Monthly Archives: March 2013

Journal 3

Posted on by under PIDP 3240

Objective

Technology in teaching and learning enable teachers to work collaboratively with students while the students themselves become more immersed in their own learning. New information technologies are increasingly being adapted and integrated into the educational process. Technology of one kind or the other has always been used in the educational environment. For years, the printed page, chalk and chalkboard, overhead projectors, and other devices have been utilized, and continue to feature in the teaching and learning process. The use of these technologies very often confined instructional and learning activities to a specific place and time. However, the emergence of newer forms of technology (e.g., computers, DVD videoconference, Intemet) has created a renewed interest for their use in supporting teaching and learning activities. These technologies are also capable of promoting educational activities both synchronous and asynchronous which are not confined to specific time and place. The adoption and use of these technologies for instruction and learning is believed to be worthwhile because of their prevalence throughout the society. Many of the technologies are widely used in the workplace and students are expected to be familiar with them before they enter the workforce. It is frequently thought that the education sector is slow in adapting to technological changes. Nevertheless, the classroom is vulnerable to technological innovation, as this is where the old and the new technology must coexists which creates a tension that will lead to remarkable changes in education for the few years and beyond.

Reflective

The infusion and integration of the new information technologies in the classroom have had an immense impact on the educational environment. Technology has become a trans-human process as people share with increasingly powerful artificial networks and brains. Moreover, the emergence of new information technology has seen learning permeating every form of social activity outside of the school, from work to entertainment and home life. Education and training activities are increasingly employing the use of a variety of technologies to support pedagogy and learning. Several of the technologies used are computer-based. Word-processors, spreadsheets, and databases are being utilized as tools in supporting teaching and learning. Graphics and desktop publishing software now allow teachers to develop more instructional materials to their own specifications. Correspondingly, teachers are utilizing testing and measurement software, CD-ROMS, CDs, DVD and multimedia tools to enhance classroom activities. The vast array of new technologies now available for teaching and learning activities open new vistas for those engaged in the process. The emergence of the Intemet is being used to help facilitate interaction with individuals and groups, parents, teachers, and school administrators. It also provides access to instructional materials and other information, which might not otherwise have been readily available to students and teachers within a classroom setting. Both teachers and students are exploring different countries and their cultures without leaving the classroom with the usage of internet. Telecommunication and computer technologies are being widely used in education to bring events into the classroom while they are happening, and they are expanding the classroom beyond their walls. “With the availability of these technologies, learning is no longer encapsulated by time, place, and age but has become a pervasive activity and attitude that continues throughout life and is supported by all segments of society.” (Kozma & Schank, 1998)

Interpretive

Teachers can enrich and enhance teaching and learning activities by infusion and integration of technology in the education process that provide a basis by which some teachers reconsider the strategies they use in instructional activities. The necessary learning objectives are accomplish with different strategies while employed in conjunction with the more familiar ones. This dynamic interchange now taking place between and among collaboration of teachers and students has clearly revolutionized classroom activities. (D’Ignazio, 1989), used such terms as “knowledge explorers”, “knowledge navigators”, “teacher explorers”, and “student navigators” in describing the various activities in which both teachers and students often engage as they utilize multimedia systems in the classroom. The infusion and integration of technology in classrooms will not only result in the greater use of collaborative learning strategies but also will increase the use of strategies such as thematic teaching, guided inquiry apprenticeship, group problem solving, and critical thinking. Classroom activities will then be less centered on the teacher and can be more focused on the learners. In this situation the responsibility for learning is shifted to the student and the teacher facilitates the learning by acting as a coach, resource guide, and companion in learning. Instructional technology does not only encourage teachers and students to work collaboratively but also results in more cooperative learning activities among the students. By working cooperatively, students help each other to understand more about the technology and how to use it to accomplish set learning objectives, thereby increasing the level of interaction between and among them. This has led many teachers to embrace a constructivist approach to teaching and learning over and above a directed approach. The directed perspective, also referred to as, “objectivist or behaviourist, is grounded primarily in behaviourist learning theory and the information processing branch of cognitive learning theories and is based on the concept that learning happens when knowledge is transmitted to the learner” (Forcier, 1996). Despite the differences between the two perspectives on teaching and learning, they can both be employed to ensure an effective and efficient educational environment.

Evaluation
The introduction of new information technology as discussed in “Teaching Naked” and learning has impacted the traditional classroom activities. The various technologies generate a greater level of interaction between and among teachers and students. They also help to enhance the educational environment while providing enrichment in the learning experience. However, technology use in the classroom should only be considered appropriate if it is used for specific purposes in the teaching and learning process. Its incorporation in this process should not just be as an appendage, but as an integral part of the teaching and learning objectives. Employing technology of any kind in the instructional process becomes valuable only when they are seen merely as elements in a well-constructed learning environment. The use of technology, therefore, should be driven by specific objectives related to instruction and learning with direct linkages to the curriculum. Changing the philosophical and pedagogical assumptions of education systems require time, effort and strong political will. Programmes developed need to be evaluated thoroughly to determine their effectiveness in preparing teachers to teach with technology. Skilled personnel are needed to develop, implement and evaluate educational technology programmes in teacher training. There is also a need for increased funding and strong determination of all parties involved; state officials, administrators, teachers and parents should unite their efforts for the development of serious programmes that will support education reform. There are always obstacles to attempts for educational reform: the resistance to change that is deeply rooted in education systems and the fear of technology dominating our lives, forces that can withhold change. However, technology can help reform education and the education system needs to be reformed for successful technology integration. “Success in the future will depend on our ability to adapt ad find ways to connect with students.” (Bowen, A.J. p.288).

Refrences:

Bowen, J. (2012). Teaching naked: How moving technology out of your college classroom will improve student learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

D’Ignazio, F. (1989). An inquiry-centered classroom of the future. The Computing Teacher, 16-19. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Forcier, R. C. (1996). The computer as a productivity tool in education. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Kozma, R., & Schank, P. (1998). Connecting with the 21st Century: Technology in support of educational reform. (pp. 327). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

hypernatraemic dehydration

Posted on by under HMMMM…INTERESTING

The nation benefits overall when mothers breastfeed. Recent research shows that if 90 percent of families breastfed exclusively for 6 months, nearly 1,000 deaths among infants could be prevented. Worldwide would also save $13 billion per year — medical care costs are lower for fully breastfed infants than never-breastfed infants. Breastfed infants typically need fewer sick care visits, prescriptions, and hospitalizations.

Breastfeeding also contributes to a more productive workforce since mothers miss less work to care for sick infants. Employer medical costs are also lower.

Breastfeeding is also better for the environment. There is less trash and plastic waste compared to that produced by formula cans and bottle supplies.

Mothers breastfeed your babies often and spread the word. Please read the article.

Dr Sam Oddie, a consultant neonatologist at Bradford Royal Infirmary, mentioned that babies fall dangerously ill after failing to take in enough milk.

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/10299733.Bradford_doctor_leads_pioneering_breastfeeding_study/http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/10299733.Bradford_doctor_leads_pioneering_breastfeeding_study/

Journal 2

Posted on by under PIDP 3240

Objective
“Instagram”,”Facebook” or “Twitter,” this is what most students have, and they almost certainly have strong opinions about them. You don’t need to be a teenager to use or understand these technologies, or to use them in your classroom. Frequently, many normal, middle-aged adult uses these technologies with frequency. The fact is, different age groups uses social networking or other types of technology devices, and these technologies are more than just entertainment. These technologies are already demonstrating how they impact the way we think, learn, and interact. Moreover, they are also demonstrating the tremendous potential they have in classroom as well. The emergence of social networking technologies and the evolution of digital games have helped shape the new ways in which people are communicating, collaborating, operating, and forming social constructs. In fact, recent research is showing us that these technologies are shaping the way we think, work, and live. Our newest generation, the youth, is demonstrating for us the impact of having developed under the digital wave. These youth have been completely normalized by digital technologiesit is a fully integrated aspect of their lives (Green & Hannon, p29). Many students in this group are using new media and technologies to create new things in new ways, learn new things in new ways, and communicate in new ways with new people behaviors that have become hardwired in their ways of thinking and operating in the world. Games and simulations have been a key component of nearly all institutions including business, industry, medicine, science and government have harnessed aspects of these technologies for decades.

Reflective
Teaching and Technology can have a reciprocal relationship. The on-the-ground implementation of these technologies in the classroom can directly impact how these technologies continue to take shape. Moreover, the emergence of new technologies pushes educators to understanding and leveraging these technologies for classroom use; so has the cry for educators to find meaningful ways to incorporate these technologies into the classroom from the television, video player, projector or the computer. While some educators may not be very aware to this unwavering ‘call’ and for good reason it is crucial to consider that the excitement over games and social networking isn’t just business and industry “crying wolf.” Indeed, those previous technologies have a powerful place in instruction and the class room; but without them, strong lessons and learning objectives can still be achieved. However, there’s a sharp disconnect between the way students are taught in school and the way the outside world approaches socialization, meaning-making, and accomplishment. It is critical that education not only seek to mitigate this disconnect in order to make these two “worlds” more seamless, but of course also to leverage the power of these emerging technologies for instructional gain.

Interpretive
I think, Digital gaming, simulations, and social networking, these technologies afford us the ability to convey concepts in new ways that would otherwise not be possible, efficient, or effective, with other instructional methods. In other words, these technologies don’t just help us teach the old stuff in new ways, they can also help us teach new stuff in new ways. “Technology gives us access to more and better content, communication, and assessment, but technology by itself does not create engagement” (Bowen, J., p185). Digital gaming and social networking are already a widespread activity in our culture. Therefore, one of the most obvious benefits to using these technologies for learning is that students are often already familiar with these interfaces and the “language” of interacting with and utilizing them. Both inside and outside the classroom, some have been used quite a bit in the educational setting, while others have mainly garnered popularity in pop culture. Some research proved that habitual playing of video games results in the development of new cognitive abilities that translate into the key skills for our transformed world (Facer, 2003). By the ability to process information very quickly; determine what is and is not of relevance to them, to process information in parallel, at the same time and from a range of different source. Moreover, familiarity with exploring information in a non-linear fashion, information access through imagery and then use text to clarify, expand, and explore; and the capacity to experiment with one’s surroundings as a form of problem-solving. Some games improve skills in communication and collaboration, problem-solving, and various number-related skills.

Evaluation
The conceptual knowledge is critical because if you can grasp that, then you can transfer skills and morph into other domains, roles, and work more easily. With digital games, simulation and social networking students get to experience the concepts versus passively watching a video on it or trying to visualize it. Without a doubt, there will be challenges to implementing these technologies in the classroom. Even the most fundamental, non-tech lessons have their own problems, but the challenges may not be as great as you think. The easiest way to avoid the problems is to spend a little bit of time with these technologies before hitting the classroom floor, in order to address and potential obstacles. Going into these endeavors knowing there would be bumps in the road, some teachers continue to learn from the challenges and persevere. Like all of these technologies, social networking isn’t without its classroom management blips. As an educators it is my job to continue to explore and expand these technologies, the educational community as a whole will grow its collective body of knowledge of best practices with them. Many agree that games, simulations, and social networking technologies have much to offer education. Yet while the benefits of these offerings are still making themselves apparent, a growing number of educators are making sure they are on the front-end of the wave. By appreciating that the students filling their classroom chairs have a different perspective on the world, these teachers are able to experiment with new ways to connect with kids through these technologies. Moreover, the research is supporting this work, showing that “multimedia education improves both comprehension of the lesson material and students’ interest in the lesson topic” (Brady, J., p32).

References:
Brady, J. (2004). More than just fun and games? Applied Clinical Trials. New York, NY: Random House, pp32-39

Bowen, J. (2012). Teaching naked: How moving technology out of your college classroom will improve student learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Green, H and Hannon, C (2007). Their Space: Education for a digital generation. Leister, UK: Demos pp. 1-39

By:
Kristine Lagdan

Male nurses- the Murse…

Posted on by under ARCHIVES

Not a purse, a nurse. We’re talking about male nurses again. The profession has always been dominated by women, and still is. But we’re seeing a few more males entering the field. THe stigma of an all female profession is slowly lifting.

Some of the change is due to cultural changes where women are no longer seen as the sole primary gender capable of offering care.

How many male nurses are you working with? Have you noticed an increase? Any gender bias in school that may prevent male nurses from entering the field?

That one person that ruins it for the rest…

Posted on by under ARCHIVES

We might all have horror stories about that one employee or colleague who just shouldn’t be in their job. Maybe it’s the cranky old hag who’s just sticking it out for another year before retirement. Maybe it’s someone you just can’t get along with no matter how hard you try. You dont have to get along with everyone, but in nursing you have to in the least get away with cooperation. That’s of course harder when you’re dealing with ice-cold personalities.

How do you deal with misfits in the workplace? Do you have a terrible co-worker? How many have in fact reported bad care observed in a co-worker? How do you confront bad nurses?

Post some thoughts here to help others. Let’s just say the passive aggressive approach may be the one we all choose, but it may not be the most effective :P.