Nov 20

Thanksgiving 2020

Wow! Who would have thought last March that we would still be in the situation we are in? Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and the Holiday break is coming up fast. To keep you as safe as possible during these times I wanted to reinforce the note Michael Ciri sent to UAS employees this week by breaking Alaska’s new health guidelines down a bit.

Traveling into Alaska

  • The Governor has not enacted a statewide mandate, other than stating what communities cannot do to restrict travel. Travel mandates are controlled by individual communities, so you will want to look closely at travelling restrictions set up by the city or village you are traveling to to find out what their rules are.
  • There is a breakdown of State testing requirements (interpreted as I read them – your results may vary!):
    • Will your “out of state family” be in Alaska for less than 72 hours?
      • Recommendation is for a SARS-CoV-2 molecular test within 5 days(?) after arrival – (hmmmm, in my opinion that could be clearer)
      • Follow social distancing until a negative test is received
    • Will your “out of state family” be in Alaska for more than 72 hours?
      • They should have a SARS-CoV-2 molecular test with 72 hours prior to travel and should have a negative test prior to traveling.
      • Five days after arriving a second test is recommended, and strict social distancing should be observed until that test result is shown to be negative
      • If they do not get tested they need to observe strict social distancing for 14 days
  • Anyone shown to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 must isolate until cleared by a medical professional – NO TRAVELING while infected!

What is Strict Social Distancing?

Here is how Alaska defines strict social distancing:

  1. Strict social distancing is allowed after you have had one negative test result from a test taken within 72 hours of departure or on arrival into Alaska. (I assume you will want to quarantine without the test result)
  2. You may be in an outdoor public place, but you must remain six feet away from anyone not in your immediate household, and you must wear a face covering. You may arrange curbside shopping or have food delivery.
  3. You cannot enter restaurants, bars, gyms, community centers, sporting facilities (i.e., ice rinks, gymnasiums, and sports domes), office buildings, and school or daycare facilities. Do not participate in any group activities, including sporting events and practices, weddings, funerals, or other gatherings.
  4. This 14 day window can be shortened if you receive a negative result from a (optional) second molecular-based test for SARS-CoV-2, which you take between five and 14 days after arrival into Alaska.

Please take a look at Health Order #6 for further details. Also, keep in mind that the issue with COVID19 has always been asymptomatic spread. We cannot be reactive to cases, because by the time someone become symptomatic or shows a positive test, they have probably spread the virus to numerous people, especially if they have not been social distancing.

So going forward, let’s be in a mindset that everyone is an asymptomatic carrier. If we can do that effectively, which means wearing masks and social distancing, we can significantly reduce the transmission of this virus.

Be safe this Thanksgiving and have a wonderful weekend! I’ll see you in a couple weeks!

Nov 13

Setting up Appointments in Google Calendar

As the Semester winds down, and you get more questions from students, my tip for today is to use Google Calendar to set up Office Hour Appointment slots. This is easily done in your Google Calendar.

The following video will walk you through the process.

If you still have questions on setting up or sharing appointment slots here is a link to Google Calendar appointment slots from the Google Help Center.

The important part of this is to not send a Google Calendar link, as if you are inviting someone to a meeting, but to click on the Block of appointments on your calendar and then click on “Go to appointment page for this calendar.”

Once you do that, you will be taken to the page showing the slots. Copy the URL address, and then paste it into an email or, for Office Hours, into a class announcement. And don’t worry, only the appointment block shows up when anyone else opens this link – they don’t see the rest of your calendar.

I hope this tip is one that helps you out. Have a great weekend, and thank you for reading the FLC.

Nov 06

The Mystery Box – with JJ Abrams

Today I thought something lighter might be good. With so many stressors in our lives right now, sometimes it is good to step back and just be entertained. But because this is a “learning” site, I wanted to give you something to think about also. I think this video accomplishes both. It’s an opportunity to look a bit deeper into yourself and perhaps unlock hidden potential.

Our lives are filled with mystery. In this 18 minute video, director, producer, and screenwriter, JJ Abrams (Lost, Mission Impossible, Star Trek, Star Wars VII, Star Wars IX), takes us through the mystery of life – the unexpected turns and the meaningful moments – as he reminisces about the “mystery box” he got at a magic store when he was a kid.

Mysteries in our lives equal infinite possibility, infinite hope, infinite potential, and gives us greater imagination. This is important because everything that we do in life we think about first. We need to go beyond basic knowledge, and have some unknowns to enrich our lives.

As JJ Abrams says in the Ted Talk, “Look inside yourself and figure out what is inside you.” Our potential increases as we get to know ourselves better, and accept ourselves.

I hope you enjoyed this FLC. Stay safe and sane and I’ll see you next week!

Oct 30

Managing COVID Fatigue

You’ve probably heard the term “COVID Fatigue,” but what is it, and do I have it?  

COVID Fatigue is an overall sense of exhaustion due to the extra demands of dealing with COVID. Here is what health-care providers are seeing: people who are feeling defeated, burned out, and individuals with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and alcohol and drug dependency.

Person with a mask surrounded by Caution signs
Photo illustration by Gary Meader / gmeader@duluthnews.com

University of Wisconsin Health psychologist Shilagh Mirgain has some tips to help you manage. Below are four main areas of COVID Fatigue, and some coping mechanisms for each one:

  1. Change fatigue and uncertainty burnout  
    • Radical acceptance that life will continue to be difficult for a while.
    • Find the silver lining.
    • Look for activities new and old that continue to fulfill you.
  2. Depleted surge capacity
    • “Take 5” mindfulness practice to recharge.
    • Expect less from yourself – cut yourself some slack and give yourself some grace.
  3. Zoom burnout
    • 20-20-20 rule (For every 20 minutes you are looking at a screen, look away from the screen and focus on a spot 20 feet away for 20 seconds).
    • Consider getting blue light blocking glasses.
    • Use transitions well (getting up and walking for two minutes every hour can help reverse the negative health effects from prolonged sitting. Also consider other formats for meetings, such as a telephone call or shorter meeting where you do some of the work by e-mail).
    • Choose to move: Make physical activity a priority.
  4. “Doom scrolling,” or staying glued to electronic devices to find out information on the disasters and stressors that face our country
    • Limit how much social media you are exposed to.
    • Be mindful of the type of news you are consuming.

University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. (2020, September 23). Managing COVID Fatigue is Crucial to Our Health and Wellbeing During the Pandemic. Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://www.uwhealth.org/news/managing-covid-fatigue-is-crucial-to-our-health-and-wellbeing-during-the-pandemic/53530

Thank you for reading the FLC.  Have a great Halloween Weekend, and don’t forget to turn your clocks back an hour Saturday night!!!

Oct 23

Top Tools for Learning 2020

For the 14th year in a row, Jane Hart has ranked the top tools in technology, using data she has collected from people around the world. The list was compiled based on 2,369 votes from 45 countries. Of particular interest is the Top 100 Tools for Education. Click on the picture to see the Top 100 lists (Personal, Workplace, and Education tools are all on the same page this year). These lists show the current ranking and the change from last year.

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Here is a link to the main site – https://www.toptools4learning.com/

Look for the menu at the top of the page.

  • About gives you background to the annual survey,
  • Categories breaks down tools into categories (so if you are looking for tools in games and testing, you can easily find them), and
  • Analysis 2020 gives observations about this years results.

I hope you enjoyed looking at these charts.  Where did your favorite tools place?
Have a great weekend and thanks for reading the FLC!

Oct 16

Racial Equity and Justice in Southeast Alaska Speaker Series 2020 – Part 6 of 6

The last video in the Racial Equity and Justice Speaker Series is titled, Bringing It Home: Reflections, and the speaker is Dionne Brady-Howard of Sitka.

Watch Time – 40:39

This Racial Equity and Justice in Southeast Alaska Speaker Series was sponsored by the UAS Sitka Campus Title III Grant, and was in partnership with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska Social Services Department, SEARHC, the Sitka STEPS Grant, the Sitka Health Summit and Pathways Coalitions.

I hope you have enjoyed this series of webinars.  Thank you for reading the Faculty Learning Corner and have a great weekend!

Oct 15

Racial Equity and Justice in Southeast Alaska Speaker Series 2020 – Part 5 of 6

Megan Red Shirt-Shaw is the presenter in today’s video, We Are Still Here: On Native Identity and Activism.

Watch Time – 1:01:35

This Racial Equity and Justice in Southeast Alaska Speaker Series was sponsored by the UAS Sitka Campus Title III Grant, and was in partnership with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska Social Services Department, SEARHC, the Sitka STEPS Grant, the Sitka Health Summit and Pathways Coalitions.

Thank you for reading the Faculty Learning Corner!

Oct 14

Racial Equity and Justice in Southeast Alaska Speaker Series 2020 – Part 4 of 6

Today’s video in the Racial Equity series is Unconscious Intolerance To Unconscious Tolerance.  Hugh Vasquez is the presenter in this video.

Watch Time – 1:36:53

This Racial Equity and Justice in Southeast Alaska Speaker Series was sponsored by the UAS Sitka Campus Title III Grant, and was in partnership with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska Social Services Department, SEARHC, the Sitka STEPS Grant, the Sitka Health Summit and Pathways Coalitions.

Thank you for reading the Faculty Learning Corner!

Oct 13

Racial Equity and Justice in Southeast Alaska Speaker Series 2020 – Part 3 of 6

The series on Racial Equity continues with today’s video, Intercultural Leadership Development.  The speaker for this video is Dr. Amer F. Ahmed.

Watch Time – 1:00:00

This Racial Equity and Justice in Southeast Alaska Speaker Series was sponsored by the UAS Sitka Campus Title III Grant, and was in partnership with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska Social Services Department, SEARHC, the Sitka STEPS Grant, the Sitka Health Summit and Pathways Coalitions.

Thank you for reading the Faculty Learning Corner!

Oct 12

Racial Equity and Justice in Southeast Alaska Speaker Series 2020 – Part 2 of 6

Today I wanted to continue the series on Racial Equity.  Today’s video is Beyond Diversity in Higher Education with Tim Wise. He did this presentation for UAS Staff and Faculty.

Watch Time – 1:04:09

This Racial Equity and Justice in Southeast Alaska Speaker Series was sponsored by the UAS Sitka Campus Title III Grant, and was in partnership with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska Social Services Department, SEARHC, the Sitka STEPS Grant, the Sitka Health Summit and Pathways Coalitions.

Thank you for reading the Faculty Learning Corner!