OT - NO POLITICS IT'S SUMMERTIME - ( spring was cancelled )

[Gee Wally]

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I love feeding the birds. We have a humming bird feeder and an oriole feeder too.. The hummers are so curious and will came right up to us to check us out, they go in the garage if the doors are open to look around. We bought some ceramic poppy feeders with wrought iron stems that are about 5" across and are cupped - we throw sunflower seeds in and the cardinals, blue jays, chickadees and gold finches love them.

We have a wild strawberry patch at the back of our yard and this year it has really taken over back there. We watched blue jays and robins in it, feeding their young as well. The squirrels also eat the berries. There is a ground hog hole and this year we just have ground hogs but last year we had a fox family and it was awesome to watch them. We have two wildlife cameras so we can get close shots of everything, not the best quality but fun to see the nightlife.

We had this little kit visit last Spring during a hard rain. Sat and napped a bit on our front porch. Then went it's merry way into the woods after rain stopped.

 

[Maine Fan]

Online learning is fraught with problems. I'm sure your grandchildren did just fine as will many other children. But many will not. Multiple studies have been done into virtual learning in this time and the findings are clear - online classes increase the gap between the smart students or those from good families and the ones that struggle and/or are from disadvantaged ones. The better off students who are self-driven and academically minded will cope with virtual classes, often supported by parents who are willing to assist them in their school work and by access to good internet connections, books and other means of learning. But disadvantaged students will struggle even more than previously due to lack of focused assistance from teachers who are less able to cater to their needs in an online environment, difficulty in accommodating kinesthetic learners, significant differences in quality between teachers as to their effectiveness and training in delivering online classes, deficient internet and resource access amongst poorer families, and having parents that either can't or won't supervise and assist their learning and will leave them to struggle or not pay attention to their school work at all.

In short, online learning tends to increase inequality in learning outcomes and is highly likely to leave many students with gaps, deficiencies or disengagement in their learning that they will never recover. A significant number of those students will be from poor families and minority groups. Then there are the mental health and socialization challenges for children who are not able to play, interact, work and compete in sport with their peers and who are experiencing intense disruption to their routines and sources of enjoyment, which can have significant short and long-term effects.

It is not easy, I freely acknowledge that. There are immense health challenges with sending children to school during a pandemic. It may well be in some places that the health impacts of doing so are even greater than the negative impacts on learning, so virtual classes are indeed deemed necessary in those locations for a time. But that decision should never be made lightly and it must be made with full awareness of this fact - online learning will hurt some children and damage their prospects wherever it is enacted, no matter how well it is done.

Studies:

https://www.dese.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/lamb_-_impact_of_learning_from_home.pdf
https://www.dese.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/learning_at_home_during_covid_30042020.pdf
https://www.dese.gov.au/system/file..._and_vulnerable_children_acer_22april2020.pdf
https://www.dese.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/clinton_supporting_vulnerable_children_final.pdf
https://www.dese.gov.au/system/file...iew-learningathome-covid19-final_28042020.pdf

Thank you. I don't disagree that online education is easier for some children and their environment for learning. I am speaking to health issues. This is America a leaderless country when it comes to Coronavirus. Look, today, what is happen with records being set everywhere. Other countries got their kids back into school and kept taking down barriers until it looks like full classes of kids like the old days but that was because the leader wanted kids educated. In leaderless America the reason to get the kids back in school is not for education but instead reelection. There isn't a National plan in place that is then tweaked by States to get the kids back into the classroom safely and the same for teachers, assistants and school staff. This is present America where the virus is a harmless hoax, while the number of cases go through the roofs along with deaths.

 

[Kate08]

Florida gonna Florida.

 

[DarrenBanks56]

Think districts will try to do both - offer in person and remote learning at the same time allowing for parents to pick what best suits their needs.

Oh and in Massachusetts we’ve laid off thousands of teachers and staff in our schools in the last couple weeks. In our city the schools were the only part of the budget that saw layoffs.
More than 2,000 educators in Mass. receiving layoff notices, union says

thats all i hope for.
is the option to do both.
when the parents have to work we can bring them to school.
or at least have it so its online 2 days and in school mon wed fri

 

[DarrenBanks56]

Ridiculous.

Casino's should be firmly in phase 4.

no kidding. its all about the money.
i should be playing roller hockey before friggin casinos open. its a joke.

 

[DarrenBanks56]

I have found something during this weird time that I really enjoy.

Having bird feeders.
I’ve always worked pretty much dawn to dusk. Then on weekends had zillion things to do.
My kids got me a couple of squirrel proof feeders . They actually work.
Now that I’m WFH I can sit and glance at them nearly most of the day. Tons of different birds. Some very colorful.
Its pretty cool and for me has a relaxing effect.
I highly recommend checking it out.

no bears??

 

[Gee Wally]

no bears??

nope...maybe the fence and dogs?
There are some around here though.

 

[Maine Fan]

Oh My...Me too I have a large T shape holder that I can hang 6 feeders on. The squirrels can not get on it. I also have a table on my deck with a bird bath and I feed the squirrels , blue jays ad other birds peanuts.

I have three different kinds of Wood peckers. The largest is the pileated. I have many birds. The newest is a blue bird.

I am turning into my parents.

Thank you, you are a good human being

 

[DaveFromNB]

Florida gonna Florida.

Not to worry, at least you can go to Disney World and take your mind off the pandemic.

 

[eightspokedb]

nope...maybe the fence and dogs?
There are some around here though.

We have it all at the Cave....birds, owls, skunks, possums, porcupines, fox, raccoons, flying squirrels (my favorites), and one bear about five years ago....word is it's still around....

 

[DKH]

Not to worry, at least you can go to Disney World and take your mind off the pandemic.

One of the seven Dwarfs has it - I’m guessing Sneezy gave it to Dopey

 

[Ladyfan]

Not to worry, at least you can go to Disney World and take your mind off the pandemic.

How stupid are they to open that park now ?

 

[Maine Fan]

Don't worry about this virus the first and the second strain because 99% is "harmless."

 

[Gee Wally]

How stupid are they to open that park now ?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Dueling Banjos]

 

[Ladyfan]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I know...It's all about the money.

 

[Ladyfan]

Don't worry about this virus the first and the second strain because 99% is "harmless."

The weak minded believe this

 

[DaveFromNB]

How stupid are they to open that park now ?

I suppose if you're not going to go to the trouble of containing the virus, you may as well say F it, open everything up and just consider it one big science experiment.

The sad thing, is that people are probably safer being on the grounds of the park than anywhere else in the state.

 

[BMC]

The band reunited was a great success!!!!

 

[Gee Wally]

White House seeks to discredit Fauci amid coronavirus surge


Florida Breaks Record Daily Cases in U.S. Outbreak: Virus Update

NH Food Bank on pace to set distribution record due to pandemic

40% of people infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, a new CDC estimate says

Hospitals in Covid-19 hotspots are running out of remdesivir

White House coronavirus testing czar warns the hardest-hit states may have to reverse reopening plans, says lockdowns 'should be on the table'

 

[caz16]

Don't worry about this virus the first and the second strain because 99% is "harmless."

...and the heat kills it, and masks don't help....etc.

 

[DKH]

Have to feel bad for Florida

The Governor is in way over his head and should lose his job over this

 

[TD Charlie]

Took matter into my own hands. 1 week into the 2 week kitchen remodel and not a single soul has shown up. At one point my keys fell off the window and through a crack in the floor. So i had to take a sawzall to the floor. Got my keys back though. I went full small man syndrome and carried the entire counter/sink over my head down the stairs and out to the driveway.

I’d like to say when the carpenters finally show up they’ll see some dirty work is already done and feel bad, but i know nobody gives a shit.

regardless. I earned this bottle of coke.

 

[Maine Fan]

I know...It's all about the money.

No it's about reelection only.

 

[Maine Fan]

Go ahead, guess:

258. $136,000,000.