New Adventures President-elect Rob Truman will present Free and Open-Source Software to members via Zoom in April.
Mary Kenny
While 2020 was a very difficult year for most of us, 2021 holds great promise. The coming months offer us opportunities to connect with each other and challenge ourselves with new adventures.
New Adventures in Learning (NA) is also exploring how to enhance the NA experience for our members during the coming months. Rob Truman, the organization’s newly-appointed president-elect, is working with the Governing Council to consider how the organization can provide new and interesting opportunities for our members and the community at large.
So … how about these possibilities?
* First up, expand class hours for the Fall 2021 semester. Currently, classes start at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Most run for 90 minutes. Other possibilities: classes in the evenings, early mornings, or weekends. Does that sound intriguing to you? It is something to think about.
* Next, let’s consider discussion groups that require no advance registration. Maybe explore new ideas and share your thoughts through informal discussion groups without registering. Members would “pop in” to chat about a specific topic during these Zoom offerings. Times and topics would be emailed to membership prior to the event and, with limited participation, would be “first come, first served.”
Rob explains that these are just two ideas being considered as NA strives to bring interesting and accessible programs to our members—whether they are here year-round or only a season.
Reach out. Let us know what you think. Do these ideas appeal to you? Do you have other curriculum ideas to suggest? Let us hear from you. Send your comments via email to [email protected] and type “Suggestion” on the subject line so your email can be forwarded to volunteers working on this effort.
While Rob is new to the Governing Council, he has been an NA presenter for over a year. You may have taken one of his classes: (a) Introduction to Zoom, (b) Gmail: Beginner to Pro, (c) Cutting the Cord—Alternatives to Cable TV. And note his upcoming class on April 12: Free and Open-Source Software.
As you can tell, he knows his stuff in the tech world. And he likes to help those who don’t have that expertise. In his April class, he will present the “ins and outs” of open-source software, identify examples, and assure you that all open-source software has visible source code, though only some of it is free.
We welcome Rob to New Adventures’ Governing Council and look forward to all he has to share: new ideas, a helping hand, and interesting classes.
Rob and other leaders are looking ahead to summer. That team includes NA President Bill Haskell, Registration Chair Bobbie Reed, and Curriculum Chair Susan Bjorn, as well as the other hardworking council members. By early May, you can expect to see the summer Curriculum Guide online. Kudos to all the volunteers who make this happen.
For more information about New Adventures, visit our website at www.newadventures.info.