'If a simple task is given, an implicit block for that single task
is created, which goes in the main portion of the block'

def preprocess_data(self, ds):

    if (not Block.is_block(ds)):
        if isinstance(ds, list):
            return super(Block, self).preprocess_data(dict(block=ds))
        else:
            return super(Block, self).preprocess_data(dict(block=[ds]))
    return super(Block, self).preprocess_data(ds)
