Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Acton: gardening, commuting to, payment)

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by Bridge781

We really aren’t out of the woods until there’s a vaccine.

That's what we don't know. There may never be a vaccine. We don't know if it will run its course and die off, or keep mutating and come back year after year. There could be no vaccine in place, but effective therapies found. Too much unknowns here at this point.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

I know you’re aware of this, so I post this as a reminder for other posters/readers.

Self isolation is really focused on reducing the hospitalization rate. Deaths are inevitable, particularly in high risk populations, but what policy makers are looking to avoid is a scenario where lower risk 50 to 60 somethings begin to inundate the ED (ER) spreading resources thin. So far, we’ve more or less avoided this (I.e., all patients have been receiving adequate critical care).

And it's also reducing the hospitalization rate for a other emergencies. How many heart attacks, broken bones, shootings and stabbings, car accidents, etc. that have been prevented due to people staying home?

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by massnative71

That's high school stuff. I don't think most would deny that we do a very poor job on the math front. Of course it's not just the education system's fault for not being able to teach it, but also society's lack of value placed on it. But in the end, there will always be those who don't have the capability to grasp it. Most of these things can be explained in simplified terms to the mathematically illiterate, yet it still goes right over their head. I dare say "selective ignorance".

Forget high school, having the opportunity to home school these last four weeks I've seen that they start introducing plots even at the Kindergarten level. I was a bit surprised (in a good way) they started them out so young.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

Forget high school, having the opportunity to home school these last four weeks I've seen that they start introducing plots even at the Kindergarten level. I was a bit surprised (in a good way) they started them out so young.

But that's not Common Core.


But yeah, we really do shortchange ourselves in what we expect from our kids and forget what some are capable of. The education system (with exceptions) serves to the lowest common denominator.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by massnative71

But that's not Common Core.


But yeah, we really do shortchange ourselves in what we expect from our kids and forget what some are capable of. The education system (with exceptions) serves to the lowest common denominator.

Common core has plots starting in the second grade.

http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/math/2017-06.pdf

I think that innumeracy is just a lot more socially acceptable than illiteracy. I think MA schools seem to do a relatively good job (I'm comparing to Louisiana, so possibly the other end of the spectrum).

[BostonMike7]

I'd think I have an easier time managing these next few weeks if I didn't have to worry about the homeschooling. That's the biggest source of stress these days with how life has transitioned...and I have an actual elementary school teacher in the house. (maybe that's part of the problem ) We aren't the type to brush of any sort of education but keeping the kids focused while I'm attempting to work in my office (or at the actual office) while a 2.5 year old is running around craving attention has been difficult. My wife is also doing remote learning stuff with her students. It's been crazy.

But I won't complain too much about that really given the enormity of everything else going on. I just keep that sort of stuff to myself other than this one vent. I haven't really had much time for personal hobbies in the last month or two so maybe i'm reaching a point where I need some sort of stress relief.....

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I hate to say this, but average intelligence may be a factor? I wish I remembered the source & statistic, but there was an astounding % of the population that (apparently) cannot understand a simple x-y plot. When you talk about exponential spread, curves, and flattening them, you may be talking PhD level for a lot of folks (hate to say it).

Unfortunately a large amount of time you have to dump things down a bit. I've seen people get things in the mail that say and I quote this is not a bill. Yet they still think it is a bill. Sometimes I think we'd best if things were just blunt and to the point. A statement like "I am about to make a decision that's going to have a direct impact on your life"

God forbid you start talking about finance and people that don't understand the difference between debt and the deficit or revenue and profit.

And of course you have the guilt by association. Identity politics can get very ugly very fast when we assume that all of one group thinks the same or that someone must be part of one group due to demographics.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I'd think I have an easier time managing these next few weeks if I didn't have to worry about the homeschooling. That's the biggest source of stress these days with how life has transitioned...and I have an actual elementary school teacher in the house. (maybe that's part of the problem ) We aren't the type to brush of any sort of education but keeping the kids focused while I'm attempting to work in my office (or at the actual office) while a 2.5 year old is running around craving attention has been difficult. My wife is also doing remote learning stuff with her students. It's been crazy.

But I won't complain too much about that really given the enormity of everything else going on. I just keep that sort of stuff to myself other than this one vent. I haven't really had much time for personal hobbies in the last month or two so maybe i'm reaching a point where I need some sort of stress relief.....

It's a very real struggle. My husband and I are both working long hours right now and the remote learning is realistically taking about 3 hours per day. We are a very structured family and my kids (in second grade and kindergarten) can focus for those 3 hours, but they aren't old enough to do the work independently.

We are now using the babysitter we've had for the past two years as our tutor. She's an early education major and my kids love her and she's the ONLY reason we can get all of our remote learning done. She comes every day for 2 hours to do the hands-on work. I can handle the zoom meetings and Lexia or Reflex work with them since they can do that independently.

Most of my friends who work and have spouses who work had to break down and get help. I know a couple of moms who were trying to do it on their own, but after yesterday's announcement they've decided they can't do this for another 8 weeks and are getting some help. It really is nearly impossible to do this as a working parent, especially when you have multiple kids who have different needs.

[Bridge781]

I’ve been wondering about the getting help thing. Technically we’re supposed to be quarantined which means no one else allowed in the home and kids can’t go to anyone else’s home. Now that school is cancelled and plenty of people out there need the money (baby sitting, tutoring) it seems that people are going to break down and allow others in the home.

We may need some help from my dad and mom which we haven’t been doing at all. We also have a babysitter who is 20 and at home from college now. It hasn’t been easy with a 4 and 5 yr old but I also don’t see us having a baby sitter in the house right now either. Too chaotic. I could see them going to my parents the way the once did.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by Bridge781

I’ve been wondering about the getting help thing. Technically we’re supposed to be quarantined which means no one else allowed in the home and kids can’t go to anyone else’s home.

That's the struggle. Something has to give. We can't do everything--work long hours to keep our struggling companies afloat, spend hours a day focused on remote learning, cook every meal...not to mention all the extra cleaning that is a result of having us all home all the time. We're all trying our best, but it's just not possible.