No matter who or where, this week has been unusual for each of us. Interesting to me is the fact that few could have imagined these circumstances a month ago. More interesting is seeing how people are adjusting. As we say in our family, “If handed a lemon, make lemonade.” Old fashioned advice, but good advice.

One thing for sure: technology is being implemented for positive purposes as a nation’s children find out what it means to be, at least technically, schooled at home. Actual homeschooling families are unfazed by this. They are following their daily plans and have stacks of resources on hand, particularly in hard copy. But children suddenly “out of school” are likely to be relying on internet resources at this point until parents can figure out what to do next.

One hard thing for kids finding themselves unexpectedly out of school has to be the feeling of being shut away from friends and regular activities: band, choir, art class, swim team, track, debate team, and similar activities are a lifeblood for many a child. Stripped of these involvements, the world looks a lot less interesting. It may also seem a bit scary, as students’ identities are shaped by these undertakings.

But for teachers who are assembling platoons of online lessons at lightning speed, there will be several pluses. Online teaching has its limitations, true. But it can be equally, or more, effective than in-class instruction in certain brick-and-mortar circumstances. That sounds counterintuitive, but online instruction need not be impersonal and can feel quite intimate. Also, at the very least, teachers will be able to teach material and not dilute class time with constant efforts (as happens in many public schools) to discipline their charges. It also means that students need to pay attention, as “stuff” goes by at what might be a faster clip than in live classes.

Within the university setting, new issues are surfacing. For one, we read the buzz about professors who are upset. Why? Many reasons, of course, including the understandable fear of the unknown. Technology is not kind or forgiving and, as someone who pushes too many buttons too fast, boy do I know that to be true.

But another interesting concern seems to be certain professors’ worry about the concrete scrutiny that online formats allow of one’s teaching. This fact seems burdensome or intrusive (particularly considering lessons will be recorded and the instructors are visibly accountable). To that “problem,” I say, hooray.

For the professors I have worked with throughout my academic career, who teach with their hearts and complete commitment to students (here’s to you, my then-and-now SMU music colleagues), online teaching offers simply a new variation on what they do every single day: present their material with passion, in the best possible way. May this time be rewarding and fulfilling for them, and for their students.

Thinking in terms of our own lives and neighborhood, several good things have happened, including meeting a set of lovely neighbors we had not yet gotten to know. Since Hank and I work from home, little about our daily schedule has changed except that we are not driving off to conferences this spring as we had expected.

Instead of driving, we are holding these conferences through the “miracle of technology”—at least the next three: March 19-21, Southeast Great Homeschool Convention scheduled for Greenville, South Carolina; March 26-28, the Great Homeschool Convention scheduled for St. Louis; and April 16-18, the Midwest Great Homeschool Convention scheduled for Cincinnati.

It all happened quickly as we, together with our intrepid colleagues at Classical Academic Press (kudos to you Christopher Perrin!), IEW, CiRCE Institute, Memoria Press, and Veritas Press grabbed the available technology and arranged it over the past few days. Boy, oh boy, has it been fast and furious, but we did it (or we think we did it).

Based on the high registration numbers, we must have hit the mark. The first conference has maxed out, but you can join either of the next two free. (A link will be on our home page.)

These cyber conferences will, in fact, be more like symposiums dedicated to bringing you the talks we would have given at the live events. And these events will be free to all. Plus we are opening “zoom rooms” as though we were in real conference booths, inviting you to visit, chat, send questions, share ideas, and take advantage of deep conference discounts and offers (like, for us at Professor Carol, 25% off everything plus free shipping).

The most encouraging aspect of this online event for me, though, has to do with the fact that we’ll be reaching new people. Many participants will be familiar with what we do: homeschoolers, teachers, members of co-ops, headmasters, or others who have joined the dynamic new movements in home and Classical education. But others will be persons unaware that these treasures exist.

The fact is, significant numbers of well-educated and highly placed people have no idea any of this is going on. I get comments all the time when I travel with my Smithsonian groups: “Really? Kids are still studying Latin?” “I thought kids had stopped learning cursive.” “Didn’t they drop out all that old literature already?”

Yes, no, and no. And overall a resounding yes to those mission-driven parents, tutors, curriculum providers, speakers, facilitators, visionaries, and whoever else I’ve forgotten to mention, who have dreamed big dreams and caused all of this to happen.

It sounds odd to be excited about such things while many are suffering, both those who are ill and countless people who ordinarily would be at work in now shuttered restaurants, empty hotels, and grounded airlines. Still, I was raised in an era that proclaimed good things can and do happen during the greatest difficulties. History teaches this over and over as well. So let me add my prayers to yours that from ashes grow new buds. I know that’s a poetic metaphor, but it came to mean more to me living in Portland, Oregon back when Mt. St. Helen blew up. After time passed, and we were able to travel along her flanks. Images of green shoots winding their way out of layers of ash brought that metaphor to life.

And while we wait for these buds, join us if you can at our conferences. Come to our “zoom rooms” and hang out for a spell. Send us your thoughts and questions. Tell friends and colleagues.

Also, look for the good ideas that many are proposing (such as those suggesting we might rehang a few Christmas lights to add sparkle to the neighborhoods, especially for those older neighbors who cannot get out). Human beings are resilient, creative, and resourceful. History offers us roadmaps too, when we remember how past generations have handled excruciatingly difficult times.