Osher Lifelong Learning Institute USM O L L I N E W S L E T T E R April 2020 www.usm.maine.edu/olli OLLI Adjusts Special Section on the In so many ways OLLI keeps us con- Camden Conference nected and engaged. While the coronavi- rus pandemic has caused the cancellation Report on the of face-to-face classes, we’re busy behind the scenes with ideas about how we can ensure that our OLLI serves you. Conference We are training a group of OLLI faculty who want to experi- Page 6 ment with us in providing distance learning. This is NOT a dreary Note on the sort of online learning but a lively, social, and easy-to-use strategy using Zoom conferencing, teleconferencing/PDF or Google slides, Conference e-mail, and perhaps even Facebook. Page 9 This is our game plan moving forward: Our top priority is to move forward with the 15 to 20 courses and workshops that we hope to conduct via distance learning— IN THIS ISSUE through Zoom, teleconferencing, e-mail, or some other technique (such as Facebook instruction if the instructors are familiar with [Hint: Click on these to it). Training occurred during the weeks of March 16 and 23, for jump to their page.] classes starting the week of March 30. Your instructor should have been in touch with you with options on how to proceed. Social distance Our second priority will be to add content by developing a sec- Community Com- ond wave of classes offered by faculty who want to regenerate mittee News classes or offer new ones. We can use Enroll to register students into them (free of charge) and then set up these classes in April or Special Interest so. These offerings can be a series or a one-off lecture. Groups Our third priority will be to add experimental content, using various techniques for conversation, for Meet and Mingles, for New Reflections theater performances, or for GoPro hikes. This period of experi- Deadline mentation will continue later in the spring and into the summer. We recognize that even if the summer session can move along OLLI Dining Out without problems on a face-to-face level, we will need to prepare Suspended for a potential fall with the renewed need for distance learning op- tions. Walking Club Steps Aside We promise to stay in touch with you about OLLI classes, work- shops, and distance learning experiments moving forward. Please feel free to get in touch with us via e-mail (donna.anderson@ maine.edu; [email protected]). Thank you for your patience and we’re looking forward to find- ing new outlets for your passion for learning. Best wishes! —Sue Jennings and Donna Anderson. April 2020 Page 2 Social distance doesn’t mean social isolation! We have a committee on Distance Learning, as part of the OLLI Advisory Board strategic plan- ning. As we all know, the biggest appeal to OLLI is the social interaction. Distance learning does have a role to play in OLLI. Let me explain what I mean. Zoom Video Conferencing is an online tool that can be used to conduct distance learning in real time, allowing us to remain socially connected during a period when we are asked to socially distance. A Zoom-enabled OLLI class, depending on the instructor’s needs, can include many of the features of an on-site class in Wishcamper. These may include everyone’s being able to see and hear each other, plus the use of PowerPoint and video presentations. Zoom is not going to replace all of our classes in the future. But when things get back to normal, Zoom can be a way for us to reach students who may not be able to be on campus for a variety of rea- sons: No longer mobile In the hospital or sick No longer driving When a Zoom class is in session, students can log in at any time and join the class in progress—just like in Wishcamper. If the instructor has archived (recorded) a session, students can access the weeks they missed, catch up, and rejoin the class in later real-time sessions without feeling left behind. When we didn’t have distance learning, there were potential fellow students whom we couldn’t in- clude in our classes. My hope is that in the future, distance learning will be an opportunity for us to keep a portion of our population engaged even when they can no longer make it to campus. Distance learning is intended to enhance our ability to meet our students’ needs. Physical classrooms will not disappear. The silver lining with the tough decisions that we have needed to make recently is that we now have an opportunity to test Zoom as an option on a larger scale. Instructors won’t have the stress of making sure everything runs without a hitch, and our students will have an opportunity to become familiar with a new learning platform. Yes, there will be a learning curve. So let’s use this time to stay connected and learn the technology that will be a tool we can use in the future. The beauty of OLLI is that we can decide how we want to engage. Not all members participate in all of the options OLLI offers: SIGs, brown bags, SAGE, or classes. Distance learning is just another op- tion we will be able to offer to our community. —Star Pelsue ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● Back to Page 1 ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● April 2020 Page 3 ADVISORY BOARD Susan Jennings, Chair Community Committee News Steve Schiffman, Vice-Chair Peter Curry, Secretary There has been a rumor going around about OLLI Excursions’ Paul Doherty, SAGE Chair plan for a May trip to Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts to see the Elizabeth Housewright Monet exhibition. That rumor was true. But the sad fact is that it is Communications Chair no longer true, and that OLLI Ex has had to cancel the reservation. Gael McKibben and Rae Garcelon, Even had we not canceled, the MFA would have done so a couple Community Co-Chairs Georgia Koch, Nominating Chair of days later as Massachusetts began shutting down public institu- Walter Allan and Betsy Wiley, tions. Education Co-Chairs Karen Day Also canceled, before even being announced, is the May Hidden Matt Goldfarb Treasures series, Behind the Closed Doors, visits to the physical Dick Leslie workings at Portland Stage, the Kotschmar organ, and Channel 6. Star Pelsue However, these can and will be rescheduled and offered in the fall. Steve Piker There are high hopes but hesitant expectations that a June 22 trip OLLI members are invited to attend to Strawbery Banke might survive the travel ban, so check the Advisory Board meetings. Check May Newsletter. with the Chair for time and place, or if you wish to address the Board. In the meantime, here is a word from Tom Lehrer: https://youtu.be/R6qFG0uop9k WEB SITES Maine Senior College Network www.maineseniorcollege.org OLLI National Resource Center www.osher.net Special Interest Groups: OLLI at USM www.usm.maine.edu/olli Suspended Animation OLLI STAFF At this time, based on policy at USM and OLLI, it seems prudent Donna Anderson, Director and responsible for us to cancel Special Interest Group activities Rob Hyssong, Program Coordinator through April. The 11 groups meeting in Wishcamper cannot hold Sue Schier, Admin. Assistant meetings there until the OLLI schedule resumes. For the five groups meeting off campus, certainly the two based in restaurants OLLI NEWSLETTER will not meet, and skiers have completed a successful season at OLLI Office: this time. As for the walkers and bikers, I feel safe in saying we do Wishcamper Center 210 not want to contribute to the spread of this menace, and while we P. O. Box 9300 Portland, ME 04104-9300 meet outside, there is still the opportunity to come in contact with someone who has been exposed and has not tested positive yet. So Phone: 207 780-4406 or 1-800-800-4876 we must adhere to the measures being imposed on our communi- TTY 1-207-780-5646 ties by the authorities. We will get through this—and sooner if we Fax: 207 780-4317 all take the threat seriously and do not let our guard down. E-mail: [email protected] Tim Baehr, Editor I thank you for your cooperation and look forward to a better sea- Don King, Editor Emeritus son when this all ends. Star Pelsue, Kathleen Sutherland,, Contributing Writers —Rae Garcelon, SIG Coordinator Mogens Ravn, Layout Editor Please send newsletter material to the OLLI Office, via our e-mail. Deadline for the May issue is April 15. Back to Page 1 ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● April 2020 Page 4 Writers and poets, artists and pho- tographers, craftspeople all—lend us your talent! Since we will for the foreseeable future be con- necting remotely and spending more time in our homes, there should be enriched opportunities for each of us to reflect and to revisit the ways creativ- ity is important to our lives. The team of OLLI members at work on the ex- panded special anniversary edition of Reflections coming this fall is seeking many more submissions in any genre: photographs of three-dimensional work and handcrafts most welcome! There is a new deadline for submitting your work to Reflections: April 20. Please review the instructions on how to submit in the February OLLI Newsletter on the OLLI web- site: https://usm.maine.edu/sites/default/files/olli/ OLLI%20Newsletter%20February%20%202020- TB3.pdf A shorter version is in the March Newsletter: https://usm.maine.edu/sites/default/files/olli/ OLLI%20Newsletter%20March%202020-TB.pdf Scroll down to page 5.