What story does this image inspire for you?
Use your imagination to write the opening of a short story of poem inspired by this illustration — or tell us about a memory from your own life that this picture makes you think of.
Post it in the comments, then read the related article to find out what this image is about.
Find many more ways to use our Picture Prompt feature in this lesson plan. You can find all our Picture Prompts in this column.
: the time of day immediately following sunset
_________
The word gloaming has appeared in 17 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on April 7 in “Running for Community as Much as for Exercise” by Jeré Longman:
I am running more than I want. I miss the gym. Stupidly, I hobbled the 26.2 miles of the New York City Marathon on a bad knee in November and have been in physical therapy since. Before the pandemic intervened, I changed my workout routine, running less, going to the gym more, lifting weights to strengthen the muscles around my knee and to tone my upper body.
…. In the evening on Saturday, I finally got my five miles in for coronavirus aid. Green lights came on in a sober township ritual, honoring several high school students who have cancer. A firehouse siren pierced the silence. But it soon grew quiet again in the gloaming, and I could hear another runner breathing across a four-lane road.
_________
Students
1. After looking closely at the image above (or at the full-size image), think about these three questions:
2. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)
3. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.
Each Monday, our collaborator, Visual Thinking Strategies, will facilitate a discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time by paraphrasing comments and linking to responses to help students’ understanding go deeper. You might use their responses as models for your own.
4. On Thursday afternoons, we will reveal at the bottom of this post more information about the photo. How does reading the caption and learning its back story help you see the image differently?
Normally, opening up a post with a witty line or two comes quite easy, but nothing about this virus is easy, nor should be written with any form of wit.
In the learning system space, despite what you may have heard or read, or in some cases, read pre-pandemic for projections, for many of the vendors, it is equally rough in comparison to many other industries, regardless if they are brick and mortar or online only.
Impact – Sales: What the Trends Show
Overall, for Q1 (Jan-March in a fiscal calendar year, and Q3 in a calendar year that starts in June), sales were better than expected. But with that comes an asterisk.
Vendors found that if the customer was already in project mode (i.e. the system was being built or contract was signed), then they were moving forward.
But, on the other side, there were customers in the pipeline, either about to sign, or close enough that the assumption was there, that backed out or requested a delay.
One would anticipate that to be the case, yet, what folks I believe were surprised to learn is that an OR was occurring.
Companies (inc. non-profit, association, SME, large, B2B, etc.) were either pulling back OR wanting to buy a system now. As in right now. Immediately. These customers didn’t want to wait any longer, with a remote workforce, purchasing a system was necessary for them.
If they wanted an LXP as the must now, then they bought it. If it was an LMS, then an LMS. This is a plus to the industry, because it is unexpected, but it comes with caveats:
Sales in Q2 – Trends
The “we need it now” is continuing as a whole, but not every vendor is seeing this, and even those that are, not everyone is closing the deal. The trend line is pointing towards, not a strong Q2 for vendors (overall), due to the following:
Realize that the days pre-pandemic in terms of close times, sales, etc. will not be like it was, when everything opens up. We are in a recession, and could easily drop into a depression, globally speaking.
In the financial crisis recession, and post financial for the first two years thereafter, these trends in the learning system space appeared
What every Vendor Must do for the remainder of 2020, and into 2021 to acquire new clients, keep current clients and retain them when contracts are up
a. Special deal that doesn’t require them paying any money up-front for the first three months, or a very small amount (say 10%). If you are a vendor who does a “pay annual up-front”, change that. The client only pays 25% up-front.
b. If you do a three-year discount, offer to spread the discount over the three years, rather than just the first year. Let’s say you include a 20% discount. If the customer wants it to be 10% in year 1, 5% in year 2, and 5% in year three, agree to it.
c. Throw in some things for the client. Include at no charge SSO, API, custom domain, and other items you normally charge. Add in some content too. Especially today, people are seeking certain content more than others, remote teams, remote workforce, and so forth. A couple of Microsoft 365 courses like Excel and Word is a smart move.
d. Offer a higher level of support, and do not charge them. Vendors will find a way to hide the fees, but some should just eat the cost. People never forget when vendors go beyond what they expect. Since support is the number one issue in good times, trust me, this isn’t the time, to keep it as it is.
e. If it is a very large client, offer one of your employees to be an admin for them for the rest of the year. So, if the client has 50,000 or more employees or is doing 50,000 end users a month or more (B2B/customer training) – provide an additional level of service with an employee at your company for the time being (if you can). A client can always turn it down, but making the gesture is a nice touch.
Trend – Projections
Any article or research you saw in Q1 as it related to financial projections of the industry or e-learning for that matter, should be tossed in the trash. There isn’t any way, those numbers are going to be even close to accurate – due to the virus and its impact.
Thus as a vendor, you should be going back and looking at your projections pre-pandemic and updating them for the rest of the year. Even if you are seeing increases or better than expected numbers for early Q2, do not assume it will stay like this for Q3 or Q4. I for one, do not expect it to stay as it is.
Trend -Wait and See
As mentioned earlier, not every vendor is experiencing the wave of “I want it now”, and there are customers/prospects asking if the vendor can do this or that for them. The answer every vendor should say is YES.
There are customers who are waiting it out, and I expect this trend to continue, especially if (I’ll refer here to the U.S.), the states they are located in, do not follow what the President wants to do (whenever he decides on opening up), because he does not have final or total authority (just in case you were wondering – it is in the 10th Amendment).
And there are already indicators in countries that did open up, of a virus uptick with workers, another factor on why I see this trend continuing.
Trend – Layoffs
It started with a couple of vendors, in February, but it had nothing to do with the virus, however, in just the last 1.5 months, there have been layoffs directly due to the virus impact. This includes one vendor who received a large amount of PE funding.
If you are a vendor whose sales are dropping lower than your projections, and you have a large staff, something has to give. Not to be a harbinger of doom here, but I expect more layoffs in the industry especially Any vendor who has a large number of clients in the retail, restaurant/hospitality and FS verticals (if the JP Morgan data just released is an indicator).
Vendors who have a large number of banks for example, are seeing drops in sales.
Vendor Impacts
Expect to see drop off from the vendor standpoint in the following areas:
Bottom Line
If you are in the corporate sector, government or education, and you want to buy a system now, there are a lot more options for you to do so. If you wish to hold, but plan to buy in the summer or fall, you can still look now, then agree to buy with a vendor – in your contract structure it, so you start paying in the fall, even if it requires 5% or 10% up-front. Vendors are willing to do more deals then in the past, which is a benefit to anyone looking.
On the vendor side, you have to more flexible. Now is not the time, to stay the course, and follow your sales approach in 2019 or early 2020. Maybe you offer three months free, if you purchase by X, or multiple training webinars plus free setup, for example.
Ignore telling prospects your NPS (they don’t care), ignore telling them how you are better than someone else, rather show them.
Because here’s the thing. For every vendor who is willing to go beyond, there are just as many who won’t.
And for those vendors who think that they do not need to flex, then you as the customer, must walk away.
After all, if this isn’t the time to be flexible,
When is?
E-Learning 24/7
We’re all aware of how important it is to make sure we’re practising social distancing and isolating ourselves from others. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) both are crucial in helping to stop yourself and others catching coronavirus.
But this isn’t something that comes naturally to most of us, and it’s an understandably tough time for people all around the world, with many having to self-isolate at home for the foreseeable future. For some, this will have an additional, damaging impact on earnings and make saving money more important than ever.
If you find yourself in that camp, we’ve put together a short, helpful journey on how to save money while isolating. So take your time, put a coffee on, and let’s get going. It’s time to make self-isolation work for your wallet.
One of the first ways you should consider to save money is what financial support you’re entitled to from your government. It can take a while to get the ball rolling so best to get started as soon as you can.
The UK government has announced an unprecedented package of loans, grants and benefits intended to make sure everyone can save money and has some form of financial support in these difficult times. Many other governments around the world, including the USA, Canada and Australia have introduced similar money-saving measures for their citizens.
In the UK there are:
The UK Government has summarised their support for individuals affected by Covid-19 and this is a useful starting point. Consult your government’s website for their official advice on Covid-19 support.
The next port of call is your current account. Are there any subscriptions or direct debits that you’ve been umming and ahhing about? Now could be the time to cut them loose or have a look around to see whether you could get a better deal elsewhere to save money (more on this to come).
The UK Citizens Advice Bureau has estimated that the average UK citizen wastes £640 a year on unwanted subscriptions. For example, there might be a few of you in the house with your own Netflix subscriptions – why not combine to one cheaper ‘Family’ subscription and save money?
These might seem like small things but put them together and they can represent a big money saver for you and your household.
It’s possible to get better deals and save money on household bills if you have the time to shop around.
Your first port of call could be your energy bill. Latest research from UK regulator Ofgem shows switching energy providers in the UK could save the average household up to £305.
Switching energy suppliers can seem like a serious undertaking but there are services and advice available, like Money Saving Expert, which simplify the process.
Services like Choose Energy in the USA let you compare energy providers and get the best deal, or if you’re in Canada, LowestRates.ca will help you save money on insurance, mortgages and credit cards. Wherever you’re based, there will likely be a comparison website available to help you save money on household bills.
From gyms and bloggers like Joe Wicks offering virtual classes, health and fitness apps like Down Dog, who are offering free access to their home fitness app, to guided meditation and mindfulness with Headspace, there are a variety of normally paid apps that are offering free access for the duration of lockdown.
Now, technically this won’t put any money back in your pocket, but it will save you money on what you would have normally paid for the services. Just remember to set a reminder to cancel them before the normal paid service resumes.
Many of us will have had events in the calendar over the coming weeks and months that look like they might not happen now. Whilst there’s nothing we can do about that, what we can do is save money by making sure we’re not left out of pocket by the cancellations.
Have a run through your calendar and make a list of anything you’ve already paid for. Most event and transport providers are offering free refunds, but you will still need to claim for them as most will not refund automatically. In terms of how to save money easily, this is a no brainer.
The same goes for holidays. If you’d had a family getaway planned that’s now been scuppered, Which? has a good guide on how to get your money back.
Now that you’ve cleared out that calendar you’ll have more time than ever to explore the world of live streams, virtual museums and art galleries.
Global institutions like the Louvre, British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have opened their virtual doors and are ready to welcome you.
Many musicians, comedians and artists are also generously live streaming their work for free, so you can save money on those big ticket prices. Time Out is a great source of the best live streams and covers many different countries.
We have a helpful blog that covers some of the best virtual ways to stay cultural under lockdown.
Now that we’re on top of our bills, apps, and calendars it’s time to think about how to save money a bit more creatively. Going to the supermarket is risky business at the moment, so there’s probably never been a better time to start sowing, growing, and baking at home.
If you’re fortunate enough to have a garden then why not try your hand at growing your own vegetables. The Royal Horticultural Society has a comprehensive (and importantly, free) guide to growing any type of veg you can imagine.
If you can’t work in a garden, fear not, there’s an array of herbs that can be grown indoors. Check out this handy guide from Good Housekeeping on how to get started.
Switching to own-brand supermarket items, and trying to plan meals ahead of time are both good ways for a family to save money on food in these uncertain times.
FutureLearn has an array of courses to keep you learning during lockdown.
If you’d like help with household budgeting, check out The Open University’s ‘Finance Fundamentals: Financial Planning and Budgeting’ course, all about how to make good financial decisions.
If you’d like to know more about COVID-19 itself, London School of Hy gene & Tropical Medicine’s ‘COVID-19: Tackling the Novel Coronavirus’ course explores coronavirus from its inception to the search for a vaccine.
So you’re in lockdown. You’ve completed Netflix list and you’re tired of talking about the news with your flatmate.
Don’t fret, there are still plenty of free things left to do.
We’ve collated a list of 50 fun and free things to do using your internet connection or items you already have lying around to get you through the weeks of lockdown.
Netflix and Amazon Prime aren’t your only options, and you don’t necessarily have to pay for a subscription to watch plenty of excellent films.
Openculture has a great list of 1150 free films you can watch online right now. If you have an eligible university or library card, you might also have access to Kanopy which offers thousands more film options for free.
If you’re in the mood for something a bit more cerebral, there are a few websites that give you access to free documentaries.
Whether you’re into sharks, revolutions, or serial killers, you’ll find something interesting to watch during lockdown. Some great sites include Documentary Tube. Top Documentary Films, and Documentary Heaven.
Is it time for you to create rather than consuming?
If you’ve always wanted to write a novel but never found the time or inspiration, this is your chance. Apparently Shakespeare wrote King Lear in isolation during the plague, so maybe this lockdown is when you’ll write your opus.
If you’re not really sure where to start, we have a free course on how to start writing fiction to get you on the right track.
You may feel cut off from the rest of the world, but you can time travel.
Current technology means that you can explore other cities and even other times online, such as this virtual tour of ancient Rome which takes you through the forum, capitoline hill, and famous monuments.
Perhaps your work is better realised by actors rather than staying on the page? You’ll be pleased to know that the BBC is on the hunt for original scripts about self-isolation that they can turn into short films.
If you’re daunted by that task, you could try out our free screenwriting course to learn the ropes and (hopefully) catapult you into stardom after your first film is made.
Have any paint and brushes lying around? You’ll be pleased to know that 403 episodes of the timeless Joy of Painting have been added to YouTube so you can listen to his soothing tones while you paint happy little trees and enjoy the beauty of imperfections.
If you have a musical persuasion, you could channel your current emotions into a song or even an entire album of them.
If you’re not sure where to start a songwriting course could get you into the right frame of mind, and you can even start making some Spotify playlists in the meantime to get inspired.
A huge number of art galleries and museums around the world have digitized their collections and are now offering free virtual tours.
New York’s MoMA is just one of the incredible galleries that you can visit from your own sofa, where you can enjoy Pollock and Monet without the crowds.
If you prefer Botticelli to Pollock, you can tour the Uffizi in Florence, arguably one of the best collections of Renaissance art in the world.
You can take your time looking at Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Caravaggio’s Medusa, and Titian’s Venus of Urbino without even getting on a plane.
Experiencing these venues from your home does mean that you can visit multiple galleries from different countries or even different continents in the same afternoon.
Paris’ Musée d’Orsay is home to an incredible collection of Van Gogh and Cezanne’s artistic masterpieces. Take a look around online.
Perhaps once you’ve enjoyed Florence, New York, and Paris, you can come to London to see the Tate Britain for free.
Although you’ll miss out on the lovely river walk to the gallery, you can drop in at any time and see your favourite pieces from the comfort of your own home.
The British Museum is home to incredible artefacts from around the world and is still open to virtual visitors.
Exhibits that are usually packed are free to roam around at any time, so you can brush up on your Egyptian knowledge, see the controversial Parthenon Marbles, or just wile away a few hours.
If you’re still looking for more galleries or museums to visit, Google’s arts and culture collection has virtual tours of 500 top attractions around the world, including national galleries from around the world, individual artist museums, and even the Eiffel Tower.
Missing karaoke night with your friends? You can still do it from home.
Apps like AirConsole let you turn your smartphone into a mic, and sing your favourite hits with the usual gang and practice new songs to sing at the bar once lockdown is lifted.
If you’ve always been fascinated by academia or a specific area within it, this is a great time to read the latest publications and get up to speed on the latest developments with your area.
JSTOR is allowing free access to thousands of journals during lockdown.
Missing the gym? There are plenty of fitness challenges you can try out from home, so you can emerge from lockdown fitter, leaner, or stronger.
You could try the 100 pushup challenge, squat challenge, or just doing a 30-day bodyweight workout challenge to stay healthy at home for free.
Just make sure that you don’t push too hard early on, and warm up thoroughly before you do any exercise.
If you still want to meet with your friends – do it at a virtual Houseparty.
The app allows for large group video chats so you can get together for a drink, a chat, or just to see some friendly faces for a couple of hours.
You probably fell out of contact with your highschool penpal from French exchange but that doesn’t mean you can’t try again.
Connect with people around the world and see how the lockdown is playing out in other countries (or ignore coronavirus entirely and chat about the weather).
You can find penpals online and get started straight away to broaden your horizons and make new connections.
New hobbies don’t get much cuter than amigurumi – the Japanese art of crocheting small creatures or characters.
It’s a cheap hobby to start, and if you already have yarn lying around you can find plenty of free patterns online, like this one to create a tiny Freddie Mercury.
One good thing about being home a lot is that you can finally spend time cooking things from scratch.
You can find great recipes online, even if you’re on a limited budget. Jack Monroe’s recipes are specifically created for people on strict budgets or relying on food banks, while Miguel Barclay is best known for his one pound meals.
Board game lovers will be pleased to know that there are ways to play your favourite games online, so you don’t have to wait for the lockdown to end to try out your new Scythe strategy or to finally play Terraforming Mars with a friend.
Websites like Tabletopia have free accounts for players, but you may need to pay to play some of the more popular or newer games.
Always wanted to speak Italian? Intrigued by Norwegian? Think that Mandarin will be useful for work, or perhaps German?
Lockdown gives you plenty of time to dedicate to learning a new language, brushing up on vocabulary, and testing out pronunciation.
It’s almost impossible to recreate the strange grace and tranquility of aquariums but not entirely.
Although they’re closed to the public, Monterey Bay Aquarium have added a number of live cams to let you keep an eye on the jellyfish, kelp forest, coral reef, and even the penguins, completely free.
Escape from the news cycle by immersing yourself in the drama of an opera performance, without even leaving the house.
After the closure of non-essential businesses, multiple opera houses like the Met Opera have started streaming performances. Perfect if you’re a long-time opera lover or even someone who’s never been to the opera but has always been curious about it.
Between dusty skirting boards, dirty tiling, and stained carpets, your home can offer days of distraction if you feel like doing that deep clean you’ve been putting off.
There are plenty of online cleaning guides if the task looks too big, and focusing on one room at a time will help you divide up the work.
Being stuck at home can make you rethink how much of your stuff you really need.
Do you really wear all the clothes spilling out of your wardrobe? And do you think you’ll really re-read those GCSE essays sitting in a box upstairs? You can decide what to donate and what to throw out, ready for a full clear out when the lockdown is lifted.
If you loved Sims and Game of Thrones, why not combine the two by building your own medieval city. It’s a great way to generate fantasy maps for gaming, writing, or just to wonder whether your walled city should have circular or square guard-towers.
If you’ve always been fascinated by the inspiration for Lovecraft, horror films, and far too many conspiracy theories, you can now read a library of 1,600 digitised horror and paranormal books online.
The Ritman Library has allowed free access to these pre-1900 books focused on alchemy, astrology, and magic, thanks to a generous donation from Dan Brown himself.
You can’t jump on a plane, but you can still see some of the world’s most famous views thanks to Google street view.
Feast your eyes on Paris from the Sacre Coeur or take a look at the Thames from the top of the Shard. You can even take a walk along the river and see if Google’s cameras captured anything unusual.
If you’re itching to go to a gig or think you’re going to miss festivals this summer, you can actually watch plenty of them on YouTube. Watch classics like Nirvana Unplugged, Radiohead’s Glastonbury set in 1997, or Portishead accompanied by an orchestra and enjoy your own personalised lineup.
Long walks and open scenery feels like a thing of the past, but you can still enjoy the view. You can now take virtual tours of America’s national park (or parks a little closer to home).
If you’re trying to de-stress and stay healthy during lockdown, you’ll be pleased to know that plenty of yoga studios are now streaming online classes for you to join in with.
A lot of studios are still running paid classes, but others, such as Digme Fitness, run free live sessions on social media. Perfect for some low-cost self care.
When you can’t go to the theatre, let the theatre come to you.
Recorded performances are nothing new, but some platforms like Marquee are offering free trials so that you can see whether it’s something you’d want to watch on a more regular basis.
Even more esoteric attractions are now offering virtual tours – you may not have heard of the Winchester Mystery House, but it’s certainly one of the stranger homes that you can explore online.
Built by Sarah Winchester after receiving instructions from her deceased husband (and a changing cast of other ghosts), the former-7 storey mansion is an architectural oddity and has plenty for you to see.
Keeping active will make a big difference to how you feel during lockdown – physical activity should help you sleep better and lift your mood, even if you’re stuck in the same room for most of the day.
You don’t need any equipment for a good workout, and there are plenty of free online videos to take you through a routine. Check out Joe Wickes’ 7 Days of Sweat to get started.
True crime fans can immerse themselves in mysteries or even start solving them. There are plenty of online communities like Reddit’s Unresolved Mysteries, where mystery fans get together to swap theories and combine information to try to get to the bottom of old cold cases.
Sometimes the best way to get out of your head is to help other people. You may have some local groups that are focused on helping the vulnerable or isolated during lockdown.
If you’re quarantined or would rather reduce your contact to the absolute minimum, you can volunteer as an online listener with schemes such as 7 Cups to help other people through this tough time.
This could be a great time to build your audience, especially if you have relatively cheap, indoor hobbies that you can share.
Interest in pastimes like cooking and board games has shot up over recent weeks – if your hobbies are trending, why not set up a blog and share your knowledge? You can set up a WordPress account and blog for free, and take it from there.
It’s good to be prepared for an emergency, especially when urgent care centres are overwhelmed or you may not want to leave self-isolation for a relatively minor injury.
You can learn basic first aid online, for free with FutureLearn.
Wonder where your family was in the flu pandemic of 1918?
Tracing your family tree can unearth lost memories or even distant relatives. Start by learning about genealogy and you can discover more about yourself and your background.
Comfort eating during lockdown is understandable, but won’t help you enter summer happier and healthier.
Understanding nutrition and how food affects your body, health, and mood, will help you make better decisions for your overall wellbeing and even better use of your current food cupboard.
Our Food as Medicine course is one of our most popular courses and has helped thousands of people better understand how what they eat affects how they think and feel.
Meditation and mindfulness doesn’t just help people stay calm – practitioners around the world rely on it to help them focus, remain present, and appreciate what they have.
It’s a simple concept that can be hard to master, but you can start now, at home, and see if it works for you.
If you’re lucky enough to have a job that lets you work from home for this time, you’ve probably saved money on your commute and buying lunch each day.
Why not calculate how much you’ve saved through the lockdown and put it towards a holiday?
You can plan a staycation at home, catching up on all the things you’ve missed, or go further afield to experience something new.
You can definitely have too much screen time. If workouts aren’t your thing or you just miss a good dance, put together a list of your favourite songs and dance around your kitchen.
Don’t worry, nobody’s watching!
Recreate a favourite childhood toy or just upcycle some old clothing by sewing your own teddy bear.
As long as you have some fabric that you can use (perhaps some socks or an old t-shirt) and a small sewing kit, you can get started.
Worried that being home by yourself is eroding your communication skills?
You can actually improve them while you’re at home to help you smooth over workplace tensions, excel at group work, and add in-demand soft skills to your CV.
Got a wardrobe full of clothes that you hardly ever wear? Or lots of basic staples that lack personality? You can update, reuse, or upcycle everything from old t-shirts to shoes and garden pots. Just figure out what you’d like to use and find a project on Upcycle That to get started.
If your new year’s resolution was to read more, you can definitely achieve that this year.
You can finally tackle the huge stack of novels next to your bed or (if your bedside is actually pretty tidy) you can find something interesting on Many Books. If you prefer audiobooks, try out Audible for free.
Want to chat about your book afterwards? Start a virtual book club!
You can agree on free books and get together for a chat and yet more recommendations. It’s a great way to stay in touch with friends or make new ones.
You might have heard that nature is taking back cities on lockdown, from wild boar in Italy to goats in Llandudno. If you want to get a little closer to nature, you can start with your own back garden (or balcony). Resources like eBird can help you get started.
With new courses launching every week, there’s always something to explore. These new courses cover everything from using TensorFlow to deploy machine learning models to the tools public health experts use to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases. What will you learn next?
TensorFlow: Data and Deployment Specialization by deeplearning.ai
Industries all around the world are adopting Artificial Intelligence. This Specialization taught by Laurence Moroney and Andrew Ng will help you develop and deploy machine learning models across any device or platform faster and more accurately than ever using TensorFlow.
Just getting started with TensorFlow? Start with the TensorFlow in Practice Specialization before moving onto TensorFlow: Data and Deployment.
Computational Social Science by UC Davis
This Specialization, the first of its kind collectively taught by Professors from all 10 University of California campuses, serves as a multidisciplinary, multi-perspective, and multi-method guide on how to better understand society and human behavior. You’ll learn how to use modern analytical tools like machine learning and natural language processing.
Data Processing and Feature Engineering with MATLAB by MathWorks
If you’re faced with the challenge of combining data from multiple sources or want to brush up on modeling skills, this intermediate-level course will show you how MATLAB can help. By the end of this course, you will learn how to visualize your data, clean it up and arrange it for analysis, and identify the qualities necessary to answer your questions.
Practical Data Science with MATLAB Specialization by Mathworks
Being able to visualize, analyze, and model data are some of the most in-demand career skills from fields ranging from healthcare and the auto industry to tech startups. In this beginner-friendly Specialization, gain the skills and confidence you need to achieve practical results in data science using MATLAB. You will be provided with free access to MATLAB for the duration of the Specialization.
SAS Visual Business Analytics Specialization by SAS
Using SAS Visual Analytics, you will learn to access and manipulate data, analyze data with a variety of interactive reports and graphics, and design and share dashboards to visualize your data. SAS Visual Analytics is a useful skill in a variety of careers, including business analyst, researcher, statistician, or data scientist.
Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate by Google
Did you know Python is now the most in-demand programming language among employers hiring for IT roles? Around 75k entry-level IT roles require Python as a skill, according to Burning Glass. This new beginner-level Professional Certificate is designed to equip you with in-demand skills — including Python, Git, and IT automation — that can help you take your IT career to the next level.
Architecting Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure with Anthos Specialization by Google Cloud
This intermediate-level Specialization is intended for technical engineers, architects, and administrators using Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Kubernetes, and Istio to create, integrate, or modernize solutions. In these three courses, you’ll learn modernizing, managing, and observing microservices-based applications that span multiple clusters in GCP, on-premises, or other cloud providers.
AWS Fundamentals Specialization by Amazon Web Services
This Specialization gives current and aspiring IT professionals an overview of the features, benefits, and capabilities of Amazon Web Services (AWS). Gain a stronger understanding of core AWS services, key AWS security concepts, strategies for migrating from on-premises to AWS, and basics of building serverless applications with AWS. You’ll also have opportunities to practice what you have learned by completing labs and exercises developed by AWS technical instructors.
Blockchain Revolution in Financial Services Specialization by INSEAD
Blockchain is poised to transform the economy and society at large—redefining the ways we transact online, share ideas, and manage workflows. The financial services sector is a key lever in such transformations. This four-course Specialization will introduce you to the world of blockchain technology for financial services—including what blockchain is, how it works, and why it is revolutionary.
Cloud Computing Basics (Cloud 101) by LearnQuest
This course will discuss the basics of Cloud computing: what it is, what it supports, and how it is delivered. You’ll delve into storage services, Cloud economics, levels of managed infrastructure, and Azure services. Explore different deployment models of Cloud computing, as well as several hosting scenarios in this introductory course.
Data Engineering with GCP Professional Certificate by Google Cloud
This Professional Certificate provides the skills you need to advance your career in data engineering and recommends training to support your preparation for the industry-recognized Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer certification. Through a combination of presentations, demos, and labs, you’ll learn data-driven decision making by collecting, transforming, and publishing data. You’ll also gain real-world experience through a number of hands-on Qwiklabs projects.
Financial Technology (Fintech) Innovations Specialization by the University of Michigan
This Specialization is designed to familiarize you with a broad range of financial technologies. While finance has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, the financial industry is changing rapidly in the face of new technology. In the past, at the forefront of innovation in finance were central governments and financial institutions. Today, information technology firms and professionals are leading innovation in the financial industry.
Implementing RPA with Cognitive Automation and Analytics Specialization by Automation Anywhere
Interested in starting a career in automation or honing your skills in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)? This four-course Specialization is designed to introduce RPA, provide a foundation of the RPA lifecycle–from design to bot deployment–and implement RPA with cognitive automation and analytics. With RPA, companies can deploy software robots to automate repetitive tasks, improving business processes and outcomes.
COVID-19: What You Need to Know (CME Eligible) by Osmosis
This course is a go-to resource that will be regularly updated with current information put forth by the CDC, WHO, and other leading agencies and covers topics like personal protective equipment, diagnostics, and other material. As a healthcare professional, you can also earn Continuing Medical Education credit through this course.
Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialization by Johns Hopkins University
Are you working or aspiring to work in the field of public health? In this five-course Specialization taught by faculty from Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, you’ll learn to use core epidemiologic tools to measure the health of populations, assess interventions, collect and analyze data, and investigate outbreaks and epidemics.
Fighting COVID-19 with Epidemiology: A Johns Hopkins Teach-Out by Johns Hopkins University
COVID-19 has made many people want to understand the science behind pressing questions like: “How many people have been infected?” “How do we measure who is infected?” and ” “What can we do?” Join this free Teach-Out to better understand how epidemiology can help us collect and analyze the right data to answer these questions.
Global Disease Masterclass Specialization by Imperial College London
Understand the core health challenges and lines of epidemiological research being undertaken across a range of infectious and non-communicable diseases. You’ll examine global distribution of diseases and the major trends from the last several decades. The three courses in this Specialization will equip public health professionals and researchers with a broad foundation of knowledge on which to build further expertise about global public health.
This Specialization is part of the 100% online Global Master of Public Health from Imperial College London. If you are admitted to the full program, your courses count towards your degree learning.
Global Health Innovations Specialization by Imperial College London
This Specialization reflects on global health challenges and the role of innovative solutions in addressing them. This is intended for public health professionals, budding entrepreneurs and innovators, as well as those interested in understanding the role innovation plays in the health industry.
This Specialization is part of the 100% online Global Master of Public Health from Imperial College London. If you are admitted to the full program, your courses count towards your degree learning.
Health Behavior Change: From Evidence to Action by Yale University
Heighten your understanding of the social and behavioral factors that contribute to health decisions and behaviors, and learn how to utilize these factors in improving public health efforts. Through a set of experiential learning exercises, you’ll learn to apply the science of health behavior change in your own lives and wellbeing.
Healthcare Law Specialization by the University of Pennsylvania
Learn how to navigate the complex legal framework that governs modern health systems. You will learn the fundamentals of American health law, then explore how privacy law shapes the relationship between healthcare providers and their patients. You will also learn how intellectual property law influences everything from the pharmaceutical industry, to medical research, to cutting-edge ethical issues involved in emerging technologies such as DNA-testing.
Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19 by the University of Toronto
During this time of uncertainty, many of us may be feeling overwhelmed and anxious. This course aims to provide you with a better understanding of the science behind how your brain reacts to crises along with clear strategies for managing stress and mental well-being.
Science Matters: Let’s Talk About COVID-19 by Imperial College London
On January 30th, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern. In this course, you will hear directly from the experts conducting the analyses, learn about the current state of the epidemic, and learn about the epidemiological and public-health principles and challenges that underpin these analyses.
Now is an ideal time to escape into fictional worlds — and to indulge in laughter.
Have you been watching comedy movies lately as a distraction? What are some of your favorites and why? What funny films or TV shows would you recommend to others?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article for a list of films aimed at putting a smile on your face.
Find many more ways to use our Picture Prompt feature in this lesson plan. You can find all our Picture Prompts in this column.
noun: delicate and intricate ornamentation (usually in gold or silver or other fine twisted wire)
noun: a pattern of delicate and intricate design
verb: make filigree, as with a precious metal
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The word filigree has appeared in 23 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on March 23 in “Lil Uzi Vert, a Hip-Hop Star Beyond Gatekeepers” by Jon Caramanica:
His most invigorating rapping comes during the first few songs of “Eternal Atake,” one blown-speaker tremor after the next: “Lo Mein,” then “Silly Watch,” and then “Pop,” a kind of free-associative narrative of excess with a casually blunt rhyme scheme. This is Uzi rapping at his most sturdy, using pacing and cadence as much as melody.
But that sort of orderliness isn’t an essential part of his arsenal — the typical Uzi song is one filigree after the next, lace not denim. He creates his own funhouse-mirror reality.
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Can you find Zambia on a map? What else do you know about this African nation with a population of about 17 million people?
