Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Hoopoe: CYC June 1 2020 Newsletter and COVID Plan, Emergency planning for a so-called second wave of local coronavirus infections? (Am hypothesizing and really hoping much of this coronavirus pandemic is a "fire drill" or "in case of emergency" in the event of a very very serious global viral epidemic - or otherwise, (hypothetically), why would Massachusetts' health officials be allowing camps to open again, without a vaccine in place?). What do you all think? And could an infectious diseases' MD from Cuttyhunk circles help further develop the CYC Phase 1 / Phase 2 guidelines?


CYC June 1 2020 Newsletter and COVID Plan - (Cuttyhunk Yacht Club, Massachusetts)

Emergency planning for a so-called second wave of local coronavirus infections? 

Could an infectious diseases' MD from Cuttyhunk circles help further develop the CYC Phase 1 / Phase 2 guidelines?




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CYC June 1 2020 Newsletter
Happy almost summer! We know this has been an anxious and difficult spring for many families. We hope we can provide a small dose of light-hearted moments for you this summer -- as safely as possible. This will require everyone’s cooperation with our guidelines. Below are important details about our operating plan for Summer 2020:
Directory and Boutique:
  • We feel like we owe it to the Community to continue to honor some of our annual traditions: the Directory will be printed this year, and the boutique will be open
    • We are sending our Directory to the printer on June 1, so if you haven’t renewed your Membership, this is your last call! We will put your Directories in the mail this year, so please be on the lookout for it in June
    • The Boutique will be open. Jenn Warr is ordering a limited run of 2020 swag, and she will notify everyone of her operating plan via our social media channels later in June
Boat availability and classes:
  • We are able to get boats on the water this summer and provide recreation, with modifications. We ask that everyone works together with us to follow the State of MA and local guidelines, out of respect for each other, our staff and students, and our island community
  • Some important items of note:
    • There will be no communal life jackets this summer. To participate, you must bring your own PFD
    • The number of boats on the water may be limited due to a rotating maintenance schedule (N10s) or the need for creating safe distances for rigging (floats)
    • There will be no walk-up boat borrowing, due to required cleaning protocols
    • When social distancing cannot be maintained, face masks must be worn on CYC property


  • In Phase 1, there will be no traditional A, B, or C group. We will offer structured boat borrowing only. Anyone with an active Membership and signed waiver (online) may participate. 
    • Family members/cohabiting family only, allowed together in boats
    • Staff will accompany the fleet in crash boats to offer support, and maybe some fun structured activities
    • You may sign up to participate via a white board 24 hours in advance
      • Morning Fleet: 9-11am N10s, Zests, Lasers
      • Afternoon Fleet: 1-4pm Lasers, Zests, 420s
        • Typhoons will not be available until end of June/early July
  • In Phase 2, A, B, and C group may resume, with modifications
    • Family members/cohabiting family or consenting “cohorts” only allowed together in boats
    • A, B, and C groupers who cannot sail independently must be accompanied by a capable family member or assigned partner to participate




Thank you everyone for your understanding and flexibility adapting to the circumstances this summer. Let’s make the best of this by each doing our part, and the good times will follow.


CYC Board



*

Hey Cuttyhunkers, 

Appreciating the CYC wild apricot web site.

I just now renewed my CYC membership - https://cuttyhunkyachtclub.wildapricot.org/ ... I figure it'll be great too for when I begin a family :)

Am hoping travel potential emerges too re heading to Massachusetts (from the SF Bay Area) later in the summer. :) 

Thanks for your great CYC work,
Scott
There is a Sailing wiki subject for open teaching and learning at MIT OCW-centric wiki World Univ & Sch:
and which eventually will find further form in a #RealisticVirtualEarth https://twitter.com/hashtag/RealisticVirtualEarth?src=hashtag_click and for sailing eg in https://twitter.com/hashtag/RealisticVirtualEarthForOceans?src=hashtag_click ... 

PPS
Know of any 17-18 year olds interested in a free-to-students' online MIT OCW-centric education this autumn, potentially via the edX platform (founded by MIT and Harvard), see:


41.4183°N, 70.9339°W

"So, give three cheers for Cuttyhunk,
Our spirits all are free.
And no one knows the time of day,
Or cares, that's why we,
Love this isle of Gosnold,
and every wind that blows.
In rain or shine we all have fun,
From spring to summer's close."
~Leila Tucker Hall






-- 
- Scott MacLeod




*

Charmaine, Grant, John, David and All,

To what degree are you planning for CYC classes this summer with this kind of information:
Baker says camps, child care can reopen during phase two of reopening

"Summer camps and child care facilities can open in Massachusetts during Phase 2 of the state’s gradual reopening of the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Charlie Baker said Monday"
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/baker-says-camps-childcare-can-reopen-during-phase-2-reopening-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/

I can read Boston Globe articles behind its pay wall with the Tor browser - https://www.torproject.org/download/ - if that might be helpful

3 Cheers!, Scott






*

Charmaine Gahan

4:34 AM (8 hours ago)
to GrantJohnDavidChrisDavidJoanSeymourSarahJanieJimMattPeggycathy4fordDuaneggkidderSandymeScott
Hi Scott, thanks for the article. There has been a lot of info coming out in the past few weeks and it's hard to keep track of it all. None the less taking what guidelines we had in May, the CYC Board of Governors, in consultation with other area yacht clubs and US Sailing guidance, put together a plan for CYC which addresses the Governor's plan in phase 1 and in phase 2. We put them up on our website, if you take a look I always welcome comments and feedback. https://cuttyhunkyachtclub.wildapricot.org/COVID19 The nice thing about Phase 1 for CYC is that it gives us a chance to "start slow" and see how things go, how compliant and comfortable our community is with the guidelines. If we are able to comfortably move to Phase 2, we certainly will. The other nice thing about Phase 1 is that it gives us a chance to catch up with the many many maintenance projects we seem to never get around to in a typical season, so although it will be financially less revenue for CYC in those weeks without class registrations, it really is an important opportunity for the long term health of CYC.

Stay well Scott and look forward to seeing you on island. Charmaine Gahan




*
Hi Charmaine, Grant, John, David, All, 

Thanks and interesting, 

I wonder if there are any emerging or existent Massachusetts' health department guidelines for what happens in an emergency, for example, regarding another possible testable corona-viral leading to Covid-19 symptoms' outbreak on Cuttyhunk, even, for example. Emergency plan for a so-called second wave of local coronavirus infections? (Am hypothesizing and really hoping much of this coronavirus pandemic is a "fire drill" or "in case of emergency" in the event of a very very serious global viral epidemic - or otherwise, (hypothetically), why would Massachusetts' health officials be allowing camps to open again, without a vaccine in place?). What do you all think? And could an infectious diseases' MD from Cuttyhunk circles help further develop the CYC Phase 1 / Phase 2 guidelines? (No one comes to my mind immediately, but perhaps someone will emerge). Thanks for the helpful 'CYC COVID-19 Operating Plan' - https://cuttyhunkyachtclub.wildapricot.org/COVID19 . Stay well, All, and look forward to seeing you on island.

3 Cheers, 
Scott


-- 
- Scott MacLeod



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to CharmaineDavidNicholasNicholasBobelmorebeejamesdbillmanDougHillydbloutChristinedavid.joan184jenwarrGrantJohnChrisDavidJoanSeymourSarahJanieJimMattPeggycathy4fordDuaneggkidderSandyScottpbfrothloon40
Charmaine and Cuttyhunkers, 



Regarding CYC Covid-19 planning this summer, Charmaine writes: 



"There has been a lot of info coming out in the past few weeks and it's hard to keep track of it all. None the less taking what guidelines we had in May, the CYC Board of Governors, in consultation with other area yacht clubs and US Sailing guidance, put together a plan for CYC which addresses the Governor's plan in phase 1 and in phase 2. We put them up on our website, if you take a look I always welcome comments and feedback. https://cuttyhunkyachtclub.wildapricot.org/COVID19 The nice thing about Phase 1 for CYC is that it gives us a chance to "start slow" and see how things go, how compliant and comfortable our community is with the guidelines. If we are able to comfortably move to Phase 2, we certainly will. The other nice thing about Phase 1 is that it gives us a chance to catch up with the many many maintenance projects we seem to never get around to in a typical season, so although it will be financially less revenue for CYC in those weeks without class registrations, it really is an important opportunity for the long term health of CYC."


"Comments and feedback" ... ?

3 Cheers, Scott







-- 
- Scott MacLeod




* * *
W, June 3, 2020

Hi Charmaine, Grant, John, David, Cuttyhunkers, All, 

Thanks again for your CYC COVID-19 email to us all regarding -  https://cuttyhunkyachtclub.wildapricot.org/COVID19 - Charmaine, and interesting, 

Here's some further info with regards to COVID-19 and summer warm weather from a Duke University MD / Professor, who is also the head of Google's Duke's Stanford's Verily's Project Baseline (regarding rapid response, tracking and testing even?) and former FDA commissioner: 
Robert M Califf @califf001
Important message from NIH.  We need to keep our resolve & use our most effective tool: social distancing.  Will Warm Weather Slow Spread of Novel Coronavirus?

https://twitter.com/califf001/status/1268202977946267648?s=20

Emergency planning for a so-called second wave of local coronavirus infections?

Could an infectious diseases' MD from Cuttyhunk circles help further develop the CYC Phase 1 / Phase 2 guidelines -  https://cuttyhunkyachtclub.wildapricot.org/COVID19 ?


-- 
- Scott MacLeod

















...


Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Antillean crested hummingbird: 'I want to get admission in Bachelor's Degree and also want to know the processor of admission in Ph.D. * Emails today to Varun Shukla near Mumbai, India, prospective 'General Science' major, at World Univ & Sch student


Varun Shukla in India is inquiring about the WUaS General Science Bachelor's Degree for autumn 2020 at WUaS

Accreditation questions


*
Dear Sir,

I want to get admission in Bachelor's Degree and also want to know the processor of admission in Ph.D. 

I have completed my 12th Grade (HSC) from Maharashtra Board and Ph.D. in Religion & D.B.S.

Yours,
Dr. Varun Shukla
Navi Mumbai,
India



*
Emails today to Varun Shukla near Mumbai, India, prospective 'General Science' major, at World Univ & Sch student:

Dear Varun, 

Thank you for your mail. And greetings! Is this your Twitter URL - https://twitter.com/varunss2211? And what languages do you speak? best STEM CC-4 OCW-centric wiki World University & School admission's process is in progress. At this stage, World Univ & Sch will likely offer only 4-year Bachelor degree programs, with these 6 majors - 1) EECS, 2) General Science, 3) General Engineering, 4) English, 5) History, 6) Business - see: http://worlduniversityandschool.org/ - but since you already have a Ph.D., why might you be interested in a Bachelor degree? And what major might you apply for?

WUaS will likely have space in our Business major for a free-to-students' best STEM CC-4 OCW-centric Bachelor's degree, providing WUaS could move forward together with edX and regarding the edX platform (which is something WUaS is in communication with edX about). The enrollment process would then be similar to edX's, but stay tuned since WUaS may seek essays, language proficiency, letters of recommendation, & test scores (possibly the CLT - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_Learning_Test), etc. - as if someone from India were applying to the best STEM CC-4 OCW university itself on-the-ground in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While World Univ & Sch seeks to begin to offer our online Bachelor's degree classes in collaboration with edX this autumn 2020, the WUaS Ph.D. degrees would begin the following autumn 2021 at the earliest. Applying would probably occur through - http://worlduniversityandschool.org/ - and I will add you to WUaS's monthly business meetings' emailings. Thank you again for your interest in best STEM CC-4 OCW wiki World Univ & Sch.

Sincerely, Scott
Scott GK MacLeod
Founder, President  & Professor

PS 
What does D.B.S. stand for? 







* *

Dear Larry, and Jayni, and Board of Directors,

Re my email to Varun Shukla in India just now, am wondering about the value, with time, of having our WUaS applicants take a standardized exam online like the CLT - https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2019/10/21/classic-learning-test-aims-challenge-sat ... which currently costs around US $54, probably out of the range of Varun, and many high achieving students from the developing world seeking a better future for themselves. So would WUaS cover the cost of this? To be seen. What do you think?  

In further communication with the Professor and VP in the Office of Digital Learning, Sanjay Sarma, who's uncle or similar is a politician in India I think, am wondering too about reimbursement from Departments of Education in all ~200 countries. Thoughts, questions, ideas, suggestions?

FYI, here's where World Univ & Sch stands with licensing currently: 

World Univ & Sch continues to seek to observe the best STEM CC-4 OCW  and the edX, licensing terms (and per our communication with best STEM CC-4 OCW director Cecilia d'Oliveira previously, that WUaS may 1) share, 2) adapt, 3) but non-commercially the best STEM CC-4 OCW (now in 4 languages), - and see the further licensing clarifications here per her: http://worlduniversityandschool.org/) - Cecilia d'Oliveira's language - 

best STEM CC-4 OCW Creative Commons' licensing and endorsement clarifications:
"a) ... is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, World University and School b) MIT does not offer credit to WUaS students, and c) All best STEM CC-4 OCW OpenCourseWare materials are available for free through http://ocw.mit.edu)"

And as WUaS prepares for a possible autumn collaboration with edX, WUaS has listed about 75 CC-4 OCW courses, ~14 edX courses, and about 19 CC-3 Yale OYC courses in our course catalog (but wouldn't yet have access to edX courses from MIT OCW grades, for example) - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VRHhXYsk-V9lvSh5onaU2hnEhwoapSN7HyBK1P09LIk/edit?usp=sharing (http://worlduniversityandschool.org/).

WUaS is currently waiting to hear back from his university's legal department per Sanjay with regard to further exploratory steps re linking, licensing and much more. 

Sincerely, Scott


Email today to Varun Shukla near Mumbai, India: 

Thank you for your mail. And greetings! Is this your Twitter URL - https://twitter.com/varunss2211? And what languages do you speak? MIT OCW-centric wiki World University & School admission's process is in progress. At this stage, World Univ & Sch will likely offer only 4-year Bachelor degree programs, with these 6 majors - 1) EECS, 2) General Science, 3) General Engineering, 4) English, 5) History, 6) Business - see: http://worlduniversityandschool.org/ -  but since you already have a Ph.D., why might you be interested in a Bachelor degree? And what major might you apply for?

WUaS will likely have space in our Business major for a free-to-students' MIT OCW-centric Bachelor's degree, providing WUaS could move forward together with edX and regarding the edX platform (which is something WUaS is in communication with edX about). The enrollment process would then be similar to edX's, but stay tuned since WUaS may seek essays, language proficiency, letters of recommendation, & test scores (possibly the CLT - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_Learning_Test), etc. - as if someone from India were applying to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) itself on-the-ground in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While World Univ & Sch seeks to begin to offer our online Bachelor's degree classes in collaboration with edX this autumn 2020, the WUaS Ph.D. degrees would begin the following autumn 2021 at the earliest. Applying would probably occur through - http://worlduniversityandschool.org/ - and I will add you to WUaS's monthly business meetings' emailings. Thank you again for your interest in MIT OCW-centric wiki World Univ & Sch.

Sincerely, Scott
Scott GK MacLeod
Founder, President  & Professor

PS 
What does D.B.S. stand for? 





* *

Dear Larry, Govind, Kyle, Jayni, Tito, Yuping, Juan, WUaS Board, 

Varun Shukla in India has written again with an interest in matriculating at World Univ & Sch this autumn in the General Science major. Our recent correspondence is below. 

It's great that WUaS has a prospective student who is interested in our proposed General Science degree, potentially beginning this autumn. Am wondering how the WUaS Admissions' process will grow over the years' ahead. Am wondering too about WUaS seeking a variety of Department of Educations in India for reimbursement, for example; in what ways might WUaS engage MIT Professors, Sanjay Sarma, the VP in the Office of Digital Learning, or Anant Agarwal, edX's CEO in these regards? 

As you'll see in this recent blog post, MIT OCW doesn't have a "Science" page upon searching, but it does have a page for our other 5 majors - https://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2020/05/starfish-fromia-monilis-cc-4-mit-ocw.html - and WUaS has alos posted only one edX from MITx from MIT OCW Science courses so far. 

All the best, 
Scott



*
Dear Sir,

I have done Ph.D. in Religion & Doctor of Biblical Studies (D.B.S.) both from ULC, Modesto, California (unaccredited).

Yes @varunss2211 is my twitter.

I would like to take major in General Science

My mother tongue is Gujarati. I also speak English, Hindi, Marathi and Bengali.



Yours,

Dr. Varun Shukla

Navi Mumbai,

India


Thank you for your response. Stay tuned as World Univ & Sch develops its admissions' process, as well as our collaborations with edX. WUaS is seeking to offer courses like this over 4 years - Introduction to Biology - The Secret of Life: 
 https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-to-biology-the-secret-of-life-3 - for World Univ & Sch credit, as we seek to develop online free-to-students' Bachelor degrees, and also to seek reimbursement from nation states, countries, counties, and states' Departments of Education. 

Thank you, 
Scott



* *

Dear Larry, Govind, Kyle, Jayni, Tito, Yuping, Juan, WUaS Board, 

By the way, Varun Shukla in India writes he's completed both a high school degree and an online, it appears, "Ph.D. in Religion & Doctor of Biblical Studies (D.B.S.) both from ULC, Modesto, California (unaccredited)" - from Universal Life Church and costing $59 - see: https://store.ulc.net/mobile/Product.aspx?ProductCode=doctor-of-biblical-studies AND https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/ulc-scamage.39628/ - so I can understand perhaps now why he is interested in the WUaS free-to-students' 'accrediting' CC-4 MIT OCW-centric Bachelor's degree. He could conceivably even afford the CLT exam from India. 

The first step of licensing and accreditation for WUaS may be to go through the CA BPPE's "Application for Approval to Operate for an Institution Non Accredited" - https://www.bppe.ca.gov/forms_pubs/approval_nonaccredited.pdf" - https://twitter.com/CaBPPE - but I've read that the related BPPE workshops are cancelled through 2020. 

So, in terms of WUaS's licensing (CA's BPPE) which is the first step in then concurrently accrediting (probably with WASC), all of the CA BPPE workshops have been cancelled through the end of 2020 (probably due to the coronavirus pandemic) - https://www.bppe.ca.gov/schools/application_workshops.shtml - this makes it difficult for WUaS to begin to offer online Bachelor (or Ph.D.) degrees that will then become accredited (as WUaS becomes accredited). (Also WUaS doesn't have the BPPE fee money to begin this process anyway). 

So I'm wondering if state of California licensing / accreditation ONLINE is the right direction to head in at this stage - since online licensing / accreditation may be impossible at this stage. And could WUaS collaborate with edX to create potentially our own forms of accreditation, per recent correspondence with Larry: "in that edX is creating a MicroBachelors and MicroMasters degrees - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MicroMasters (and edX here is listed as owner, with Anant and Sanjay as key people) - and since our BPPE workshops are cancelled, could edX/WUaS somehow create a NEW 'MacroBachelor' or 'MajorBachelor' degree with edX name credibility? A 'MacroPhD,' 'MajorPhD' too (and skip BPPE & WASC)?

In a related vein: am curious if WUaS could eventually request MIT OCW courses to be translated into MITx / edX courses. Here's an Anthropology course taught by MIT Professors Heather Paxson (Quaker, I think), and Graham Jones (who's a Reedie - a Reed College Alum), as an example - https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/anthropology/21a-157-the-meaning-of-life-spring-2019/ . And do you know this Monty Python version of 



Monty Python's The Meaning of Life | The Miracle of Birth

Thoughts, comments, ideas, suggestions? 

All the best, Scott





* *

Browser was shutting down as I was writing the last email, and with a familiar error message was popping up just before the Safari browser shut down - the 3-repeat message happens and then Safari closes - and then the 3-repeat message but Safari didn't close ... is this a Google Apple process? 

So BPPE may have had its highs and lows in recent decades, and may also be saying with 'non-accredited' licensing to end users, like people in India, PERHAPS to BEWARE. Shall WUaS seek edX 'accreditation' or its own creation, or seek BPPE licensing / WASC senior accreditation for both Bachelor and Ph.D.s (per BPPE, and first in English) - if WUaS had the $5,000 for BPPE and the $10,000 eligibility fee, and then the $1,000 per year per student I think - and then the $10,000 or so to become accredited - with accreditation happening only AFTER we graduate our first undergraduate Bachelor's degree class (but with provisional accreditation in the interim). What  do you think? And what would be best for our students, and seeking reimbursement from Departments of Education in all ~200 countries (and if we were collaborating with edX as well)? And what about 'the other America' and the non-rich 'developing world'? I'd think if we could guarantee quality of degrees, and make these relevant for India and other countries in the developing world, their Departments of Education might appreciate less of an outlay for WUaS degrees (re accreditation) ... even as WUaS seeks to peg reimbursement on MIT's tuition for studying from home degrees. 

I've also renewed WUaS's Grants.gov password over the weekend for about the 10th or 15th time, - every 6 weeks (WUaS didn't get a $250,000 grant through Grants.gov a few years ago) - and just received today Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi's Grants' Newsletter, a few days late after the beginning of the month, which lays out grant opportunities. Would a granting agency fund WUaS NEWLY to license with BPPE and then seek accreditation with WASC senior? (Can't also attend the BPPE workshops if they are closed through year's end). Would a granting agency award WUaS monies to hire graduate student instructors from Harvard and Stanford, without WASC senior or similar accreditation? 

Where might the CLT play a role in WUaS seeking and finding high achieving students from around the world - https://www.cltexam.com/home ? Princeton's Robert George on this page went to Quaker schools too I think. I've met him at Stanford as well. I don't think accepting the CLT exam would cost WUaS anything.  

Thoughts, ideas, questions, comments? I think a WUaS US degree would have much more value if WUaS was accredited - opening avenues to many careers otherwise inaccessible. 

Cheers, 
Scott














...




Monday, June 1, 2020

Cypripedium candidum (slipper): WUaS Livestream News Q&A Mon 6/1/20 at 10a PT Topic: Breakthrough: Adding edX < MITx from OCW @WorldUnivAndSch & @WUaSPress to WUaS Course Catalog


Hi Universitians, 
Here's the 

'WUaS LiveStream 6/1/20 - Breakthrough - Dear Students: upcoming free-to-students' degrees in fall' 
- video from today - 
(accessible eventually from - https://www.youtube.com/user/WorldUnivandSch - by clicking on the WUaS Livestream link). 

And for your interest, here's a talk I did about 
The Information Technology Revolution - History and Geography - Scott MacLeod

Am thinking about how to handle text chats during WUaS LiveStreaming; (would anyone like to help?) Someone said someone from India had been and been texting, but I'm still learning about this, and not seeing what was texted here - https://youtu.be/6TNjnKswlWI - at the moment.

M, June 8, 2020 at 10 am PT is the next WUaS LiveStream - https://twitter.com/WorldUnivAndSch/status.

Cheers, 
Scott




* * *

WUaS Livestream News Q&A https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdURAADdLc9ctxnbismtXzQ/ http://youtube.com/WorldUnivandSch Mon 6/1/20 at 10a PT Topic: Breakthrough: Adding edX < MITx from OCW @WorldUnivAndSch & @WUaSPress to WUaS Course Catalog https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VRHhXYsk-V9lvSh5onaU2hnEhwoapSN7HyBK1P09LIk/edit?usp=sharing >worlduniversityandschool.org
Qs? @ScottMacLeod info@w


https://twitter.com/WorldUnivAndSch/status/1267320647719415809?s=20
https://twitter.com/scottmacleod/status/1267321067996975104?s=20
https://twitter.com/sgkmacleod/status/1267321456498622464?s=20
https://twitter.com/WUaSPress/status/1267321792026140672?s=20
https://twitter.com/HarbinBook/status/1267322029046296577?s=20
https://twitter.com/TheOpenBand/status/1267323457173241856?s=20















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