Back to school, online

I have recently had a recurring dream where I decide to enroll in a Ph.D. program. Both in the dreams, and later, upon waking, I tell myself that this is a crazy thing since I already have a Ph.D. and, at the age of 59, there is really no need for me to get another one. However, perhaps I took this recurring dream as a sign that I was eager to learn something new, or maybe it’s been the isolation of this pandemic time that spurred me to take two courses online. I suspect that my parents also influenced me in that my mother took up cello lessons in retirement, while my father took university courses in physics. 

The first was a new offering from the world of Gyrotonics and Gyrokinesis, the forms of exercise I have been doing for over four years after two decades of fidelity to Iyengar yoga. The two share similarities, although Gyrotonics involves equipment, and both require teachers to get specialized certifications in order to teach. The Gyrokinesis course was the first time headquarters offered online learning for those not already certified, and was developed by founder Juliu Horvath and master trainer Miriam Barbosa, who used Gyrokinesis breathing exercises in recovering from weeks of illness with COVID-19. The three-week course offered participants a new series of exercises for cardiovascular health and improvement. 

 

The second course was the first Digital Study Group offered in Italian to educators interested in the Reggio Emilia approach. The weeklong course included 4 live sessions on the Zoom platform, and a wealth of print and digital material for study and discussion. For years, Reggio Emilia hosts delegations of foreign visitors who come to learn about the renowned early childhood practices and theories that have made their municipal schools for children aged 0 to 6 famous around the world, but during the pandemic that was not possible. This digital offering was therefore a new experiment, and there were less than 50 participants. Most were based in Italy, but there were a few from other countries as well. I conducted research in Reggio for my

In 2015 I was part of a panel on Reggio schools when
The Wonder of Learning exhibit came to New York City.

dissertation back in 2002, and have visited the municipal schools many times since, but saw this as an opportunity to update my knowledge and make new connections. 

 

By now most people are familiar with the mishaps and pitfalls of various digital platforms used for meetings and presentations (lawyer-cat-filter, need I say more?). As someone who has deep reservations about online learning in general, and more specifically in cases where in-person interactions are indispensable, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of these two courses, and my own learning. In fact, it got me thinking about my current role as caretaker, and how there is ample opportunity to create online courses for caretakers that could prove to be quite popular. More on that later. 

 

The fitness world has been hard hit by the restrictions of the global pandemic as sporting events, gyms, pools, and so on have had to close and cancel. Fitness by video is nothing new, however, and instructors took to various platforms offering courses in streaming or through on-demand video with enticing discounts. I was lucky in that my Gyrotonics studio offered weekly options at different times and I ended up doing more exercise than I had been doing prior to the pandemic, albeit not on the Gyrotonics equipment that I used in the studio. The three week course I took was not difficult as I had familiarity with Gyrokinesis and with learning online, although the instructors did not watch participants live (some classes were prerecorded as well). However, feedback from participants meant that the classes added some details and modifications, such as moving closer to the camera to provide a better view or a different angle, and various instructors led follow up classes so participants got to experience a range of approaches. There were a few Q&A opportunities during the three weeks, and feedback was encouraged. No written materials were distributed however, and it turned out that even trainers taking the course could not use it for certification. The videos were available for a week at a time on Vimeo, which facilitated watching for those in different time zones. 

 

I did not practice the gyrokinesis sequences daily during the three weeks. In fact, I didn’t watch every video. My caretaking responsibilities limited my availability during the three week course. But I was a dutiful student in that I created a document with screen shots to remember the sequences and details in the instructors’ descriptions, including things like number of repetitions, breathing techniques, positions on the stool and standing, and so on. As the sequences got more complex, my ability to keep up dwindled. Still, I felt the experience was worthwhile and I still enjoy the sequences as part of my home practice. 

 

The course with the educators from Reggio Emilia was far more complex. For one thing, the participants ranged from beginners new to the approach, to people like me who had years of learning and observing. The designers of the course aimed for a balance of theory and practice, using slideshows with voice over narrative, video clips followed by commentary, and the sort of documentation of project-based learning they are known for. When they opened the sessions to questions, there was usually time for no more than a few before they began to comment and respond, and since some of the questions were, shall we say, thorny issues, many threads were left dangling. For example, one participant questioned how to handle the cultural context in which she was teaching, where contradictory forces of seeking new approaches while remaining chained to cultural norms that were autocratic made synchronicity with the Reggio approach nearly impossible. Participants were also curious about how Reggio teachers handled their isolation from parents and colleagues during the COVID-19 restrictions when they were accustomed to close collaborations, but there wasn’t much time for diverting from the planned agenda. 

 

A detail of my work

On the fourth day, the live session was dedicated to an experience with two atelier teachers. We were divided into two groups to facilitate interaction, and given a list of materials to have on hand. The idea was to have a range of “supports” and “instruments” the former being things like paper, cardboard, fabric, plastic and the latter pens, pencils, paints, charcoal, etc. An in-depth introduction gave us an appreciation for simply noticing the range of results when a support met an instrument. We generated a list of descriptive words for our supports and instruments, and then were given ample time to explore possibilities with our computers sending out images of our workspace and our hands. Instructors then invited us to share what we’d been up to, and we could see a few screens at a time during this participatory sharing. For the first time I felt I was seeing something new on the digital platform, and the instructors helped me appreciate how they were able to do this even with very young students learning from home. I had seen some similar creative approaches from the Lincoln Center Pop Up Classrooms like this one on still life drawing done by my teaching artist friend Barbara Ellmann.   

 

rêvolutions, 2015

On the final day we discussed some documentation of school-based projects, including an outdoor investigation pairing trees with musical instruments made of wood. The students shared profound insights that were deeply moving to me, and as they played the strings of a cello next to a tree, plucking with stems of leaves and listening so carefully to vibrations of sound, I was reminded of artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot at the 2015 Venice Biennale’s French Pavilion who created an elaborate installation with living trees.   

 

As we wrapped up our final day together, I was struck again by how these amazing educators are light years ahead in their thinking, work ethic, and ability to problem solve, and my admiration for them and the children they teach deepens each time I dive into their world. 

I still have a few weeks of access to videos and some course materials so I plan to keep on learning even though the course has come to an end. I urged the organizers to offer ways for participants to remain in touch through email (for those who welcomed it) and hope to follow up personally with new connections made during the week. 

 

Now, back to caregiving. In contrast, the videos I have seen online are like something from the Dark Ages. It’s almost laughable if it weren’t so pathetic. For example, here’s a well-intentioned short video on moving a patient from bed to wheelchair. Watch, then look at some of the comments.  Yes, it’s a dance all right. Even though my mother can stand and walk, the morning transfer from bed to wheelchair is far from predictable, despite a very consistent routine and verbal directions and physical cues. Let’s say you’re looking for help with something even more complicated, like showering. The Alzheimer experts at UCLA suggest you talk of “spa time” and use battery-powered candles in the bathroom (I’m not kidding). If not obvious from the comments, people are actually desperate for logistical help with these and other problems. I am part of a caregiving group on Facebook where posts asking for advice cover all sorts of topics including: 

Meals and nutrition

Medications and taking vitals regularly

Hygiene

Exercise

Safety and preventing falls

Doctors and medical testing

Handling a crisis or emergency, especially from a distance

Legal and financial issues

Support and self-care for caregivers

Mental stimulation and companionship

 

Any creative video production people out there want to take on this challenge? 

 

To end on a positive note, here is one of my solutions to a problem with sleep disturbance. I learned from a nurse (who said she had learned from a nun) that when Alzheimer’s patients develop a tight grip in one hand (in my case on the catheter tube when my mother was ill) you should give them a cloth to hold onto instead. That became one of my cat’s mouse toys, which was the perfect shape to hold in your hand and fiddle with. Then I read about fidget pillows, with tags and zippers, that keep awake patients busy at night in bed. Inspired by the fun texture of

From the top: Mimi, Teo, Thinking and Luna

microfiber dusting gloves, I started to make creatures for my mother that slowly grew into a sort of bedtime family. In addition to my handmade ones, there are smaller stuffed animals that were added to the group. Her current favorite is a baby hedgehog she named Helen, after her older sister. We make sure Helen is with her throughout the day, and this has helped ease the hand clenching problem. One morning recently, after the getting from bed to wheelchair routine was complete, I reached across the bed for Helen and handed her to my mother saying simply, “Helen.” My mother’s face lit up and she replied, “Sister.” My heart melted.