NEWSFLASH
May 18, 2020
Where's My Ballot?
Candidate information and ballots for the OLLI Council election were sent out on May 8. Electronic voter information and access to a ballot was sent to all OLLI members with individual email addresses, and paper materials and ballots were sent via US Mail to all other OLLI members.

If you haven't voted yet and you're having trouble locating the email with the link to your ballot, you may want to check your spam folder for an email with the subject line: Announcing the 2020 OLLI Council Candidates/Ballot Attached . If it can't be located, please call (541-552-6048) or email ([email protected]) the OLLI office. Ballots must be received by 4:00 pm on Wednesday, June 3.
News for OLLI Instructors
OLLI instructors who are considering teaching this fall may be interested in Karen Grove's experience using Zoom this spring:
"For the spring term, I changed my class about the local geology from in-person to online. My technique was to post blog entries and then have Zoom sessions to more thoroughly explain the blogs and to answer questions. It went surprisingly well, as we could still interact, and participants had positive responses. The class was not as long, or as detailed, but it worked! I would certainly be willing to use this online platform again with a class."

Thank you to Karen and the other spring instructors for finding ways to offer classes in new formats on short notice as the situation evolved this spring. With more time to plan for fall term, OLLI is developing and offering more avenues for distance learning support for instructors and for students. See below for more information.

To learn more about teaching at OLLI or to submit a course proposal for fall, click here . Fall course proposals are due by May 31.
Zoom for OLLI Instructors
Thinking about teaching an OLLI course for Fall 2020 and using Zoom? Here is a link you may find helpful in learning the basics of teaching with Zoom. We hope you will find it user friendly and easy to navigate. It’s easier than you think!

Click here to check it out. Thanks to our friends at OLLI at West Virginia University for sharing this how-to video.

We will continue to add to our SOU OLLI “Instructor Support Toolbox,” so watch for more information soon!
Zoom for OLLI Students – Getting Ready for Fall
Many of OLLI's fall courses will be presented via Zoom. If you haven't already tried it, this is a great time to learn how to use it. To get started click here to download this Basic Zoom Instruction for Beginners sheet (PDF) created especially for OLLI members by OLLI Remote Tech Support volunteers.
Member-to-Member Remote Tech Support
If you need some one-to-one coaching, OLLI's  Member-to-Member Tech Support Team volunteers may be able to help. Complete the request below and we will connect you with a Tech Support volunteer.

Click here to submit a request for tech support.

Please note: While volunteers will offer support to the best of their ability remotely, we cannot guarantee that every issue will be solved successfully. Please keep in mind that this process can require time and patience, too.
Open Distance Learning Courses
Title: Classical Music for the Pandemic
Instructor: Peggy Evans
Description: Classical Music for the Pandemic: a look at relatively short classical music works (e.g., a movement of a symphony, not the whole work), which may speak to students at this challenging time.
Students will be contacted by email twice a week to the end of the term. Each email will include several works. Each work would be described (history, musical style, form) plus there would be links to recordings and a score (if available). The works would come from western European classical music and its several historical periods, including music for the church. Students will be encouraged to suggest works to be included and to email questions which will be answered privately or in the next class email. Students will work through this material at their own pace.
Start Date: The class is self-paced, and students may add at any time.
Distance learning methods/tools to be used: Email
Maximum number of students: Unlimited
Questions: Contact the instructor at [email protected]

Title: Five Records That Changed Us (well, me anyhow)
Instructor: Denny Caraher
Description: Each week I will talk about an LP that had a major cultural and musical impact and is still relevant today. I will play excerpts from the albums via Zoom but everyone should have listened to the recording before class. The first record will be “Sweethearts of the Rodeo” by The Byrds and the other four will probably be of that era.
Start Date: Wednesday, April 29 at 10:00 a.m. 90 minute sessions. (5 sessions)
Students may add at any time.
Distance learning methods/tools to be used: Zoom
Maximum number of students: Unlimited
Questions: Contact the instructor at [email protected]

Title: OLLI Goes to the Virtual Ashland Independent Festival
Instructor: Lorraine Vail, with Kathy Roselli, Dave Ferguson and local filmmakers
Description: Regretfully, the 2020 Ashland Independent Film Festival (AIFF) was cancelled. Fortunately, Festival staff curated a “virtual” film festival (May 22-June 14) for independent cinema fans, and OLLI Goes to the Virtual Ashland Independent Festival was created. This is an opportunity to view unique films that are not likely to be shown elsewhere, plus the latest and best from our local filmmakers. The films are streamed on Film Festival Flix and can be viewed on a TV or PC. Nine full-length films and the Locals Only series will be discussed via Zoom. You choose how many films to view and how many class discussions to join. A brief description of the films will be available on April 30. On May 6, a Zoom meeting (optional) will provide more information and answer questions on the films and the viewing logistics.
Please note: Enrolling in the class is a great way to express your support to AIFF and the work they do to ensure independent cinema is present in our community. The streaming channel subscription is $9.99 and a feature film rents for $7.99. Best of all, a subscription includes free access to the wonderful collection of 35 shorts, including NASA’s CineSpace winners. A subscription is not required for the 37 short films from our community of local filmmakers and filmmaking students. If you are an AIFF member, you receive a free subscription to the channel and a number of feature film vouchers depending on your membership level. Click here for details  
Start Date: May 22, first film; May 24, 2:00-3:30, first meeting . Five sessions, plus film viewing.
Each feature film shows one day only during a 4- to 24-hour period. The “shorts” show continuously from May 22–June 14. The nine films chosen for discussion show on May 22, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30, and June 1, 4, 5.
Five class discussions at 2:00–3:30 pm on May 24, 27, 31 and June 2, 5. The June 2 discussion is devoted to the Local Filmmakers series and four local filmmakers whose films are showing will join us.
Distance learning methods/tools to be used: Zoom for class discussions. FilmFestivalFlix channel for viewing films (TV or PC).
Maximum number of students: Unlimited
 Questions: Contact the instructor at [email protected]

Title: The Three Principles of Sydney Banks – Awakening to our Innate Well Being
Instructor: Dan Altman
Description: This class is an exploration of the teachings of Sydney Banks, a Scottish welder who awakened unexpectedly with profound insights about the nature of Life. He taught three principles that describe the nature of our experience. With this understanding it is possible for any of us to experience peace and well-being regardless of our circumstances.
We will watch short videos of Syd and other contemporary teachers including Michael Neill, Dr. Dicken Bettinger, Jamie Smart and Joe Bailey.
Additional information:  https://innateevolution.com https://3pgc.org/ ,  and "The Inside Out Revolution" by Michael Neill.
Start Date: Friday, May 8 at 11:00 AM  (4 sessions)
Classes on May 8, 15, 22, 29 for around 90 minutes.
Distance learning methods/tools to be used: Zoom
Maximum number of students: 25
Questions: Contact the instructor at [email protected]  
Watercolor Art Salon Gathering Again in June
The May event was enjoyed so much by the participants that they are scheduling a second Salon in June. New participants are welcome to attend. RSVP below.

Event: OLLI Watercolor Art Salon
Facilitator: Charlie Noble
Description: Watercolor artists, wannabe watercolor artists! Join in for an internet art salon. We will show a piece of our work and have a positive discussion. We will discuss problems, successes and solutions of our work. A chance to come together in these difficult times from the safety of our own homes. This will be an easy-to-use Zoom event.
Date: Friday, June 5, 3:00 pm , approximately 90 minutes.
Distance meeting methods/tools to be used: Zoom
Maximum number of participants: 15
Questions: Contact Charlie at [email protected]
Lifelong Learning Resources
History is one of the most popular topics for OLLI courses, and many universities offer free history courses online. Click here to see some of the options.

Several universities also offer free art classes online. Click here for descriptions and links.

In addition to resources already highlighted, Jackson County Library Services offers the following resources to library card holders, (as well as the ability to get a library card online if you don't have one now):

  • Diving into your family's past? HeritageQuest lets you search US Federal census; full-text genealogical and local history books; citations from PERSI (Periodical Source Index); the Freedman's Bureau; Revolutionary War records; and US Serials Set.

  • Begin learning or brush up on another language with Mango Languages for language learning tools online and via app.