From schools to planning groups to real estate, everyone is moving forward remotely to observe mandated COVID-19 social-distancing requirements. VIRTUAL HOME TOURS
Real-estate agents are using internet tools, applications like FaceTime, Zoom, and Matterport, to not only conduct meetings but transact business. “Open houses are going virtual at least for now because we’re not allowed to have an open house,” said Ocean Beach resident Catrina Russell, of Coldwell Banker West. “So you’re going to be seeing different open-house virtual tours where people can actually log in, and we can walk them through the entire house answering any questions.”
Point Loma’s Rosamaria Acuna, of Berkshire Hathaway, said her top priority has been to “educate clients on what’s happening and how everyone involved needs to be safe.”
“We give the buyers all the information up-front with photos, emails, and everything online,” said Acuna. “Then, if they’re really interested, we would schedule an appointment for (home) access.”
When home tours are scheduled, often after a bid is actually made by the buyers, social distancing is observed under Realtors’ close control and scrutiny.
In fact, the switch from in-person to remote high-tech in real estate was taking place before the health crisis, noted Russell.
“We were already heading with a lot of this in that direction anyway,” she said. “I’m using those (internet) tools. If people (Realtors) don’t adjust – they’re going to be gone. This is a game-changer. Luckily, this is happening now, not 15 or 20 years ago when there wasn’t so much technology.”
Acuna spoke of conducting a virtual Matterport Tour, pointlomacraftsman.com, that she said: “allows an agent to do a professional walk-through of the home from the front door to every room providing floor plans of property including garages and patios.”
Added Acuna, “We’re also hosting our Berkshire Hathaway business meetings by Zoom (remotely) with 70 or more members.”
 
A TALE OF TWO PLANNING GROUPS
Observing social distancing, Ocean Beach Planning Group and La Jolla Community Planning Association recently held virtual meetings. One went without mishap. The other was sabotaged by hackers.
“Our CPA meeting went surprisingly smoothly thanks to our head’s up to IT guru Greg Jackson, who provided both his ZOOM internet app, practice sessions, technical advice, and tutorials for us,” said Diane Kane of LJCPA. “As chair, I found 40-plus faces staring back at me on my computer screen an interesting – if not daunting – experience. Many thanks to Greg, who was monitoring the audio and chat functions, for keeping everything on track.”
But OB planners’ initial foray into Zoom and virtual meetings had a dramatically different outcome.
“We experienced what is being called a ‘Zoom bombing,’” said Andrea Schlageter, OB Plan Group chair. “After the first five minutes of the meeting, the number of attendees suddenly spiked, host controls were overridden, swastikas were drawn overtop the screen-shared agenda, every person in attendance was verbally harassed by name, and a porn website was screen-shared.”
Looking on, Pacific Beach Planning Group chair Karl Rand opted to have the next PB Plan Group meeting held via teleconferencing on April 8. But there were conditions attached for public participation to avoid what happened in OB. “Any member of the public wanting to attend this teleconference must email a request to the meeting coordinator at [email protected] prior to the meeting and provide your name and email address to log in (or, if requested, telephone dial-in) information,” said Rand. “Approved attendees will be sent the login (or dial-in) information the day of the meeting. We encourage submittal of comments in writing prior to the meeting. Submitting comments and questions ahead of time guarantees it will be read during the meeting and entered into the record.” 
 
ONLINE  EDUCATION
Scott Irwin, Dana Middle School principal and co-chair of the Point Loma Cluster Schools Foundation, noted San Diego Unified School District began rolling out a distance-learning plan on April 6. “This was so students can continue learning while our school sites are closed,” he said. “This plan represents our commitment to ensure each and every student continues to learn and achieve. This plan is founded on the following principles: supporting our educators as they transition to distance learning, providing access for all students and maintaining teaching and learning.”
Now that SDUSD campuses are closed, Irwin pointed out educators will now have three distance-learning models to select from District-provided instructional materials with educator support, educator-led hybrid instruction, and educator-led blended instruction.
“Our teachers will resume offering instruction using a ‘distance learning’ model starting April 27,” said Irwin. “Students will not be graded based upon their completion of work during this phase. Student grades were frozen as of March 13. The grading of student work will resume on April 27.” Visit sites.google.com/sandi.net/covid19/home for information related to netbook distribution, curriculum options for children, and news related to school closures.