Highlights
- Bootcamp: it is my extreme pleasure to be working with BJ Eib and Krista Lambert on designing a Bootcamp (1 week, online course to help faculty get ready for fall, post-pivot). It’s neat to be doing instructional design for the first time in a long time. Mostly it’s great to be working with those two, who are so talented, and smart and fun to spend time with.
- Online craft night: some evening this week, a bunch of us got online and everyone did their own creative thing (knitting, embroidery, art journalling, pastels, painting rocks, whatever you already do). Krista organized it, and it was notably great because while it was zoom, it was not like a meeting. It was like a hangout, each doing our own thing, gabbing, not focussing on the screen, not coordinating or trying to teach or learn anything. Just hanging out. We should use tech like this more (but also/at the same time, fewer of the other kind of meetings)
- Pivoting to online events: one of the things BCcampus does really well is events. Our Event Planner Christy is incredibly passionate and creative: she makes beautiful spaces and experiences for people, and she is unstoppable at solving problems and making magic (e.g., for the Back to the Future themed ETUG event at Thompson Rivers University last year, she actually found a Delorian). Anyway, part of our role in the system is bringing people together to celebrate and share learning and work and ideas. Obviously we’re not going to be doing that in person for awhile, and so there’s lots of buzz about how to bring the excellent, people-centred, caring vibe to the online space (particularly since we’re all getting pretty zoomed out). I am VERY excited about what the team is thinking and talking about for events starting this fall.
- The Grove – A couple years ago, I went to the The Grove in San Francisco for a course on Team Performance and it was among the top 3 PD experiences I’ve ever had. As the home base of visual facilitation in North America since the 70s, I can’t help but be a bit of a fangirl about the whole thing (they have overflowing baskets of markers and paper on the walls everywhere!!!). Anyway, I’m taking an online course with them next week called Virtual Leadership in Uncertain Times, which is also the the job title of many people I know right now.
- Racism and hate and protests and fascism and… There is so much anger and outrage and despair in the world, in me, all around. It’s so much. And so urgent that we each figure out what to do to make change wherever we have power and influence. I have been in lots of conversations this week about both the overwhelming feelings, fatigue and urgency to act. People I work with are smart, there are good ideas. I actually feel more hopeful now, at the end of the week.
- National Indigenous History Month – I am participating in this 30-day Engagement Challenge – you could too! It is helping with the feelings of despair because it’s literally small concrete actions toward “decolonizing your personal and professional settings”.
Media and Whatnot
- I dunno, I’m still watching Breaking Bad.