Learning out of necessity

We are in the midst of an incredible time.  What we do during this time is what is most important.  I have spent time learning, sharing, and noticing.  I've learned more about video conferencing in the last week than I probably would have if not for our current situation.  I've shared the lessons we've learned with others about our school's virtual learning.  I've noticed even more the power of the relationships our staff has with our students and each other.  Why didn't I do any of this before?  Because I was in a routine and I was comfortable and everything was just fine.  And my new learning and teaching became more personal.

My brother-in-law Paul, who has more knowledge about more things than I ever will, shared this quote in our family text message yesterday-

Pictured above the quote is my 83-year-old father, Joe.  He's good with a landline and solitaire on the computer but until Friday he and my mom didn't know how to do a Google hangout.  They do now because we still need to stay connected with their family.  I taught my sister and her daughter, too, and just finished teaching my godson.  The one pledge I made with my mom and dad is this-

I promise not to answer a video call while I'm in the bathroom.

I seriously did the whole, "Repeat after me" part of a swearing-in ceremony.  We have had a couple of laughs about that.  The necessity of learning video calls made it possible for all of us to teach one another and to learn something new.  I learned the importance of patience with my parents because it was vital for me to make sure I could still see them "face to face".  It's important for them to see us, too.

So what's something new that you learned out of necessity, or just something new you've learned, in the last week?