The world needs improvements to online school software -- ASAP!

For the past 5 months, we have had our grandson staying with us.  When he arrived at the end of April, he was attending online classes for third grade which finished in mid-June.  Then starting the second week of August, he started 4th grade.  We had him with us until mid-October.  Every school morning we got him up, gave him breakfast, and listened in, and watched his classes.  

I think the online classes went very well, and that our grandson was receiving an excellent education!  The teachers were excellent, very motivated and I was amazed at how well some of the software worked.  I was also amazed at how well the kids learned how to use it.  

As an engineer, I know that there is no software package that can't be improved upon in some way.  Since the education market is so hot right now, I would think that every software company would be trying to make their packages the best.  However, I was surprised that I saw no improvements made to any of the software the students used during those 5 months.  I suppose there were lots of "under the hood" repairs or improvements that helped security, processing speed, etc.  But I saw no new features added.  I thought that maybe during the almost 2-month summer break there would be a lot of big changes.  But I didn't spot any.  

Below are some of my observations and suggestions for future software that might be implemented during the next revision cycle.  I believe that Zoom, Google, Webex, etc needs to develop a package that has most of the same features they have now -- but add features that are needed by teachers, students, and parents.

Bell for the class start:

Students are used to having bells ring for the start of class, warning bells prior to the start of class, and an end-of-class bell. The meeting apps need to have some similar capability. I've watched the kids sign in and "change class" and have seen that during the short breaks, the kids get distracted and miss getting back on in time, which appears to waste time on everyone's part. The teacher (or the school) should be able to set up a bell schedule and appropriate "ring tones" for the application to automatically ring at the prescribed time. The teacher should also have some way of suppressing the bell for a few hours for those times when special events or exams are being held.

Auto-start, and auto sign-in for scheduled classes:

Auto start-up for class sessions that are scheduled. Students should never have to wait for a teacher to start a class. Once the student logs on at the beginning of the day, they should be connected until school ends. The school already has the student's schedules in a database. The school version of the classroom app needs to have access to that database and be able to connect students to their next class automatically. The software should also recognize the student's IP address and not force the student into a waiting room after validating the first logon for the day. I watched my grandson get disconnected due to an internet "glitch" and then have to wait up to 15 minutes to be let back into his Spanish class. The teacher is often busy and doesn't notice a student leave, and maybe also misses the notification that a student is waiting to get back in.

Individual student log

Maintain a log of when each student signs on, turns on/off-camera, and mutes/unmutes the microphone. With face recognition, the software should also know if and when a student leaves the camera field of view and record that in a log System to allow parents to scan through their child's video for the day. The log needs to be made available to a parent by the teacher. Students will lie about turning off-camera or when they signed into class, and they may need the proof. The log should also to the best of its ability also be able to identify when internet problems may have caused a camera outage or disconnect.
Log under parent and teacher control that has all of the student's log-on to the app (zoom) and when sound is muted, or video is turned on or off.

Teacher Screen Sharing limits

Somehow students are able to write on a teacher's shared screen. That is a good feature. But the teacher should be able to select an individual student to draw -- not allow any or all to do so. When a student does write, the student's name or ID should be shown in some way on the screen

Opt-in Social Chat before class.

One of the reasons students want to be back to in-person school is because they want to interact with their classmates.  In school, the students can talk in the classroom until the teacher calls the class to order.  If not in the classroom, they can talk outside the door while waiting for the classroom to open.  On Zoom, it seems that the teachers don't want the class to start early, so they try to start it right on time.  Meanwhile, the students are all sitting alone staring at nothing.  Students should be able to sign into the class at least 15 minutes early -- or as soon as their previous class ends, and be able to Opt in to being able to chat with their friends until the teacher starts the class and maybe turned on the teacher's camera/microphone.  If the "autostart" discussed above is enabled, the student would only have to click on a chat button to opt-in to talking to friends..  It would help build social bonds, and make online school much more fun for the students. 

Break-out Room Information, Management, and social considerations.

Breakout rooms are a very useful tool, and they teach kids how to work together on projects. However, the students never fully "buy-in" to the breakout room, because they have absolutely no control over it.  The teacher decides who meets together.  The teacher controls the time in the breakout room, and there is no warning when the breakout time is about to expire.  I have encountered the same frustration during webinars. 

Team Selection: People would like to have at least a little bit of control over who they are going to be teaming with.  SUGGESTION:  Have an app that the teacher could enable that would provide all students with a display of icons representing all of the students. The teacher would tap on the ideal sizes she wants for each room (3, 4,5, or six students, for example)  The students would be given 15 seconds to tap on two people they'd like to have on their team.  Then using an algorithm the breakouts would be started. The algorithm could try to match students per their preference, but could also introduce a little randomness, or could restrict people from teaming with the same person more than every third time.

Knowledge of other Teams:  Students would also like to know who they are 'competing with" in the other breakout rooms. When kids are in a breakout room, they may be able to figure out who is in their room -- but not who is in other rooms. That can be helpful and is similar to what kids experience when at in-person school  They should have a way of clicking and seeing the members of each of the other groups.  

End of Session Warning: During the final minute of each breakout room session, there should be a countdown timer to show the remaining time, so the group can finish up their project. 

Better application integration with the classroom video

An integrated package for education that includes all the software in one place with one standard protocol would simplify the teacher's job, reduce wasted time, and help students focus on learning. Our grandson's school used Google Classroom for some of the work, but then also used Zoom for the video, IXL for math exercises, RazKids for language, Flipgrid for video recording etc. Sometimes the application used different protocols for clicking, dragging, dropping, copy/paste which made it confusing for students. Fellow students used Chromebooks, older windows versions, and Apple devices such as Apple laptops or iPad. When students had problems, the teacher had to be an expert on each type of device. The software builders need to be forced to develop standards so the student interface is as close as possible to being the same.

More Bandwidth, More Cameras, More Screens

Technology is moving fast! The Covid crisis has given it a little more push! The cost of technology continues to fall. Cameras are cheaper than ever. Large screens are cheap and plentiful. Bandwidth to schools and homes continues to increase. Many countries in Asia and Scandinavia have Gb connectivity to every home. It is coming to the USA -- but slower. Our software, hardware, and teaching methods have to be ready for it. Hopefully, some of the 12,000 Ph.D. students who will graduate next year will have done theses on these new techniques. However, right now, teachers need to be able to have a second screen -- or an extended screen that provides them a view of what is going on in other breakout rooms and see logs of students' interactions. Students need more and larger screens to view what the teacher is doing.and they need a second camera on them that allows the teacher to be able to see what they are writing or working on as well as the student's face. A small, inexpensive Bluetooth camera mounted on the student's ceiling could allow the teacher to select a "bird's eye view" during sessions.

We need to reserve hotel rooms like we reserve airline seats

The Trivago television ad says that if we use their website we will find the identical room at the best price.  But it is not necessarily the full truth.  We aren't getting the "identical room" but are getting the same "class" of room.  We all know that there are very few actual truly identical rooms.  Some rooms are a little closer to the elevator, some are a little further from the noisy ice machine.  Some units have good views, others may have views that are partially blocked by trees, etc. Some units are near the dumpster that gets emptied at 6AM, while another is near the parking lot or pool.  We have found when we've used discount sites such as Groupon to reserve rooms, we may get the same "class" of room, but typically in a location within the hotel that is somewhat less desirable. Hotels know the individual value of their rooms.  But when we reserve a room, we are only renting a certain type of room.  The hotel reserves the right to move us around to any room within that class.
When we now reserve a flight, we get a certain seat on that flight.  The airlines also recognize that each seat has a different value.  Center seats are less valuable than aisle or window seats.  Bulkhead or exit row seats are so desirable that the airlines charge extra for those seats.  Most airline seats are sold "non-refundable." -- and to exchange flights we have to pay a fee.  Hotels now have non-refundable reservations, but we cannot select our room.  There is no price differential between a room that is next to a noisy elevator or one at the quiet end of the hallway.

It is Time for US to have a Value Added Tax

Almost every major country in the world has a Value Added Tax (VAT) except the United States. (see this link for countries and rates).  A VAT inherently discourages imports, while reducing the cost of a countries exports.  It is easy to administer and is somewhat "self-auditing."   President Trump has proposed to increase tariffs on imports, but there is a fear that selective tariffs could trigger a devastating trade war. If, however, the US, as part of a tax overhaul, added a VAT tax while reducing personal and corporate income taxes, our trading partners would be unable to claim we were unfair since they have been doing the same to us for many years.  Liberals have generally fought against the idea of a VAT because they are concerned that a VAT will tax lower income citizens at a higher percentage of their income than richer citizens.  However, if a VAT were implemented at the same time personal income taxes were decreased (and maybe earned income credit increased) the effect of the VAT on lower income groups would be neutralized.  If we plan a Government revenue-neutral tax reform, adding VAT and reducing corporate income taxes, corporate income "stranded" overseas may be repatriated to the US.
There are other advantages of VAT other than international trade:

• By increasing prices, it tends to discourage consumption and encourage saving.
• It taxes the underground economy which could be as large as $2 Trillion or 12% of US GDP,   Drug dealers and prostitutes don't pay income taxes, but everyone has to buy stuff.
• The huge baby boom demographic is retiring.  The ratio of tax-paying workers to retirees is falling.  By taxing consumption, we reduce the burden on workers. 

I wrote Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Kamala Harris and Congressman Darrell Issa the above suggestion. 

The world needs a remote payment/turn on service

In this new "internet of things" world, we need an easy way to pay remotely for a service without using coins or bills, for very small businesses.
I'm thinking, for example, of the capability to turn on a sauna at a club or homeowner association remotely to warm it up before arriving.  I would use my smart phone to sign on to a website to request a service, which would then transfer me to a payment website, such as Google Pay, PayPal, or Apple Pay.  After paying, the service site, would be able to send an encrypted message to the internet-connected device and start/confirm that the service is started.  The service could be used to enable a code for un-chaining a boat rental, bike rental, car wash, or other service.  It could turn on spotlights at a view spot, open a parking gate, allow access to a small gym, enable an entertainment system, turn on heating or air conditioning etc.
The key to the service is a small internet-connectable device that would receive the encrypted commands, and be able to control external hardware.  It would probably need backup battery support, wifi as well as ethernet connectivity, and maybe even wireless phone connection.   For some applications it could have a built in timer that would turn off the service (such as a sauna or car wash) after an allotted amount of time.  Deluxe models of these devices could include capability of accepting biometrics, taking photo of customer, read a bar code, and provide a visual display of parameters related to the service being provided -- such as number of minutes left for the service.

I'm sure that big businesses can, or have already been able to set up similar services.  I know that laundromats have cards that can be used to pay for laundry.  Cities have systems using cards for payment of rapid transit.  Cable companies for years allow customers to buy pay-per-view movies.  But "little guys" don't have an easy way to set up such a system.

My vision is that a small businessman could go online and order the device controller that would handle his situation.  The business would install the device, and probably secure it in a small, locked box in a location with power and internet or phone connectivity.  The business would then go online to the payment service and register the device with a MAC address, IP address, and a serial number provided by the manufacturer of the device.  The payment service would do a handshake with the device, and send it a second encryption key to use when transferring information.  The payment service would allow the business to select a template to use and customize and provide a link that the business would add to their website to set up the service.  I would think the service could charge $1-$2 + a percentage of the revenue stream that would be added to the clients account.

I believe such a service will eventually be available.  But whoever gets there first will be able to build a large infrastructure, establish interface standards and maybe patents, build a brand name, and make a difficult barrier to entry for other competitors.

Hotel Reservations for Specific, assigned rooms

I think the World Needs hotels to allow guests to reserve specific rooms on their website, similar to how airlines allow travelers to reserve specific seats.
At so many large resorts, particularly in foreign countries, there are often long lines at check-in which is often very frustrating and unwelcome to travelers arriving after long flights and taxi rides, and maybe suffering from time zones and loss of sleep.  Since I have studied "queuing theory" as part of an overview of Operations Research, I understand that there are many variables that can affect the length of the que.  However it is obviously clear that the long lines in these hotels is due to the amount of time taken with each arriving guest.
At the more recent resorts we've checked into, the rooms were reserved and paid for many months in advance, so no 'financial transactions" were involved at check-in for any of the people in line.  They only had to verify our identity and give us our room keys, however the lines moved very slowly due to the amount of time taken for each arriving guest.  It appeared that what took so long was a "negotiation" with each guest over what room was assigned.  If that process were eliminated, the line could have moved quicker, and the hotel may have been able to reduce the number of people working the reception desk.
It appears to me that hotels are the only place where people renting do not know in advance the actual unit number that they are assigned.  When we stay at a B&B, we pick out rooms that have specific views, furnishings, and even certain antiques.  When we use VRBO, Home Away, Flip Key, AirBnB, we reserve a specific unit.  As a timeshare owner at many resorts, I know that we call on specific dates (or even participate in a lottery) months in advance to get a specific room assigned.  Airlines have specific seats assigned and allow travelers to select their seats in advance, and have additional fees levied for the various better situated seats, such as business class, or exit row seats with more leg room.
In hotels, there are also many variables among rooms.  Many are subtle differences that only repeat guests would be aware of.  However hotels really want those repeat guests!  So it pays to make them happy.  I contend that even though it appears on the surface that all hotel rooms are identical, in fact there is a different "value" to each of them in the view of guests.  For example, top floors are quieter because they don't have noise of people walking above, but may require more steps to climb.  Ground floors may be more accessible, but also may appear to be less safe.  Rooms near staircases or ice machines may seem more convenient to some guests, but present more annoying noise to others, etc. Sometimes there are specific, short-term issues that can affect guests where room rates should be discounted to accommodate those situations.  For example, if construction or renovations are going on in nearby units that could cause annoying noise, those units should be discounted.  Guests may be willing to rent those units if they know they will get a discount, and they would be less likely to complain to management (or on advisor websites) if they had to put up with noise in order to get a discounted rate.

If hotel websites allowed guests to pick out their room they may lose a little flexibility in moving people around, however I believe the following would happen:

1. Guests would be more comfortable about making sure they are getting a unit with the amenities and view that they are paying for
2. Hotels could simplify the check-in process and reduce the lines at check-in and possibly reduce the number of staff required.
3. Guests could get on wait lists for specific "upgrades" to their room selection, and if the room opens up their "desire" could be met at check-in.  It could even be met a few days prior to checkin via an automated email message.
4. Hotels could establish a pricing structure that has many more options.  Offer higher rates for the more desirable units and discounts for the units with specific, known disadvantages, such as blocked view, or additional noise.
5. Guests "expectations" will be better managed so they won't be disappointed when they feel they have paid for a certain type of room and then not get it.  If they know they paid "less" for a room with a disadvantage, they may understand better that they had gotten a good deal after all.

I would think that the software necessary for the large hotels and hotel chains to implement specific room reservations would be easy to write and install -- and should be much simpler than seat assignment software for airlines.

I believe eventually, guests with smartphones will be using their phones to open the doors to their units, and charge their purchases at hotel stores and restaurants.  If so, it may be possible for guests to completely bypass the check-in desk when arriving.  I know that hotels think that it is important for that "personal touch" when guests meet the desk clerk.  But I think the modern, electronic-enabled, gadget-savvy  traveler would actually be happier if they didn't have to waste time on arrival.  

US Needs a Shorter Work Week

Much of the Western developed world works shorter total hours per year than in the US.  According to these 2013 trend charts, other countries are working hard to try to reduce their work weeks and may overtake the US as well. This CNN website shows that Netherlands average work week is 29 hours compared to the US 38 hours.  Why do US workers need to spend so many more hours working?  Why, in the wealthiest nation, do we get shorter vacations, fewer holidays and longer hours?

The productivity of American workers continues to rise.  So many jobs are now being done using technology so fewer workers can accomplish much more.  Internet has eliminated printing jobs, music stores, video stores, sorting check payments, book stores, travel agencies, and traditional secretaries.  As self-driving cars start to be used, fewer people will be needed to drive taxis, trucks and busses which will eliminate many more jobs.  The functions of retail stores and fast food will be easily handled by robots.  I believe a lot of the roles of educators may be taken over by computers and software that will help each individual learn at their own pace.  Even lots of farming and construction tasks may be handled by robotic systems.
What jobs will be left for humans to do?  Hopefully there will be many jobs where the human need for creative problem solving will be available.  However, it is clear that there will be less need for workers.
Working is important for human psyche.  We all need to feel that we are contributing to society, and receiving some sort of salary for our service makes us feel that our contributions are recognized.  But do we need to contribute so much of our labor is the question.
Here is a hypothetical thought question: If everyone worked half the number of hour we are currently working, then, to accomplish the same amount of production, it would require twice the number of employees.  So if we shortened our work week, more people may need to be hired.

So, if the US would chart a gradual shortening of the work week over the next 10 or 20 years, we could maintain employment while productivity increases due to technology.  We would be able to improve the overall welfare of the US by improving our quality of life, and keep up with the other Western nations.  To do this, the US should simply pass a law that gradually shifts the definition of a full-time employee so that the number of hours per week gradually are reduced.  For example:

• In 2018 Workweek 38 hours
• In 2020 Workweek 36 hours
• In 2022 Workweek 34 hours
• In 2024 Workweek 32 hours
• In 2026 Workweek 30 hours

Companies should be given flexibility to work within a monthly "average workweek" to allow employees to work additional hours one week and fewer the next week.  Employees can work additional hours, but will be paid as overtime for those hours.  

Self Driving Vehicles

I've wondered why Google is spending so much money and effort on designing a self-driving car.  I've also thought about what would happen in society if most cars became self driving.  I've come to the conclusion that the world will be a LOT better off with cars that drove themselves.  I'm sure there other big societal changes that would occur, but here are some that I've thought about, and all of them sound very good to me!

1. Passengers will be free to do more productive things while riding in a car, since they won't have to worry about driving, navigation, or traffic.  That could be reading, writing, interacting on internet, or taking a nap.  
2. No more cab drivers!  The people doing those jobs now, will be free to do much more productive tasks for society, whether in science, art, music, politics, or engineering.  Currently cab drivers have a difficult time making a living.  Since they often have to wait for an hour in order to get a fare, they then have to charge more to compensate them for their non-productive time in order to barely make a living.  A computerized cab does involve a slightly higher fixed cost, but requires no direct labor cost.  (Maintenance, cleaning, fueling, repairs etc would require labor, most likely)
3. No more DUIs!  Drunk or impaired drivers cause a lot of horrible accidents.  The costs to society of those accidents is often very high!  Injuries or loss of life to breadwinners or employees is a huge tax on society.  That is why police spend so much time involved with DUI enforcement.  
4. Traffic law enforcement could become a thing of the past.  Computers should be able to navigate roads without violating reasonable rules of the road.  Some rules of the road may even be changed to adapt to the new capabilities of computers.  For instance, vehicles on open highway could "draft" in platoons which will save energy.  Computers communicating with each other would allow vehicles to drive with very little following distance between them so cars behind the lead car in a platoon will save on fuel.  4-way stops could also be a thing of the past, if vehicles approaching such an intersection could adjust their speed so they would cross an intersection at alternative times without slowing down too much or stopping.  
5. Because DUIs and traffic law enforcement would be reduced, it would seem that the tasks for a police force would also be reduced. Taxes required to support the reduced police force could be reduced, or the current police force could be moved to more difficult law enforcement tasks. 
6. Driver training & licensing requirements may be reduced or eliminated.  Certainly some specialty vehicles used for construction or hauling may need drivers, who will need licenses.  
7. Auto insurance will be reduced or eliminated.  If computers are controlling vehicles, they should eventually be much more reliable than human drivers.  They don't get tired, and they don't get distracted.  If there are fewer accidents, insurance costs should go down.  If the concept for self-driving cars becomes a "fleet ownership" system rather than individual ownership, those corporations may need some sort of liability insurance.  But even so, there should be no real need for individuals to buy insurance against accidents. 
8. Vehicle maintenance could be reduced even further.  Yes, computers and sensors involved with the self-driving capability will initially have some flaws in hardware and software.  But as we see with modern electronics, they will eventually become very reliable.  If cars become all-electric, there would be fewer "moving parts" that could fail, and the overall reliability should increase.  That savings in maintenance cost, will trickle down to all residents in cheaper transportation.  
9. Improvements to Homes and Cities:  If self-driving cars became "common carriers" and not privately owned, there could be many further benefits.  Homes could be redesigned without as much garage space.  Cities could be redesigned to be more pedestrian friendly.  Cars could be parked in underground garage in a "last-in, first-out" packed configuration, which takes up less space than a design where everyone can get to their car in "random access."