Online Learning with OLLI
Can you believe it has been almost six weeks since we last saw each other in a traditional classroom? I heard a TV pundit say that people living in quarantine experience many of the same emotional stages of grief - beginning with denial and isolation and finally arriving at acceptance. I haven’t had the time to research the concept, but it may be true. No matter what the future brings, WE have accepted our mission as a connection point for OLLI members to access friends and intellectual inspiration wherever you may be – something to be joyful about!
Interest in online learning is growing amongst our members as people discover that Zoom is a great way to connect with friends and family. During our Memoirs class this week, one class member shared the following observation:
“In the beginning, I didn’t think that our class would translate very well to Zoom. But now that we’ve had a couple of weeks together, it works well, and I find myself really looking forward to seeing everyone each Tuesday!”
At the office, we’re receiving increasing emails asking about which classes are going to move online. Please know that consultations are on-going with our instructors to determine if they are able to convert their class content to Zoom. We have been updating our list of spring courses to reflect these changes.
Last week we saw a surge of interest in our YouTube offerings and lots of praise for this option. Settling into a rhythm has required some time. The YouTube course updates will be provided by email to OLLI members with paid spring memberships on Friday mornings. Staff member Leslie Anastassatos continues to do a stellar job at making this content available to all of us – kudos to Leslie!
If you haven't already done so, be sure to follow us on Facebook. You can get program updates and connect with members through our OLLI at UC Davis Facebook page, too!
There’s so much happening behind the scenes, friends. We are thankful for the 21 donations we received during GiveDay and your supportive emails of thanks and encouragement to the staff. It’s a distinct privilege to serve you.