A 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) UPDATE #24
For March 13, 2020
NEXT AAIE COVID-19 CONVERSATION #3 WITH FELLOW SCHOOL HEADS, Thursday March 19, 2020
The essential CONVERSATIONS about what we are learning as leaders during the time of the novel coronavirus. (Our second conversation was truly a study in leaders learning from each other- thanks to Will Richardson and the voices of many who jumped in to share key ideas for leading in the time of COVID-19)
ANNOUNCING AISH'S COVID-19 VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUPS: a "Pop-up" Opportunity to Come Together in a Time of Social Distancing
For International School Heads, it is a time in our world that requires proactive planning, flexibility, continuous problem solving and compassion. We know that the person at the helm doesn't always have support during these times. And part of our AISH mission is to provide support to the caregivers, in other words, you!
If you would like to discuss issues related to COVID-19, solve problems, unload anxieties, receive support, and indeed, even capture learnings, AISH wants to help by organizing groups of three to six Heads who will meet virtually one hour/week beginning the week of March 23 and extending to June. CLICK HERE to sign-up using Google doc. For International School Heads, it is a time in the world that requires proactive planning, flexibility, continuous problem solving and compassion. We know that the person at the helm doesn't always have support during these times, and part of our AISH mission is to provide support to the caregivers, in other words, you!
More questions or if Google is not available to you? Contact Deb Welch, debwelch@academyish.org, AISH CEO
CLICK HERE to read Tim Carr's essay on leadership and community in tough times
NOTES FROM THE EPICENTER #3-ITALY –By Wayne Rutherford
13 March 2020
School Closure Day 14, Online learning Day 13, Milan lockdown Day 4; Wayne at Home Day 1
Online learning is at what cost considering content coverage? So hard to know 'how we are doing'. Can we say to parents, with confidence, that your child is meeting the standards?
We surveyed the teachers after Week 2, asking 'how does your coverage teaching online compare to where you had planned to be?' but even that simple question returned questionable results. Is it realistic to expect that we can keep pace with the curriculum calendar? For how long? IB students and teachers really don't have a choice and have to be ready by test time.
A POEM TO CONSIDER
Pandemic
What if you thought of it (thanks to Tim Carr for passing along) NEWS UPDATE
Is The Science is Changing? Once infected, it may take longer to fully shed the virus than initially expected. A newly published paper suggests for the first time that patients shed the virus far longer than expected. Published by the medical journal The Lancet, the research suggests that the median duration of 20 days changes previous assumptions on the detoxification time for acute respiratory virus infection. Patents are infectious longer than expected. (see full study below)
Comments from the WHO The WHO Director General focused on four worldwide interventions the WHO indicates as critical– all apply to leading our school communities, if not actually, then metaphorically:
First, prepare and be ready "There are still 77 countries and territories with no reported cases, and 55 countries and territories that have reported 10 cases or less. And all countries with cases have unaffected areas. You have an opportunity to keep it that way. Prepare your people and your health facilities."
Second, detect, prevent and treat "You can't fight a virus if you don't know where it is. That means robust surveillance to find, isolate, test and treat every case, to break the chains of transmission."
Third, reduce and suppress "To save lives we must reduce transmission. That means finding and isolating as many cases as possible, and quarantining their closest contacts. Even if you cannot stop transmission, you can slow it down and protect health facilities, old age homes and other vital areas – but only if you test all suspected cases."
And fourth, innovate and improve "This is a new virus and a new situation. We're all learning and we must all find new ways to prevent infections, save lives, and minimize impact. All countries have lessons to share."
The Stats The WHO has declared Europe as the current epicenter for the COVID-19 virus. The WHO risk assessment is rated as VERY HIGH globally.
As of today, there are now 122 countries with detected coronavirus. One week ago, the number was 93
There are now 132,758 total cases reported globally, there were 101,927 cases one week ago. READINGS FOR TODAY
In the NYT, a veteran journalist in Italy, now working for public television writes of the complacency she brought to an encroaching virus– then speaks of the consequences.
We are sharing the full Lancet medical journal article that may further the understanding of the COVID-19 virus. Pretty thick reading but the summary and discussion sections provide helpful information. Research on the length of time of human infectiousness of course impacts your risk management protocol.
From UC Berkeley's The Greater Good Magazine, a lovely article provides key ideas that define human nature during a time of extreme worry and concern. Research shows that protecting others is a huge motivator for doing the right thing. This is an article that can be shared with all faculty and middle and upper school students.
Medium offers one of the most comprehensive reviews on why action is needed now, backed up by a convincing set of facts and observations. Worth the read.
A Few Key Links Messaging for parents and teachers when talking to children (from CDC) Advice from international educators who are in the thick of online learning A remarkable compilation of online learning resources- shared by Shabbi Luthra
(updated hourly online)
Editor's Note: Please remember that AAIE is providing these updates to ensure you have ease of access to information. Our goal is to keep you informed with curated articles that may be helpful to you and how you respond to your school community. If you have articles or local stories to share, please pass along. |