It was a blast to be teaching again via Learning Laneway.

I presented my ‘Free Your Creative Voice & Impact Your Readers’ introductory session online a couple of weeks ago, and it was so good to be sharing this material again after quite a long time out of the classroom!

My joy at teaching a favourite topic again was a little muted by the way that classroom dynamics have changed: I was surprised / disappointed / saddened to see how many students chose to remain behind black screens during the session. 

Image courtesy Karolina Grabowska and Pexels

It’s the new way of the world since the covid plandemic locked us in our homes, and there is definitely a long list of great benefits to working from home, but one of the best things about teaching is the human interaction – seeing all the beautiful faces, gauging from smiles and frowns how people are responding, observing students interacting with each other, and simply enjoying the real-life human-engagement aspect of it!

Instead, I found myself teaching to a set of black screens as only one student was prepared to leave her camera on. Why is this, I wondered. Are people embarrassed about their environment? (They can always blur it or insert a virtual background.) Or are they hiding the fact that they are distracted / doing something else at the same time as the class? 

I’m guilty on both fronts: I have turned my camera off when eating or cheating (doing something else at the same time – usually because I only have a partial interest in the class or the speaker is slow).

So I get it but it’s disappointing. Like people focused on their phones when they’re out to dinner instead of being focused on each other. I’ve done that too, and usually have ‘a good reason’. e.g. looking for a photo I want to show the others. But the trend is troubling.

The sad aspect is how we are changing from humans capable of interacting with each other in real human ways to entities that text. (I’m especially disturbed when I see children on screens.)

Back to the class: I figured that if my students didn’t want to be seen, they would probably interact in the chat… but no. There was barely a single comment, even though I asked repeatedly for input and responses. 

So what’s the deal here? Are we all super private these days or super passive? Let me know your thoughts in the Comments section below.

At the end of the session a couple of women turned their cameras on and shared some feedback to the class, and the first thing mentioned was enjoyment of the breakout rooms – which means this woman values human interaction! So why not with me, the tutor? 🥲

I’m putting out the intention for an increasingly engaged group each time I present online in this forum! Speaking of which, I’m doing it again on 19th March and would LOVE to have you join the session! Here’s the link. And if you do join and are willing to keep your camera open and/or interact in the chat, thank you!

Bits & Pieces

I’m in a study group at the moment that encompasses language, history, physics, law and more – and something particularly important that we are learning is the efforts of the elite to move us ‘from 3D to 2D’. 

We observe this in how they inundate us with paperwork – which is now shifting into the digital realm, as you know. From living men and women we have strawperson identities; from trading in gold and silver or other commodities that have substance, we are now exchanging numbers/ideas. 

Many of us are aware of the trans-human agenda, which is where this is all going, and perhaps that’s why I’m so keen to keep humanity alive by meeting in the physical, or at least, seeing people’s faces and hearing their voices. (My study group meets physically around an actual table and hug each other when we arrive and leave. We write with paper and pen and interrupt each other and ask questions as they occur to us and laugh and swear. Phones and computers are banned from the class. It’s a joy.)

Image courtesy rfstudio and Pexels

Reading Update: You’ve heard me talking about Jason Breshears from Archaix.com. I’m still down this channel’s rabbit holes and loving them. Jason can be a challenge at first but if you get past that, you’ll be richly rewarded. His knowledge of history and his insights are stunning. I’m now reading some of his sources and will be returning to the topic of his research over and over as it is the most informative, outrageous, useful and encouraging information I have probably ever come across.

Gardening Notes: I picked up some cowpea beans (?) from a crop swap one week and merrily planted them, knowing that nitrogen from the beans is good for the earth and I like to eat beans. I’ve just pulled the damn things out – they were taking over my vegie garden. I have filled three compost bins with the vines and have more for the compost heaps. They will do their magic over there instead, and meanwhile I have harvested enough for a meal or two, but I’ll be wary of ever planting them again! Just a friendly warning. 

May your next few weeks unfold joyously, and Happy New Year!

Did you know that, according to the ancient pre-Roman calendar, (i.e. before they started mucking with our time-keeping systems to hide certain things), the year ended at the end of February and began in March. So 2024 begins in a couple of days.

Take note: 

September = 7th month (sept = seven)
October = 8th month (oc = eight)
November = 9th month (nov = nine)
December = 10th month (dec = ten, as in decade…)

January and February are the 11th and 12th months of the year.