID has prompted people to reflect on what work means and what they really want to do with their career, even if they feel a little bit too scared at this point to do something different. And the other trend is mobility. So we're all moving around a lot more. We're all much more likely to have more jobs, multiple careers and spend less time in all of them. And that's not just because of COVID. But you know, there's a real trend over time towards companies cutting costs and looking to more outsourcing arrangements. And so tech is a really big part of that story. And that's really enabling a more on demand work. Culture and it's also giving rise to trends we're seeing, like the gig economy or the portfolio career, and I'm expecting to see a lot more people shift into a portfolio career as a result of COVID. Because that's what we saw after the GFC. Obviously, people were stood down from their jobs or forced to think about work a little bit differently. The research says, while they may have started out doing that, out of necessity, what's happened is it's become something that people actually aspire to and want to maintain. So, in the UK, for example, a lot of people working in the gig economy are professional workers. They're not just Uber drivers, or, you know, delivery cyclists. So there really is quite a shift towards professionals and a range of industries moving into more flexible work and running a portfolio career.

Kate Browne 3:46You mentioned the gig economy. So that's things like Uber driving stuff you can pick up and drop as you like, is that right?

Kate Richardson 3:53Well, I think it's broader than that. You know, I can start a business now which I've done from my own lounge room because you know, the internet and the fact that we're all a lot more connected, the tools are more widely available, you know, doing that kind of thing is a lot more accessible. And as I mentioned, because companies are looking to more outsourcing solutions, or they're looking to employ contractors or more casual workers is a greater opportunity for more of us to combine a number of different jobs. And there's a great saying that says, we've gone from one job for life through to five jobs over a career and now five jobs all at once.

Kate Browne 4:25I'm seeing a lot of people doing that these days.

Kate Richardson 4:28That's right. And that's how I actually started my business. So I started out as a marketing consultant, which which builds on my background and gave me a secure income and a runway from which to launch my business. And at the same time, I've been developing my career development and training practice. So I've definitely living the 21st century career and enjoying having a portfolio of different roles.

Sally McMullen 4:48So okay, 2020 almost feels like a bit of a limbo year or like we're on pause right now. And I know in a few conversations I've had with friends who were maybe planning to switch jobs or ask for a raise this year - they're a little bit scared to do that. Because you know, a lot of places are doing phrases on hiring or you know, giving raises and stuff like that. So what are your thoughts on that? Can you still plan a career path during a crisis like Coronavirus?

Kate Richardson 5:18Absolutely. And that's because making changes in your career, whether it's moving to a new job or doing something different altogether, always take longer than you anticipate. So career change, on average takes about two years now you can do it more quickly. But by the time you identify what you want to do, and you design your path, we're actually getting to that point, time really does get away. So at the moment, I'm working with someone who is making a shift from working in operations in advertising, into change management in the corporate sector, and she's a real go getter, and she's upskilling and she's building lots of new relationships and expanding her network. So I'm thinking that she's going to make that shift within six months, but that's not always the case.

Kate Browne 6:00What are some of the things people could do right now if they wanted to plan their career and start plotting that next move?

Kate Richardson 6:06Whenever you're thinking about your version of a happy, satisfying career and what your next move is, the first thing you need to do is get into the explorers mindset. Because what happens is we get very attached to the plan, we get very attached to figuring out trying to figure out what the answer is. And that's actually what ends up holding us back. Because it's really hard, isn't it to imagine what a new job or different career might actually entail. And often we know that we want to do something different. We know that we don't like what we're doing, but we're not really sure how to get started or where to begin. So sort of letting go of the plan. And leaning into the idea of different possibilities is really important in 21st century career because it is more uncertain, it is more unpredictable, and not just because of COVID. So this idea of long term planning isn't so relevant anymore. And the first place to start really is thinking about what are my values because values define and drive a lot of the ways that you think about your career and a lot of the ways that you make decisions. So when you understand what your values are, you can actually think more about what you aspire to do, you can think about the kind of work that is meaningful for you. And you can also make better decisions along the way, if you're presented with a job a company A that really fits well with what matters to you, then that's going to be more appealing, and maybe a company that doesn't quite have a culture that matches up to your values. So like two sides of a coin. So the other side of that coin is strengths, really getting to know what am i great at and what you want to do is work out not just what you're really good at, because we can all be good at things and be really capable, but not necessarily enjoy them. So true strength is something that you feel really energised by, you know, that you're really excited by and that you're brilliant at. And when you understand your values and strengths. That's a great starting point for uncovering or discovering the kind of work that you're going to find really satisfying and the other thing it does It helps you build your confidence. And it helps you build language around how to talk about yourself. Let me give you an example. We've all been in that job interview when someone has said, So okay, Sally, tell me about yourself. And what are we doing? Well, I was working at this company, and then I was working that company. And then I was doing this. And then I was doing that we'll kind of get into the ramble, we start rattling off a catalogue of our jobs, when what we really want to do is talk about what we bring, you know, the value that we deliver because of the strength that we have, and the impact that we're able to make. So I've got a little technique, which I like to teach people, it's very simple, but it's called the three things. So when someone says, No, Kate, tell me about yourself. Instead of going on the ramble, you say, well, the three themes that really define my career are, for example, transforming teams, driving innovation, designing experiences that people love. So you're basically encapsulating the story of your career, the things that you're really great at and the impact that you've made over, you know your recent path into three punchy points. And you learn to talk about each one for about 30 to 40 seconds. And it helps you walk into a career conversation, whether it's an interview or a chat with someone in your network in a more confident way. So you can start that conversation from a point of authority and feel really good about yourself about how you're showing up and what you actually have to offer.

Kate Browne 9:23That's a really cool tip and something and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. I get the sense now a lot of organisations are recruiting people they think are a good fit without being overly prescriptive about the role. Is that something you're seeing out there as well these days?

Kate Richardson 9:37Look, there is definitely a trend towards finding people that fit with the culture or the team and recognising that skills are something you can teach but attitude is hard to cultivate. I think it's still really important for organisations to focus on competencies and the skills that people bring because sometimes when we interview people and we do go straight to that idea of the fit, we can bring our own unconscious biases to the table. No, we can look for people who are kind of like us, that we feel really comfortable with when actually what we know works in teams and organisations is diversity, diversity of thinking and diversity of people.

Sally McMullen 10:14So Kate, we've seen the numbers of unemployment rise massively in Australia as a result to Coronavirus. And it will probably continue to do so now that we're in a recession. So how competitive is the job market right now?

Kate Richardson 10:28Look, it is super competitive. We know that that's been the case over the last sort of four or five years anyway. But an employer may receive say 250 resumes for one position through your typical online job site like LinkedIn or a seek, and I expect to see that increase. Also, if you're going for a job at a company that's highly coveted or a role that's really appealing then you might even see more applicants than that. So as an example, Google received 50,000 resumes a week. So that's obviously a lot of people who want to work at Google because it's sexy, and it's well paid and all the rest. But what it means, Sally is that the whole process of applying for jobs online, you know, uploading a resume to one of the big job sites, you know, it really just doesn't get you very far, only 2% of people get their job by applying online. So in this climate where it's super competitive, if that's why you're doing your job search, then you need to do something different. And there's a couple of things I'd recommend. And the first one is, you've got to build relationships with people, you've got to expand your network, you know, just talked about the importance of building rapport and looking for fit in an interview, you need to get yourself to the point where you can actually get into the interview. And you need to think about networking, building relationships as a long term game, you need to think of it as hey, I've got to put a few dollars in the bank now and maybe I'll be able to make some withdrawals down down the track. So you need to look at the types of companies that you want to work for, or people that you admire. You know, industries, you might be able to open doors for you and start building those relationships, build your profile, build your presence. The truth is that networking is simply people helping people. And when you can shift your mindset around that, that can make a big difference, because that's usually what stops people working on expanding their network in the first place. Find people who can help you learn more about the path that you want to travel on, people who can open doors and help you. But also, you need to see people who are doing what you might aspire to do so that you can see it's actually possible. And the truth is, you know, there's that great saying that you are the average of the five people closest to you. And I think that's relevant here. Because if you can find people who are doing what you want to do, and if you can spend time with them, there's more chance that you'll end up doing that as well.

Sally McMullen 12:46Do you have any tips on how to find people like that say, like you said, maybe you are pivoting your career and you don't have those connections already? Do you have any tips on how to do that, especially in like maybe this social distancing climate that we're in right now,

Kate Richardson 13:01You can start with your own network in the sense that often your network might know people who know people. Have a conversation with the network and at the end of that conversation, always ask, Is there anyone that you'd recommend that I can speak to and often conversations will come out of that. The other way is quite simply to you know, do some research on LinkedIn, find people who are thought leaders, or have the kind of career that you're aspiring to have in a particular industry or profession, start following them, start engaging with their content on LinkedIn, start building that relationship and start learning from them. Say, for example, you wanted to move into product management for additional perspective. Maybe you work in marketing or a completely different area and you're interested in product management, then what you want to do is make a list of maybe the top 10 or 15 companies that you would be interested in or love to work at. And spend time on LinkedIn, really understanding who are the people in that company which might influence hiring decisions which might work in the area of product management or Might interface with that, and start building a relationship with them. So reach out, connect with them find a common point of interest that allows you to just smooth over that connection. Be helpful. You know, maybe there's an article that you've seen, that was really interesting on some of the trends around product management that you could share with that person. And there's lots of little ways that you can start to reach out to people build those relationships. And LinkedIn is an amazing tool for that. The other thing is, you should think about your networking in the context of the kind of person that you are. So if you're more extroverted than yeah, maybe group meetups, even online are a place where you might really thrive and enjoy being around a lot of people. If you're more introverted, then maybe one on one catch ups or smaller groups or smaller settings might be more suitable for you.

Kate Browne 14:45Tech has really given well even introverts, I guess that that opportunity to connect without it being too scary or intimidating. I think, you know, I think a lot of people turn to stone at the idea of having to walk into a room and network. When to allows you to have you know it's quite intimate isn't it without being - you don't have to have amazing social skills. We'll take a little well it's not really a break because we're gonna make you work even harder, Kate. But it is it is game, which often makes people feel even more terrified but Sally and I like to play. It's called overrated and underrated so we'll throw a topic, you can tell us whether you think it's overrated or underrated and you can riff on why

Sally McMullen 15:26Okay working from home - overrated or underrated?

Kate Richardson 15:30For me, it's underrated. I mean, I did corporate training the other day in my Ugg boots and I thought wow, this is this is pretty good but I do think it can easily go to overrated if you don't create those boundaries between work and home if you don't put rules in place around when to shut the laptop at night and when to switch off.

Kate Browne 15:46Next one you've mentioned quite a lot but I'm keen to get your overrated or underrated. LinkedIn. Some people hate linked to him and say terrible things about it. You've mentioned a lot of positive things. Is it overrated or underrated?

Kate Richardson 15:58I'll look I think it's definitely out. Right for anyone who's looking to develop their career or find a job, you know, it's a really, really important tool. The other thing is that only 1% of people who are on LinkedIn post content there. So it's very different to other platforms like Instagram or Facebook where you know, everybody's posting. So there's a real opportunity for you to have a voice, build your brand, create content that supports you know, what you want to be known for, and build your presence on LinkedIn. It's a huge opportunity.

Kate Browne 16:30I've really enjoyed your content, Kate. And that's partly how we found you today. I've also started posting stuff and you do get quite a bit of engagement, surprisingly, considering how few people are doing it, but the people that do it are often quite senior in roles I've noticed and also are quite engaged. So yeah, it's a plus one for me as well. I used to make fun of it, but I got my last job through LinkedIn. So there you go. Kate, getting a degree, overrated or underrated.

Kate Richardson 16:56I'm probably on the fence in this one case, in the sense that in the old days in inverted commas, we did leave school, get out, you know, education, whether it was a degree or some kind of tertiary education, go and start the job and stick with it. But now we need to be lifelong learners. So, you know, a degree can be a really important part of education at the start of our career. But we need to keep learning throughout we need to keep developing skills. You know, Kevin Kelly, who is the founder of Wired talks about the fact that we all need to think of ourselves as endless newbies because things are changing all the time. And we need to stay in this mindset of lifelong learning. The other thing is that universities themselves are recognising that, you know, a lot of the ways that they construct their degrees are becoming outdated, and they're not actually, you know, serving the 21st-century career. So, as an example, they're looking at creating degrees that run over a longer period of time and that you almost bite off in smaller chunks. So a degree might go for six years, but it might be something you do at the same time that you work and it might be desired might evolve in change over time.

Kate Browne 18:01Alright, thank you for playing again. It's been very enlightening. Okay, flipping to money and you know, Pocket Money is a money show. What role should money play in career decisions?

Kate Richardson 18:14And this is a really interesting one, Kate, I think first off, you know, decisions need to start with with your values and something money can be connected to that. So for example, if one of your values is security or stability, and that's really important to you in your life, then maybe having that paycheck, hit the bank account every month is going to be critical to you, which might mean that freelancing is a bit more of a challenging option for you because it is a little more insecure. Or it might mean if you were to start your own business, it might have to be a side business that you can combine with a more secure, part time paid job because it's going to give you that security that you need. The other thing to mention is that if you make a decision that's purely based on money and not the job itself, it's unlikely to make you happy. We know that the things that intrinsically motivated at work are things like purpose, and we touched on this earlier. So finding some kind of meaning in the work that you do. The second one is autonomy. So having a level of control over the way that you work and the kind of work that you do, and the third one is mastery. So being able to do work that helps you be your best, you know, and that goes back to that conversation we had earlier about strengths, you know, when you are in a role that plays to your strengths, that's when you perform at your best, you know, you learn faster, you are more engaged, and you're generally more more satisfied. There was some interesting research done by Princeton University A few years ago, and what it showed was that money only makes you happy to a point so they found that the more a person's annual income falls below and in this case, it was the US so it was us $75,000 the unhappier the person felt bad once they reach that threshold of $75,000, they ey really didn't get any happier. So if it went up to 100 or 110, the gains in happiness that came with that salary increase, were really minimal or non existent. So it's a good lesson for us all. We think that money is the answer, but it's not necessarily the case.

Sally McMullen 20:16I love that. That's such an important thing to remember because I think so many of us, like when we're talking about Korea, we're not talking about the skills or you know, the types of jobs, we're talking about the pay bracket that we want to hit. And, yeah, that can be really problematic, obviously. And Kate, you've had some personal experience of making a huge career pivot. What did you learn? And do you have any advice for people who are thinking of doing the same

Kate Richardson 20:42thing that I learned is that you've really got to let go of the plan and lean into this idea of possibilities and I touched on the explorers mindset early, and that's what really helped me make my pivot. So once I've done that worked around values and strengths. Once I had a sense of what do I want my working life to be like? I identify It's impossibilities that aligned with that. So one of them was a marketing consultant. And as I mentioned earlier, I've been doing some of that work. One of them was this work that I do around coaching, training. And essentially, that's all I knew. But what I set out to do was explore and test those possibilities. So I started doing independent marketing consulting. And on the coaching side, I did some training and coaching. I did some pro bono coaching. I ran some workshops for friends of friends around career change, I borrowed a room, I got people in, I figured out my workshop. And it was really through that process of exploring and testing that I discovered that yes, this is something that I really want to do. So I encourage everybody to let go of the plan. Think about some possibilities that align with those things that I mentioned. And then figure out how can you start experimenting? How can you start exploring testing and typically we do this in two ways. One is we run experiments as I mentioned, so whether that's upskilling, during the short course, it might be doing a side project, which is really how I started, it could be volunteering, doing some work experience somewhere, joining a board, whatever it is anything that gives you a great insight and helps you learn more about that path. Because often a career or job is, it's just a vague idea in our mind, and we don't really know what it's actually like, or whether we enjoy it. And what happens is when you're thinking about changing careers is it feels very daunting. You know, it feels like oh, it's a big leap. I'm not exactly sure what's on the other side. But by going through this process of experimenting and having conversations with new people who are really doing that, that's ultimately what gives you the confidence to take that next step.

Kate Browne 22:39That's awesome. Kate, to finish, what would be the three things you'd say to someone who's maybe struggling with their career or wanting to make a change? What would be your three key pieces of advice for right now?

Kate Richardson 22:48The first one would be to get in that explorers mindset. So forget about committing to change, forget about the long term plan. Just think how can I explore this possibility or this career path a little bit further. through conversations, or a little bit of upskilling, whatever it might be. And when it comes to upskilling. The other thing I'd say is don't do it from a place of insecurity, do it because you're interested in it or do it because you think it would add something to your skill set. But often, when we're in a place of transition, or we've been stripped down from our job, we might be feeling a bit vulnerable in a particular area. So make sure you you're doing it from the right place. The second thing is shift your mindset around networking. So as we touched on earlier, sometimes people think that networking is, you know, it's a little bit sleazy, or they don't feel comfortable. Remember, it's just people helping people. And if only 2% of online job applications are actually successful, there's got to be a better way. And networking is a big part of that better way. And the third point is doing that work. I mentioned around values and strengths. And there's lots of tools online that can help with that and then getting clear on how you talk about yourself. So using that technique that I mentioned earlier around the three themes.

Sally McMullen 23:57I love that and I'm sure all of those tips will be so helpful for so many people listening right now who are thinking of maybe making a change or who are looking for, for a new job. It's definitely a tough time right now. But those tips definitely help.

Kate Richardson 24:11It is a tough time. And I think part of navigating uncertainty is just continuing to take small steps. You know, it's one small step after another, forget about the grand plan. Just take another step, because action is what actually feels confidence. And there's a lovely virtual circle that happens where confidence in pushes you forward to take another action. So the more small steps you can take, the more likely you are to get to where you want to go.

Kate Browne 24:35Great advice. Thank you so much for joining us today, Kate. It's given me lots to think about. I love the idea of the explorers mindset. Particularly I think that's something all of us even if we're in a role at the moment, should have and keep developing.

Kate Richardson 24:49That's great. Thanks, Kate. And thanks, Sally.

Kate Browne 24:53Wow, that's left me really inspired. I think I've had some really great points I've never really thought about in terms of planning your career Oh, networking and keeping your eye on the ball about where you want to go, going forward.

Sally McMullen 25:05Yeah, I totally agree, especially, you know, some of the stuff that she was saying about how just taking those little steps can really help boost your confidence. I feel like so many people have been hit again and again and again by 2020. But also probably just like life in general. And it's really hard not to like fall into that slump. And you know, pick yourself up because it's just like, a bit daunting, isn't it?

Kate Browne 25:30It is. And something that we tend to do is we remember our negative experiences and our knockbacks. But we don't often remember our wins. And in fact, Kate was talking about with us offline, how it's really important to track all your wins so you can actually review them and remind yourself that you are making progress because yeah, your own mind can be a little deceptive and you can get into a real funk when things are going tough. So I think Yeah, that was great advice. Whether you're in a job, whether you're planning for new job or you you're looking for new opportunity. It's really really good advice.

Sally McMullen 26:01Yes. It's like that awkward thing that I said in an interview six years ago is what keeps me up at 3am. Not like the wins that I've had since then.

Kate Browne 26:09Yeah, why are our minds so cruel? look great advice in there. We'll have plenty of stuff in the show notes as well. Kate's sending I wrote some of her top tips. We'll have links to her stuff. And also check out LinkedIn if you haven't Kate's a big fan and I've become one of late so I'll be posting this conversation on LinkedIn too so check me out if you're there. But for today, that's a wrap. Everything mentioned as I said is in the shownotes today. It's finder.com.au/podcast.

Sally McMullen 26:41And if you like the show, feel free to leave us a review on Apple podcasts and tell a friend and join us on Instagram at Pocket Money podcast for all of the behind the scenes, extra money tips, and feel free to slide into our DMS and let us know if there's anything that you want us to to cover on the show

Kate Browne 27:01Thanks again to Kate Richardson for joining us her partner Claire, who sorted out some of the audio stuff before we came online. Pocket Money is hosted by Sally and Kate produced by Ankita Shetty and editing is by Brianna Ansoldo from Bamby Media. That's it from us this week. I'll see you on LinkedIn SallyTranscribed by https://otter.ai

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Podcast: Career planning in the time of coronavirus - finder.com.au - finder.com.au

For readers looking for an educational and fun way to beat both the heat and the coronavirus blues this summer, the Alliance Historical Society may just have an answer.

The society has launched "Marking Time in Alliance," a series of videos on its YouTube channel, called Alliance History. The videos are the brainchild of Karen and Jim Perone, who long have been affiliated with the group.

Karen, a past president and current board member of the historical society, and Jim, a former board member, told The Review they have been uploading entries in the series for the past six months. They were inspired by similar videos in other communities.

Now, thanks to their industriousness, residents can learn of the Stark County connection to the Sultana tragedy, when a steamboat exploded near Memphis in 1865. Other videos include lively, entertaining lessons on the Main Street Caboose, the intriguingly named Goat Hill, and the Lexington Quaker Cemetery.

Having watched several, we can attest that they make viewers see familiar landmarks with fresh eyes and an increased awareness of the role they have played in local history.

We look forward to future installments, especially if one includes an abbreviated history of Alliances most visible landmark, Glamorgan Castle, and the citys connection to the scarlet carnation. And, while were in a requesting frame of mind, weve always wanted to know more about the infamous olive poisoning of 1919.

With no Greater Alliance Carnation Festival this summer or its informational tours at various historical sites, these videos are the best way to increase our knowledge of local history.

Applause all around to the Perones for their willingness to research, write and record these video nuggets and extend the Alliance Historical Societys reach online.

Color us ready for coronavirus relief

Gov. Mike DeWines release of a color-coded system for virus threats provides necessary clarity to Ohioans during the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the system, counties are assigned the color yellow if they are at level one (active exposure and spread), orange for level two (increased exposure and spread), red for level three (very high exposure and spread) or purple for level four (severe exposure and spread).

Stark and Mahoning counties, and thus much of The Reviews readership, are both orange at the time of this writing. This means, according to the state, that residents should "exercise [a] high degree of caution."

DeWine has issued orders for mandatory face coverings in public for counties designated red or above. (No county is yet purple, although Franklin County is close.)

Readers are reminded that, in the considered medical opinions of many experts, masks are one of the best ways to limit the spread of the virus. They may not be mandated in public for Alliance residents, but this doesnt mean they arent highly recommended.

Based solely on anecdotal evidence, recent days have seen an uptick in the number of local folks who are wearing masks in public. This is terrific, as the more people who do so, the better the chances of putting this virus in our rearview mirrors.

And despite strong differences of opinion about coronavirus, one thing everybody can agree on is that we cant put it behind us soon enough.

Excerpt from:

Editorial: Getting historical on YouTube - News - The Review - The-review

AUGUST Alsina shared a cryptic message in the wake of Jada Pinkett Smith confirming her romance with the 27-year-old singer.

Following August's revelation in early July that he had been in love with the actress, the 48-year-old admitted to a relationship with the rapper when he was 23 during a break from her marriage to Will Smith.

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However, in the hours after Jada's appearance on her Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk, he took to social media to reveal he was moving on, writing: "Anyway, NEXT!!!"

He tweeted: "Imagine not knowing how to mind the business that pay you.

"I catch all the subliminals. (Not just about today) & you can call me whatever you like, Mess is constantly inserting yourself in topics you have nun to do w/. Go play w/ ya MAMMY! Not me!"

He added: "If you have something to say, say it w/ ya CHEST kids.

"Its always very perplexing cause I real deal be showing people genuine love. Whole time that envy eating ya lil heart. Anyway, NEXT!!! (sic)"

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His comments came after Jada explained that she had met August through their then 18-year-old son Jaden.

Jada said: "Four-and-a-half years ago [I] started a friendship with August and we became really, really good friends and it all started with him just needing some help, me wanting to help his health and mental state."

Speaking directly to Will in the heart-to-heart chat, Jada shared: "The outpouring for him from our family was initially about his health.

"We found all those different resources to help pull him through and, from there, you and I were going through a very difficult time."

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Will, 51, added: "I was done with your a**, marriages have that though," to which Jada said: "We broke up."

Pushing her to continue, Will asked: "And then what did you do, Jada?"

She replied: "As time went on I got into a different kind of entanglement with August."

When Will asked what she meant by entanglement, his wife told him: "It was a relationship, absolutely."

Who is August Alsina?

August is 27 years old and from New Orleans.

He began singing aged 14 and started uploading covers to YouTube, and as a singer-songwriter, he is most known for his hit I Luv This S*** with Trinidad James.

His music falls into the hip hop and R&B genres.

August had a troubled childhood as both his dad and stepdad were addicted to crack cocaine, then he later got kicked out of home by his mum.

He's been open about his own health issues in recent years; in 2014 he collapsed on stage and a few years later revealed he has an autoimmune disease that attacks his liver, causing him health scares.

Jada refused to call the relationship a "transgression," revealing she "learned so much" about herself during that time but said "it was a little weird" it was coming out now as August had chosen to stop all contact when she reunited with Will.

August had formed a friendship with the family in 2015, accompanying the famous clan on a vacation to Hawaii in 2016 and attending the 2017 BET Awards with Jada.

But he made bombshell revelations in an interview in July, in which he claimed: "I actually sat down with Will [Smith] and had a conversation due to the transformation from their marriage to life partnership... he gave me his blessing."

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POSH BASHBeckhams pull out all the stops and share sweet snaps for Harper's ninth birthday

He added: "I totally gave myself to that relationship for years of my life, and I truly and really, really deeply love and have a ton of love for her."

Discussing the "blessing" claim Jada said on Friday's show: "The only person that can give permission in that particular circumstance is myself.

"I could actually see how he would perceive it as permission because we were separated amicably and I think he also wanted to make it clear that he's also not a home-wrecker. Which he's not."

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August Alsina shares cryptic message after Jada Pinkett Smith confirms romance during split from husband Will - The Sun

Graphic tees are an art form. The medium is ink and the canvas is cotton jersey, screen printed and heat pressed (among other methods) with a message to say. Whether that message is profound or not, is another question.

It could be a tee to represent your alma mater or your local pizza joint, to commemorate an event, or to support a movement like Black Lives Matter. For many, it's a way to show your allegiance (or sense of irony) to your favorite band.

Band tees have been pumped out for every album release, world tour and local show, but what about other artists? What about pivotal art exhibitions? That's what the team behind Flat File had in mind when creating the brand.

Courtesy Flat File

The side project of the denim brand 3sixteen's Andrew Chen and Wesley Scott, and graphic designer Jordan Butcher, Flat File launched this year with the approach of making something like a concert tee, but for artists. The team released their first capsule in late April and featured exhibitions of Isamu Noguchi, Sol Lewitt, Ellsworth Kelly and Alexander Calder. The second release drops today and includes Constantin Brancusi, Donald Judd, Henri Matisse and Jackson Pollock.

To learn more, we talked with Wesley Scott about the project.

Learn More: Here

What is Flat File? Whats the concept?

We think of Flat File as a bootleg art merch project. On multiple occasions, Andrew and I left museum exhibitions or gallery shows wishing there was some sort of merch we could buy that was well-designed. I think that harkens back to buying merch at a concert. There's that feeling of leaving a show with something to memorialize the experience that is so impactful.

For Flat File, were making merch for shows we never had the chance to see. Its our way of memorializing some of these major events in the art worlds history. For example, we have a Donald Judd t-shirt this drop from his first solo sculpture show. That show marked huge shift in his career and for us, as Judd fans, its exciting to be able share that moment through a t-shirt. All of us at Flat File come from graphic tee backgrounds in some form so t-shirts are the vehicle to share our interests. Our graphic designer, Jordan Butcher, has an incredible ability to take exhibit or show posters and flyers and distill them down to something that feels reminiscent of the bootleg tees we love without losing the artists ethos.

Courtesy Flat File

How do you select the artists and posters for each drop? Do you think of the artist first? Do you come across an art exhibit poster first?

Honestly, it all starts with a good poster. We have a Slack channel and Pinterest board where we are constantly uploading photos and screen grabs of great exhibition posters. For each release we might have 25 posters we are discussing until we eventually land on four.

Sometimes, though, it does start with the artist. Like this Brancusi tee for example. We knew we wanted to do a Brancusi tee and found a show that resonated with us. Given how long ago he was showing, its much harder to find information on his shows than others we do so that took more digging to pull all the elements from this show in place rather than just pulling from one poster.

Courtesy Flat File

What else is coming up for the future? Can we expect to see more lesser-known niche artists, or even up-and-coming contemporary artists?

Were definitely going to be releasing some niche artist pieces in the future. Initially, we wanted to share some heavy-hitters that we love, but with each additional release there will be more niche artists or movements appearing. The three of us have a wide variety of interests, so Im excited for some surprise that will come in future releases.

Our dream one day is to get the opportunity to design and produce promotional merchandise for museums or galleries in the same vein as what weve been doing.

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This Brand Is Turning Art Exhibition Posters into Graphic Tees - Gear Patrol

Video compression tech doesnt seem to change all that often, but when it does it sure takes some big leaps. H.264/Advanced Video Coding (AVC) was first introduced back in 2003. Its still pretty prevalent today, despite H.265/High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) being released a decade later in 2013. Now, the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute has done it again with H.266/Versatile Video Coding (VVC), cutting the files sizes down to a quarter of H.264.

The lack of h.265 adoption has largely been due to patent issues but it brought massive benefits over its predecessor, including higher quality footage with a big reduction in filesize. H.265 also has some pretty demanding hardware needs and its taken a while for some companies to catch up. Premiere Pro, for example, only really started to get GPU acceleration for H.265.

But H.265 allowed you to get a similar level of quality at half the file size of H.264. The new Versatile Video Coding engine, also known as H.266 looks set to cut those file sizes in half essentially offering you the same level of quality as H.264 but at only a quarter of the file size.

According to The Verge, Fraunhofer says that VCC could be the path forward for the industry. It will allow companies to completely skip H.264 and H.265 without having to deal with patents, royalties and licensing headaches.

Through a reduction of data requirements, H.266/VVC makes video transmission in mobile networks (where data capacity is limited) more efficient. For instance, the previous standard H.265/HEVC requires 10 gigabytes of data to transmit a 90-min UHD video.

With this new technology, only 5 gigabytes of data are required to achieve the same quality. Because H.266/VVC was developed with ultra-high-resolution video content in mind, the new standard is particularly beneficial when streaming 4K or 8K videos on a flat screen TV. Furthermore, H.266/VVC is ideal for all types of moving images: from high-resolution 360 video panoramas to screen sharing contents.

Primarily, the benefit mentioned is on the bandwidth requirements for mobile networks. But it has further implications. I know people who still dont even upload to YouTube in 4K because of the file sizes required (4x larger than 1080p if you want the same level of quality). The new H.266 codec would bring those 4K videos down to the same file sizes as their current 1080p videos, making it much easier to deal with those higher resolution upload times, especially on slower connections.

And with the push to 8K (which would be 16x larger files than 1080p at the same codec and relative bitrate) very few will be uploading in that resolution, even if theyre able to shoot it, due to the massive data requirements. And phones are shooting 8K now, too, even if its pretty terrible. So H.266 would allow you to save some of that precious storage space especially as so many Android device manufacturers seem to be ditching microSD card slots now.

Fraunhofer says that the Media Coding Industry Forum (which includes companies such as Apple, Canon, Intel and Sony) is working towards chip designs that can support H.266 at the hardware level. Itll probably be at least a couple of years before we see any serious implementations but it sounds very promising for the future of video delivery.

[via The Verge]

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H.266 is coming and your video files will be half the size they are with H.265/HEVC - DIYphotography

When Christina Curfman thought about whether she could return to her second-grade classroom in the fall, she struggled to imagine the logistics. How would she make sure her 8-year-old students kept their face masks on all day? How would they do hands-on science experiments that required working in pairs? How would she keep six feet of distance between children accustomed to sharing desks and huddling together on one rug to read books?

The only way to keep kids six feet apart is to have four or five kids, says Curfman, a teacher at Catoctin Elementary School in Leesburg, Virginia, who typically has 22 students in a class. Her district shut schools on March 12, and at least 55 staff members have since tested positive for the coronavirus. Classrooms in general are pretty tight, she says. And then how do you teach a reading group, how do you teach someone one-on-one from six feet apart? You cant.

So Curfmanwho has an autoimmune disease that makes her more vulnerable to COVID-19consulted her doctor, weighed the risks of returning to school and decided to retire early after 28 years of teaching. At 55, shes eligible for partial retirement benefits and will take home less pay than if she had worked for a few more years, but the decision gave her peace of mind.

Its either that or risk your health, she says. Its kind of a no-brainer.

Recent surveys suggest shes not alone. Faced with the risks of an uncertain back-to-school plan, some teachers, who spent the last few months teaching over computers and struggling to reach students who couldnt access online lessons, are choosing not to return in the fall. The rising number of coronavirus cases in many parts of the country, and recent evidence that suggests the virus can spread indoors via tiny respiratory droplets lingering in the air, have fueled teachers safety concerns, even as President Trump demands that schools fully reopen and threatens to cut federal funding from those that dont. (Trump has said that older teachers, who are more vulnerable to the virus, could sit it out for a little while, unless we come up with the vaccine sooner.)

About 20% of teachers said they arent likely to return to teaching if schools reopen in the fall, according to a USA Today/Ipsos poll conducted in late May. EdWeek Research Center surveys conducted around the same time found that more than 10% of teachers are more likely to leave the profession now than they were before the pandemic, and 65% of educators said they want school buildings to remain closed to slow the spread of the virus.

But the pressure to reopen schools is strong. Recent studies show that students have likely suffered significant learning loss during this period of remote schooling, worsening the achievement gap between affluent and low-income students. Meanwhile, research shows that children are much less likely to suffer the most severe health effects of the virus. The American Academy of Pediatrics released guidance on June 25, recommending that all back-to-school policies aim to have students physically present in school, citing the importance of in-person learning and raising concerns about social isolation, abuse and food insecurity for children forced to remain at home. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the countrys top infectious disease expert, agrees. I feel very strongly we need to do whatever we can to get the children back to school, he said during testimony before the Senate on June 30.

But the health risks are greater for some educators and other school employees, including bus drivers and custodians, than they are for children. Adults over age 65 account for the vast majority of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. And 18% of public and private school teachers and 27% of principals are 55 or older, according to federal data. Thats why researchers at the American Enterprise Institute warned of a school personnel crisis, recommending in May that school districts provide early retirement incentives or create a virtual teaching corps for those who feel safer working remotely.

I still have not seen any state really address this in their reopening plans. Theres passing references to schools needing to do something for their vulnerable population, but you just dont see the activity that would match the personnel challenge that schools are going to face, says John Bailey, an American Enterprise Institute visiting fellow, who wrote the May report. We shouldnt be putting teachers in a situation where they have to decide between their financial security and their health security.

In Connecticutwhere a union survey found that 43% of teachers think theyre at higher risk for severe illness if they contract COVID-19 because of their age or an underlying medical conditionAndrea Cohen, who is over 65, decided to retire as an elementary school social worker. The decision was driven by concerns she could bring the virus home to her 95-year-old mother and to her grandchild, who is due to be born in September. I felt like this was the safest thing to do, she says.

I trust that theyre going to try to come up with some good system, but I just didnt know what the system was going to be, and I couldnt visualize how it was going to work for me in my school office, Cohen says. All I could see was me in my tiny little office, with six kids, and how it wouldnt be safe for anybody.

In Michiganwhere 30% of teachers told the Michigan Education Association they were considering leaving teaching or retiring earlier than planned because of the pandemicTheresa Mills, 58, decided to retire after an anxiety-ridden spring of teaching literature remotely and trying to build relationships with students online. The whole idea of being remote and disconnected was equally daunting as the fear of not being safe, she says about the upcoming school year.

Many school districts are considering hybrid plans that involve students rotating between in-person classes and remote learning on different days of the week. But Education Secretary Betsy DeVos criticized those plans during a call with governors on Tuesday, urging schools to be fully operational with in-person instruction five days a week, the Associated Press reported.

Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia, the district where Curfman taught, is planning for students to attend in-person classes two days a week and learn at home the rest of the time, but it is also allowing parents to opt for full-time remote learning.

Curfman says about five families have already asked her to privately tutor her former students and their siblings at home on distance-learning days. Its one example of the nontraditional approaches to schooling caused by the pandemic. As long as she can do so safely, Curfman is considering it.

Theres no evidence that teachers are retiring en masse. In the middle of an economic crisis that has left millions unemployed, including public school employees, many teachers arent looking to flee the profession, despite their concerns about this fall.

I kind of dont come from a family that retires, says Vicki Baker, a 64-year-old math teacher at the Philadelphia High School for Girls, but she wants to feel safe when she returns to her classroom. I feel like we have one time to get this right because theres so many things at risk, she says. If somebody gets sick because theyre at school, the students bring it home to their families. I bring it home to mine.

Rachel Bardes holds a sign in front of the Orange County Public Schools headquarters in Orlando, Fla., on July 7, 2020, as teachers protest a mandate that all public schools open in August despite the spike in coronavirus cases in Florida.

Joe BurbankOrlando Sentinel/AP

College professors have raised similar concerns. Hundreds of Georgia Tech faculty members called for the continuation of remote learning this fall, arguing in an open letter that no faculty, staff, or student should be coerced into risking their health and the health of their families by working and/or learning on campus when there is a remote/online equivalent. Professors at the University of Notre Dame asked that they be allowed to decide individually whether to teach in-person or online.

Meanwhile, the surge in coronavirus cases from Florida to Texas to Arizona has added urgency to the need for safe back-to-school plans.

Before the pandemic, Caren Gonzalez, a chemistry teacher at Tuloso-Midway High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, was planning to retire next year, having promised the Class of 2021 that she would be there to teach them AP Chemistry. During the last few months, she shifted her lesson plans online, uploading videos of herself writing out chemical equations and offering students one-on-one help over Zoom, sometimes meeting as late as 10:30 p.m. to accommodate their schedules. These are not normal times, she told them. You dont need to apologize.

But Gonzalez, who will turn 60 in July, questioned whether it would be safe to return to school before theres a coronavirus vaccine, and she decided to retire now. Its just the uncertainty, she says. Nobody knows quite whats going to happen.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that schools space desks six feet apart; seat only one child per row on school buses; discourage students from sharing toys, books or sports equipment; close communal spaces, such as cafeterias and playgrounds; and create staggered drop-off and pick-up schedules to limit contact between large groups of students and parents. On Wednesday, Trump said he disagreed with the CDCs very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things.

Guidance released Tuesday by the Texas Education Agency requires schools to hold daily in-person instruction, but allows parents to opt for remote learning instead. The guidelines say schools should attempt to have hand sanitizer or hand washing stations at every entrance and in every classroom, should keep windows open to increase airflow when possible and should consider spacing desks six feet apart.

Gonzalez worries that such guidance will be difficult to implement on the ground and that students or teachers will suffer the consequences.

Six feet apart becomes three feet apart, becomes Dont worry about it at lunchtime in the lunch room, so it just kind of degrades, Gonzalez says. And its not because the districts are trying to cheat teachers or their students or anything. Theyre just trying to do what theyre told with the resources that they have.

Without a boost in state or federal funding, many school districts might not have the resources they need. An analysis by the American Federation of Teachers estimated that the average school will need an extra $1.2 million, or $2,300 per student, to reopen safely. An analysis by the School Superintendents Association estimated it would cost less, but still nearly $2 million for the average school district to buy enough hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and masks and to hire more custodial staff and nurses or aides to check temperatures regularly.

I dont think anybody is going back, thinking, This is fine, everythings normal,' Gonzalez says. I think everybodys got a little bit of apprehension if theyve been paying attention.

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Write to Katie Reilly at Katie.Reilly@time.com.

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With No End in Sight to the Coronavirus, Some Teachers Are Retiring Rather Than Going Back to School - TIME

NEW DELHI: Indian Statistical Institute admission test 2020 has been postponed again. The ISI admission test 2020 which was earlier scheduled to conduct on August 2, has now been postponed. The rescheduled date for the exam will be released later.An official notice issued in this regard available on the official website says that "The ISI Admission Test 2020, which had earlier been rescheduled to August 02, 2020, is postponed. In view of the uncertainty prevailing on account of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is not possible to declare a firm date for the Test at this time, but it is not expected to be held before the second week of September 2020. Announcement of the exact date will be made after proper assessment of the situation, bearing in mind the well-being and safety of the candidates, and ensuring that they are able to appear for the Test without any risk or hardship. Candidates will be duly notified of the new date for the Admission Test well in advance."Once the exam date is announced, the registered candidates will be given an option to change their exam centre preferences and uploading pending documents such as results of qualifying exams (if appeared in 2020). The notice further reads that As soon as the date is announced, all registered candidates will be provided a small window for making changes in their centre preferences and uploading pending documents like results of qualifying examination (if appeared in 2020), and those related to reservation category (OBC- NCL/SC/ST/PwD), GATE and INMO, by logging into their accounts on the online Application portal.

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ISI admission test 2020 postponed again - Times of India