Today is my last day in the office. I'm being forced to work at home from now on.

[Coventina]

I'm trying to figure out what I need to take home:

My computer
My plants
My textbooks

I have to teach all online now.

I don't even have high speed internet at home.

And the public libraries are closed.

This should be fun.....

[Ms. Toad]

1. I taught my first two online classes yesterday.

They were less structured classes, so I'm easing in to it slowly - and fortunately I've been doing mixed teaching for study groups.

My internet is challenged, as well.

[Coventina]

8. We're being told that we must do asynchronous work.

Which I get, and actually, I prefer.

The idea is that even if the students had that class time reserved before, their life may have changed drastically since we went on Spring Break on March 7th.

I'm just really nervous about trying to get all my material uploaded and learning all the new technology. Fortunately, I do have some experience with Canvas, so I'm not starting from total scratch.

[Ms. Toad]

21. We're prohibited from doing asynchronous.

Our lives are governed by the American Bar Association (and the state bar associations). There are strict limits on distance learning. We've been given a waiver to teach remotely - but they have to mimic in person classes. AND - for students sitting for the bar exam in at least two states, we have to apply for an individual waiver (on top of the ABA waiver).

[Coventina]

25. Yikes! My hat is off to you!

[Ms. Toad]

28. It's not going to be fun.

I'm playing with different platforms. I've got 2 Webex platforms, as well as Zoom. Because I'm working year-round to get students ready for the next bar exam, I have a number of opportunities to practice before the first real-for-sure class a week from Monday.

[frazzled]

30. Get out of my house

All I have been overhearing from our study this week is “asynchronous learning, Canvas (only used for posting readings, announcements before), now have to figure out uploading videos, lectures, guest lecturers, and holding discussion sessions somehow, with students in time zones from here to China.”

It’s a steep learning curve; wish I could help my spouse more, but Canvas is out of my wheelhouse. But I have confidence this will all work out in the end—if not seamlessly, at least adequately (and perhaps occasionally humorously).

Everybody is in the same boat, apparently. Good luck!

[Coventina]

43. Hahaha! Thanks!!

[First Speaker]

2. Hang in there. Try to take it all a day at a time...

...an hour at a time, a minute at a time. Remember my late mom's favorite expression: "This too shall pass". And remember that we're here for you at DU, and you don't need permission to vent anytime you want to...

[DonaldsRump]

3. Tech and phone companies are giving free access to students

at least in the Bay Area... see if the local cable company, ATT, T-mobile is doing the same.

[Thomas Hurt]

4. I moved home at noon today. worked from home before so won't be a thing.

I gather the online conferencing services are strained as well.

[Nature Man]

5. You could be laid off

and ineligible for UI benefits?

Blessings? Count them.

[Thomas Hurt]

6. Taking my 1200 dollars and stashing it away in case that very thing happens.

[Coventina]

10. Point taken.

I just hate feeling like I'm short-changing my students.

[PoliticAverse]

7. No you don't need to take your pants home...

The nice thing about working from home is you don't have to wear any pants.

Oh wait that was "plants". Nevermind.

[Coventina]

11. LOL!

[sdfernando]

40. Yeah....you can sit there in your underwear....

or you birthday suit!....just be sure to put something on for that teleconference with the boss!

[LuvLoogie]

9. If you have cable tv consider a new provider and go with internet only.

you can get good speed from most providers for $50 or less per month. 20 to 50 MB per second bandwidth.

who are the providers in your area?

[Coventina]

12. Cox and only Cox.

[LuvLoogie]

20. What is your package now? Perhaps they'll let you change your plan?

It looks like new subscribers can get bandwidth up to 50 Mb for $40

If you have a TV internet bundle, the bandwidth your TV subscription provides should be enough for online classroom connectivity. You could prerecord a lecture as well. You don't have to livestream.

[Coventina]

22. I'll check, thanks!!

[csziggy]

45. That could help a lot - but check their policies

We are pretty much restricted to CenturyLink for internet and telephone. We used to have their PrismTV. They were offering 40 MB for a nice deal and I tried to take them up on it. They fed me a line that if you have Prism you can't have more than 10 MB. It turns out - learned for one of their techs - that they actually supply 30 MB but "reserve" 20 of it for PrismTV and even when the TV is off, it is not available. And since Prism often uses up even more, in truth they have available 40 MB and reserve 30 for their TV package.

I cancelled PrismTV, raised my package to 40 MB and now stream all my TV. That means that when I need a lot of band width I turn off all the TV streaming and internet connections speed up.

[sdfernando]

41. COX just upped bandwidth for everyone due to this crisis at no charge....

at least they did in my area.

[Coventina]

42. Quelle Surprise! Thanks for the info, I'll take a look!

Thanks!!

[ProfessorGAC]

52. That Will Probably Require A New Modem

Trust me on this. Comcast changed the speeds some time back. Pretty darned fast. Notified by email.
However, they didn't mention that the old modem couldn't handle the big change in speed.
I finally discuss with them and they say come get new modem.
When there, they tell me I should have replaced the one I had 2 years ago.
Was paying for 200Mb. Upped to 500 with new modem. Old modem was maxing out at 10!!! So for more than 2 years I was paying for 20-50 times the speed I was getting.
My own fault, but I learned.

[sdfernando]

54. I've had my current cable modem for almost 10 years

Working just fine. Probably not really the modem or it had a hardware problem. I’ve had to tweak some settings on the modem once or twice to get optimal bandwidth.

[jpak]

13. I start distance learning from home Monday

If our IT staff stays healthy

And the Internet is not overwhelmed.

And students have the proper home devices.

And they don't get sick.

Or their family members.

This might work.

[Coventina]

15. I was up for the challenge until I heard I wasn't allowed to work from my office.

That's when I panicked.

All my "stuff" is here. It would take a truck to take it home, and I have a 900 sq ft house. I'm going to be struggling for space for my computer as it is.

Have you seen this? It's pretty funny

[jpak]

23. LOL the Cornel can rock Gloria Gayner

[lunatica]

29. That's great!

I needed the humor! Thanks!

[petronius]

31. I'm kind of agreeing with this one:

I'm right around the shoulder at the moment - can barely think about next quarter until this one is done...

[jpak]

32. LOL how true

[Coventina]

34. Hahaha! That's a great visual metaphor!

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Where I am living now we don't have wifi so I have it through my car and tethered to...

my phone.

Sucks, but it works.

[TheBlackAdder]

16. Been doing it for years! High-Speed Internet, CAT5 to router for solid connection. Nice workspace.

.

If you have a dock or you can connect monitors, that would be best.

A lot of VPNs will drop from time to time if you are wireless, so CAT5 connected ones are best for speed and stability.

VoIP systems often have problems on dual-core systems, as application and mouse movements can interrupt them.

So, if you Webex or GoToMeeting, it might be best to dial in with a landline.

.

[Coventina]

17. I think I might have understood 5 words of that like: Your first sentence..

I'm not good with technology....

[TheBlackAdder]

50. OK.

.

1) Get a good HS Internet. For stability and speed, FiOS is best, Comcast is OK, but they go out often and have poor response.

2) The router that comes with your ISP, or DSL Modem, etc. gives the ability to hook up a few ethernet cables to the back of it. They are the thicker cables that have larger telephone-jack plugs. While wireless allows portability. or access if the router is in another room from where you are set up, if you can directly cable your PC/laptop to the router using an ethernet cable, you'll have the strongest and fastest connection. Since you would be directly cabled, turn off wifi so that frees up your machine just a little.

3) Most PCs and laptops allow you to plug in at least one additional monitor. This way, you can have your web class on one and documents on the other to read.

4) VoIP is used by many schools and businesses and on slower machines and bad network connections they don't work too well.

5) Schools often have their own on-line classroom tools, but most businesses use Webex and GoToMeeting sessions. Like with anything else, the faster network speeds, the better, especially if you are live streaming.

.

[mcar]

18. Most of the libraries have online access

And many educational sites are offering their services for free.

[getagrip_already]

27. our library closed......

That isn't an option for a lot of people.

My wife and I have been remote for years. High speed internet, mesh wifi, life is good.

[NNadir]

19. You need to see this note from a Berkeley TA I posted in the Lounge a few days ago.

Classes will be held: Instructions for online classes at Berkeley.

...In case the Bay Area becomes uninhabitable, I will move to the wilderness. I plan to be reachable by APRS, but we’ll probably have to move sections to shortwave. In that case we’ll have to use CW transmission so practice your Morse Code...

[csziggy]

48. If he moves to the wilderness, he can use RFC 1149 - Standard for the transmission of IP datagrams o

Network Working Group D. Waitzman
Request for Comments: 1149 BBN STC
1 April 1990

A Standard for the Transmission of IP Datagrams on Avian Carriers

Status of this Memo

This memo describes an experimental method for the encapsulation of
IP datagrams in avian carriers. This specification is primarily
useful in Metropolitan Area Networks. This is an experimental, not
recommended standard. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Overview and Rational

Avian carriers can provide high delay, low throughput, and low
altitude service. The connection topology is limited to a single
point-to-point path for each carrier, used with standard carriers,
but many carriers can be used without significant interference with
each other, outside of early spring. This is because of the 3D ether
space available to the carriers, in contrast to the 1D ether used by
IEEE802.3. The carriers have an intrinsic collision avoidance
system, which increases availability. Unlike some network
technologies, such as packet radio, communication is not limited to
line-of-sight distance. Connection oriented service is available in
some cities, usually based upon a central hub topology.

Frame Format

The IP datagram is printed, on a small scroll of paper, in
hexadecimal, with each octet separated by whitestuff and blackstuff.
The scroll of paper is wrapped around one leg of the avian carrier.
A band of duct tape is used to secure the datagram's edges. The
bandwidth is limited to the leg length. The MTU is variable, and
paradoxically, generally increases with increased carrier age. A
typical MTU is 256 milligrams. Some datagram padding may be needed.

Upon receipt, the duct tape is removed and the paper copy of the
datagram is optically scanned into a electronically transmittable
form.

More: http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1149.html

Although the standard was first described in 1990, it was not implemented until 2001 when the Bergen Linux User group successfully did a 7 1/2 minute interval between the ping packets - https://www.cnet.com/news/pigeon-powered-internet-takes-flight/ and https://www.blug.linux.no/rfc1149/writeup/

But now there's a practical use for pigeon-based communications: photographers working for the white-water rafting company Rocky Mountain Adventures send memory sticks full of digital photos via homing pigeon so the photos will be ready when the rafters finish up. The company has details on how the pigeons are trained and equipped. It may not be a full implementation of the Pigeon Protocol, but it works in narrow canyons far off the beaten path — and just as David Waitzman presciently predicted, they occasionally suffer packet loss due to hawks and ospreys."
https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/09/08/29/1934251/pigeon-protocol-finds-a-practical-purpose

https://vimeo.com/5558263

So rather than Morse Code, use Pigeon Express!

[NNadir]

49. Wow! And I thought he was thinking ahead!

It's very clear you'd be a better TA.

[csziggy]

51. LOL! I'd be terrible

I've just been reading stuff on the internet for over 30 years. The Pigeon Packet Protocol (as I think of it) tickled my fancy when I first read about. Then I saw the 2001 report - there used to be a version with pictures online - and it cracked me up.

It's great to see it is still around and useful!

Oh! Here is the report with pics from 2001! https://www.blug.linux.no/rfc1149/minutes1/

[lunatica]

24. Take everything home

This virus isn’t going away in the near future.

If you’re company has IT personnel they will answer all your questions and will be able to help you connect to the server from home.

You can do a lot of work through email too, while waiting for a better computer connection. If there are edits you need to do on paperwork you can download Acrobat for free. Be sure to download one that has some editing ability so you can edit documents. Then documents can be uploaded and downloaded by sending them as attachments.

You can learn how to do anything by googling it. You can do the same on YouTube.

Before you know it you’ll be an expert.

[LuvLoogie]

26. Guys, leverage Google classroom.

if your school uses a Google domain, (They're free to schools, BTW) you can set up Google classrooms as long as you have the students accounts set up.

Are any of you familiar with Google Suite for schools?

[frazzled]

33. Each school is adopting its own protocol.

You can’t really have students who are taking four different courses juggling four different formats and programs because each professor has chosen something different.

[LuvLoogie]

35. I'm coming from a per school district level perspective at elementary/high school

perhaps OP is College? missed that

[Coventina]

38. College, yes.

[LuvLoogie]

47. I might suggest creating a Facebook page for your class.

Share announcements, links to materials. Require students to have a working email address.

if anyone objects due to anti-facebook reasons. Tell them "this is how I am going to share info. you can see if your classmates are willing to relay the information to you in the method of your choice."

don't fuck around. move fast.

If you have you're own google account there is a lot of google doc functionality from an individual account. You can even set up an account strictly for your classwork. you don't have to use your personal email.

Plus. if you use chrome you can sign into chrome with your class account and create a sync'd profile for that account

[frazzled]

39. Sorry, don't know about the op

I was speaking from the perspective of a spouse and acquaintances who are navigating the exigencies of teaching their college and grad-level courses online, and asynchronously, for the first time. Canvas seems to be the most used at the university level.

[jpak]

37. I'm adopting the KISS thingy

Blackboard.

Email.

Solid expectations.

[MoonlitKnight]

36. The good news

Is that this is likely to create a bunch of jobs. I might just get rehired in order to help teachers working from home. So there are plans in the works to get you the technical support you need.

In the meantime, call your internet provider and see about an upgrade. You might be surprised to find out they have a higher speed for the same or even lower price. They might even have an upgrade for your router.

Also check on your cell plan. Many offer unlimited tethering so you can run off of that. Even if not used as primary, it’s a great backup. T-Mobile generally has unlimited tethering. Visible is a prepaid wireless plan that runs on Verizon network for $40 a month unlimited and never throttled.

And, yes, pants are optional. Just remember to not stand up.

[Coventina]

44. Welp, this is it, guys. I'm shutting down now.

*sniffle*

The office already looks sad without my beautiful pothos creeping all around.

It was my safe space, a space all to my own.

I love my husband, but our tiny house has no un-shared spaces (well, except maybe the garage, which is all him).

I'm going to miss it, and I don't know when I'll be back.

[Generic Brad]

46. Do you get to do it off of an inky dinky laptop screen?

I've gone from 3 monitors to one miniature one. Everything is painstakingly slow and the numbers two and six on my 10 key pad have decided they want to permanently be tab keys. Just try working financial spreadsheets with that happening. And I believe the fun has just begun! I hope you fare better than me.

[Blue_true]

53. Is the sessions going to be interactive?

If not, make a video of the session and post that to the site that students come to. If it is interactive, tell your employer that your internet is not adequate, some employers pay for an upgrade and part of the monthly fee.