Building Virtual Communities
As has become the “new normal” as of late, all organizations and institutions are turning to new methods of communication, workflow, and honestly, way of living. COVID-19 is still very much prominent in the state of Ohio, with a couple of counties in the “red” state so even close to home there is cause to stay home. Yet it would seem as an unintentional side effect, schools, businesses and organizations are building “Virtual Communities”. What this means is they are gathering in a way that is accessible through the computer.
Zoom, Discord, Skype, Microsoft Teams, and Facebook Live are just a few examples of technologies that OHC utilizes . But each of them has their own methods of operation, each with their own pros and cons. What are the differences? This post will be about showcasing virtual events that demonstrate various technologies used.
ACTION – Building Fairy Gardens
Mentioned briefly in our last edition, ACTION hosted a virtual event here at the Collaborative. Utilizing our equipment they were able to present to a group Zoom video call the craft of creating a “scene” inside the confines of a clay pot. Instead of just plants, dirt, and pottery you would make a diorama of a scene, normally containing a fairy. All attendees enjoyed the experience, and were able to even follow along in their own homes. What this meant was not everyone was sharing the same table, so the collaborative “working space” was seemingly limitless assuming each attendee had a table to work at. Great work ACTION!
Oak Hill Cemetery Virtual Tour
As part of the Bites and Bits of History Lunchtime Program, Frank Rulli and Traci Manning from the MVHS present the same Oak Hill Cemetery Tour offered in years past, but in lieu of COVID-19 decided it would be best delivered via Youtube. It went live as of October 22nd at noon, and is still viewable for those looking for it. This video highlights the architectural and cultural history of the cemetery, as well as landscaping and design. No registration is necessary, and it’s available to view for free. So, you ask, why Youtube? The better question is why not? It’s a perfect medium for a “one way flow” of information, which is normally what you would expect a tour to be. Tune in for this wonderful (and free!) educational program today, and thank you MVHS!
Ohio Urban Renaissance Goes Live!
For the first time, Ohio Urban Renaissance went live on Facebook this past Saturday to discuss issues that need to be remedied, as well as how we as a community can act to see these changes through. However, this stream had a twist. It was hosted in two separate locations!
By streaming to both Zoom to connect with the OHC location, as well as on Facebook live, Ohio Urban Renaissance was able to get both a live and virtual audience in on the conversation. Thank you Ohio Urban Renaissance!
And thats it for the month of October. Yet, we see all sorts of organizations adapting to this new digital era. Moving forward there are going to be even more demonstrations of tech used to bring communities together.
