Flash mobs are so yesterday. The new craze is Zoom parties. My friends and I have been zooming nightly. Send out an invite. Gather snacks and beverages. Join the Zoom party. We are zooming with friends from Pleasant Hill to Palm Desert. It’s really fun, and there is no danger of COVID-19 infection. Last night was highlighted with a lively discussion about toilet seat bidets. How do they work? Which are the best? How much will you save on toilet paper? Are there rental possibilities? Will you ever need to go to Costco and interface with complete strangers again? It does not get any better.

 Zooming with my classes has also been an interesting experience. Three hours straight in the morning is a killer. Not even time to use a toilet seat bidet! I have been Zooming with four to six students at a time at 15 minute intervals. This is about right for them, but these back to back sessions are not working for me. This week I am going to try variations.

 Students have been very punctual about logging on and off. They are attentive and engaged. I have even done a couple of late afternoon sessions. These are more relaxed. With these optional sessions students have really been getting into the assignments. Their thoughts and questions have been impressive.

 I hope, as we all experiment and share ideas, we will be able to find a variety of ways to integrate Zoom into our curriculum. Many ideas are flying in my head but one never knows what will happen until these ideas are put to the test. This leaves me with one question, “If we all try to make the most of this lemon, will there be enough sugar left in the stores to make lemonade?”