Energy is everything. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality.

Albert Einstein

While I know what Einstein said to be true, believe it to be true, I haven’t been doing a good job of remembering it this week. I’m definitely running almost on empty. It’s been the energy of colleagues that has kept me going these past few days and focused on what’s important. I was wondering whether this is result solely of the peculiarity of the last few months, but I had to remind myself that I typically feel this way at this point in the academic year; Covid cannot yet be attributed as the font of everything! I can also see, with those attending sessions this week, I’m not the only one getting to saturation point. It’s that time of year, and this year more than most.

Finding an increasing comfort with WordPress, I’ve switched gears to focusing more on Kaltura. Knowing I’ll be doing the first Kaltura Guided Tour is helping me focus my energy – notwithstanding what I’ve just written – and I’ve enjoyed playing with the tools it offers. It has so many possibilities and it’s been inspiring seeing how colleagues are already using these tools as they prepare for fall classes. It’s a good feeling knowing that so many instructors care about student engagement.

I’ve skimmed the Report: Removing barriers to online learning through a teaching and learning lens by BC Campus. The report reaffirms many of my experiences the last few months and also the work that we do as members of a teaching and learning center. It’s a thought provoking read, especially in light of how my knowledge / skills / applied practice are evolving. A couple of quotes stand out:

“Instruction of online classes needs to be humanized, personalized, individualized, proactive, and present” (p. 8).

And,

“instructors would benefit from working on their own intercultural development. This might help some instructors move from deficit thinking to culturally affirming approaches. Instructors would benefit from institutional support and strategies to provide inclusive education for equity-seeking groups” (p.9).

It was heartening to see the importance given to promoting equity and practices that are inclusive. Too often in times of crisis, the more humane aspects of life fall away as economic concerns take priority. Education should and can be human; what is education if not, through kindness and compassion, the pursuit of self-actualization for all?