RSS reader is a great way to keep on top of current issues and news in nursing and education. Prior to using RSS reader, I rarely searched the internet for news related to the topics that are associated with my current profession as a nurse. It can be exhausting to search and read article after article. RSS reader pulls all of this together. I have subscribed to nursing blogs, educational websites, and health blogs. The news that I want to read about comes right to me and it is all in the same place. I am finding many resources I can use for teaching but also in my practice as a nurse.
During clinical, I try to correlate an activity with topics the students are covering in class. One activity examines stress and how it affects the body. The students look at their stress as well as the stressors of their patients. After our discussion on stress, we pinpoint ways to decrease stress. I found an article from my RSS reader that I will be able to use to augment the discussion.
In addition, I have found articles that relate to my capstone project, which I am currently working on. For my capstone project I am examining the transition into nursing practice. Overall, it is a quick an easy way to have the most current news, filtered for the topics I am interested in reading about.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Google Tools
Google Video
*Google video allows you to search the web for multimedia to use in the classroom to enhance learning and facilitate discussions, in the business setting to support a presentation, in everyday life to learn more about something.
Affordances: Able to search millions of videos, movies, music, and documentaries on any topic by the click of a button. People can add Google Videos to their personal websites or blogs. Parents are able to enable a safe search option to filter questionable content. Overall the tool is easy to use and is user friendly.
Constraints: You need to set up a Google account to use Google video. There is a small possibility that your videos may be deleted. Need minimal operating system requirements for playing videos. Unsure about the quality and reliability of the content provided in all videos.
Google Blogger
*Google blogger is an online resource that allows people to express their thoughts, share their knowledge, share their experiences, and/or network with others that share similar interests.
Affordances: Blogger is customizable and easy to use. It is also easy for people to give feedback and respond to things that are posted. Group blogging is available which can be beneficial in the academic setting. Many people with smart phones are able to post updates to their blog on the go from their phone.
Constraints: Cyber bullying may occur with the use of blogs. People can't control what others post on their blog sites. Confidentiality and other security issues may arise. Some blogs will be marked as spam and will be deleted if the user doesn't take action to correct the issue.
Examples of how the tools are used in learning:
*Here are some examples of how to incorporate blogging in the classroom setting
*Google video allows you to search the web for multimedia to use in the classroom to enhance learning and facilitate discussions, in the business setting to support a presentation, in everyday life to learn more about something.
Affordances: Able to search millions of videos, movies, music, and documentaries on any topic by the click of a button. People can add Google Videos to their personal websites or blogs. Parents are able to enable a safe search option to filter questionable content. Overall the tool is easy to use and is user friendly.
Constraints: You need to set up a Google account to use Google video. There is a small possibility that your videos may be deleted. Need minimal operating system requirements for playing videos. Unsure about the quality and reliability of the content provided in all videos.
Google Blogger
*Google blogger is an online resource that allows people to express their thoughts, share their knowledge, share their experiences, and/or network with others that share similar interests.
Affordances: Blogger is customizable and easy to use. It is also easy for people to give feedback and respond to things that are posted. Group blogging is available which can be beneficial in the academic setting. Many people with smart phones are able to post updates to their blog on the go from their phone.
Constraints: Cyber bullying may occur with the use of blogs. People can't control what others post on their blog sites. Confidentiality and other security issues may arise. Some blogs will be marked as spam and will be deleted if the user doesn't take action to correct the issue.
Examples of how the tools are used in learning:
*Here are some examples of how to incorporate blogging in the classroom setting
*Blogging has many potential benefits for our students and this author discusses the power of blogging in the classroom.
*Here is an article providing a teachers guide to using video in the classroom.
*This link is specific for nursing educators which provides videos on nursing patient care and various nursing situations or other experiences in the field of nursing.
*Integrating YouTube into the Nursing Curriculum
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Curriculum 21 and the Socially Networed Classroom
Updating the current curriculum to support the needs of the 21st century learner poses many challenges for our educators. Educators are often unfamiliar with the current technology and the resources available to enhance the learning experience. Curriculum 21 discusses many of these challenges and provides ideas and/or solutions for change. The Socially Networked Classroom takes the ideas and theories from Curriculum 21 and puts them into action, providing examples of technology enhanced learning even when media resources are minimal.
Learning can occur in all situations, whether it is a game, activity, discussion, creative project, or use of social networking. Old content combined with the new media age brings the curriculum to life in a way that it is relevant to the 21st century learner. Online portfolios can be used to showcase a students work which can be made available for classroom viewer as well as world wide views. Global discussions as well as classroom discussions can be initiated through the use of student portfolios.
Global discussions give students an insight into other cultures and languages, making students more culturally competent. Technology in the classroom is a vital element in teaching the 21st century learner.
Learning can occur in all situations, whether it is a game, activity, discussion, creative project, or use of social networking. Old content combined with the new media age brings the curriculum to life in a way that it is relevant to the 21st century learner. Online portfolios can be used to showcase a students work which can be made available for classroom viewer as well as world wide views. Global discussions as well as classroom discussions can be initiated through the use of student portfolios.
Global discussions give students an insight into other cultures and languages, making students more culturally competent. Technology in the classroom is a vital element in teaching the 21st century learner.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Essential Curriculum for a New Time
How might we determine the year that we are preparing our learners for? What years should we be preparing them for?
The nursing profession is surrounded by evidence-based practice, technological advances, and complex medical conditions. Nursing practice and the medical profession has changed drastically since Florence Nightingale's days in nursing. There has been numerous changes within the past 6 years that I have been a registered nurse. Despite all the changes that are occurring around us, nursing curriculum and the way it is taught remains about the same. Old curriculum provides a sense of comfort and stability for educators, if it has been effective for the past 100 years, why change things now? Change is inevitable, and the fear of change holds many of us back.
As educators we need to give our students the knowledge and tools needed for a lifetime of learning. We don't need to prepare our students for a specific year; by providing them with essential tools, students can adapt and change as society continues to evolve. Integrating old content with new content and technology brings education to the 21st century.
The nursing profession is surrounded by evidence-based practice, technological advances, and complex medical conditions. Nursing practice and the medical profession has changed drastically since Florence Nightingale's days in nursing. There has been numerous changes within the past 6 years that I have been a registered nurse. Despite all the changes that are occurring around us, nursing curriculum and the way it is taught remains about the same. Old curriculum provides a sense of comfort and stability for educators, if it has been effective for the past 100 years, why change things now? Change is inevitable, and the fear of change holds many of us back.
As educators we need to give our students the knowledge and tools needed for a lifetime of learning. We don't need to prepare our students for a specific year; by providing them with essential tools, students can adapt and change as society continues to evolve. Integrating old content with new content and technology brings education to the 21st century.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
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