Turnip or Pumpkins?

Happy Halloween!

Trick or treat? No, not for me, it's called guising where I come from :-) So if any little darlings come round to Academia (my flat) this year, for ten bob they'll need to perform one of these elementary tasks, but they do have a choice, I’m not mean:

1) Recite Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate etc. in full;

2) Name all the members of The Beatles in descending order of height;

3) Sing 'O soave fanciulla' from La Boheme.

I'd say that's perfectly reasonable, don’t you? ;-)

Have a smashing day everybody and don’t forget, a tumshie lantern trumps a pumpkin one all day long...

I have posted a few pics of the golfing trews I was wearing on Sunday, which nobody 'batted' an eyelid to when I went shopping afterwards. Edinburgh eh? And who doesn't like a pumpkin full of wine?

See you all tomorrow.

Mark

We have been Fooled by Experts to Believe E-Cigarettes are Safe; They Can Make Lungs Vulnerable to Infections

https://www.smalljoys.tv/e-cigarettes-make-lungs-vulnerable-to-infections/


The link above was sent to me by a very good friend of mine who is a Senior Nurse in the Respiratory Ward in Edinburgh.


It does make for some interesting reading and may merit some comment below.


I have to admit that although I have never been a smoker I have listened to many a presentation and read plenty essays / reports on research findings on this subject. Do we have a definitive answer on the vaping subject as yet? I don't know is the answer, but the article may provide some pertinent talking points.


Mark

2000 up!

What an incredible amount of views on our blog, brilliant.

Thank you for your contributions and long may that continue.

All the best,

Mark

Effective presentation delivery / Discussion reflections

Hello all.

That was a tremendous session today, where we looked at presentations we (you) had delivered, some you had witnessed, shared some anecdotal evidence, and crucially, looked at the nuts and bolts of effective presentation delivery.

Some key points emerged from today's workshop, namely: structure, knowledge of subject matter, the import of relevant visuals (more about that next Thursday), knowing your audience, effective research techniques, time and positive body language to name but a few.

It was great to hear so many voices today and in particular when we reflected on the success of the assessed discussion. That was a nice piece of self, peer and group reflection at the start of the class.

Next week we will look at the presentation brief in detail, PowerPoint and what not to do, analyse a presentation and look at some examples of previous student presentations.

We may also consider when you will do your talks, either 29/11, 6/12 or 13/12. You can decide that rather than me allocating you to a date. Thank you for alerting me to the fact some of you can’t make the 29th November session as you are busy working on other projects.

If you could all have an idea what you want to deliver your talk on for next Thursday, that would be great. All the suggestions I have heard so far are great choices. If you are in any doubt, or need a yay or a nay, please e mail me.

Have a lovely weekend,

Mark

Presentation topics in previous years

Hello all,

Below is a list of topics that have been covered in previous years regarding the individual presentation assessment. Quite a range!

Group B Strep

Alzheimer's

Kidney Stones

Brain Injury

Mental Health

Addiction

ADS

Autism

Dermatology

Holistic Therapies

Heart Attack

Obesity (cost to NHS)

Lung Cancer

Diabetes

Epilepsy

Cervical Cancer

Breast Cancer

Pregnancy

Stillbirth

The future of the NHS

Cardiac arrest and defibrillators in public areas

Dieting / Fad Diets / Nutrition

Lupus Anticoagulant Syndrome

Huntingdon's Disease

Trauma Nursing

E coli

Defibrillators

Korsakoff's Syndrome

Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS)

Diaphragmatic Hernia

ADHD

Mental Health Nursing

Crohn's Disease

Mental Health Treatments

Cannabis as Medicine

IBS

Alcoholism

Micropigmentation

Infection control

ECT

Breast Cancer

Dementia Treatment

Asthma

Cervical Screening

Obesity

Cyberchondria

Word of the week!

Anybody identify with this one? I must confess this is not a word I have ever come across before, but it is a good one! I am definitely the opposite, but I'm not sure what that would be, other than prompt, punctual, early bird etc.!

Time management skills

Hello loyal readers!

Below are two really useful links on time management strategies. They are worth a look, especially as I am such an advocate of the importance of effective time management skills. I think you will all find them of use.


The notion of a full-time student by definition is increasingly becoming blurred, as many learners are parents, with at least one job, heavy commitments outside of college etc. This is why I feel that managing your time efficiently, or at least considering ways to improve the way you utilise each day can be helpful.


Are you a better manager of time since you started coming to College? Do you have specific times of the day where you allocate that period to 'you time?' Have you considered starting study groups amongst yourselves on days where you aren't in classes? If you fancy sharing your story on time management, I am certain this will be of help to your peers, even if it means saying you need to improve! It's always good to share.


I am fortunate that I work from home one day a week. This helps me plan for my classes two weeks in advance, marking, devising assessments etc. That works well for me (especially as I wake up so early so just get cracking on before even my cat stirs!) There is a lot to be said for flexible working if utilised properly. Post it notes and notes on my mobile feature heavily in my strategy and crucially, when marking, letting learners know when they can expect some feedback within a reasonable timescale.


Let me know your thoughts and do have a look at the links below.

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/study/advice/?playlist=150&videoid=2244

https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills/time?wssl=1#

How virtual reality is taking dementia patients back to the future

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/nov/20/virtual-reality-taking-dementia-patients-back-to-future-wayback-vr-film


I thought this was an interesting health related article / video worth posting.


The notion that people living with dementia become more feeling beings than thinking beings is quite an interesting one I think.


I am glad to see that this innovative idea is bringing happiness to dementia sufferers, a trick of the mind if you like. It is clear that the users are uplifted, which is a defining positive.


The aim of The Wayback is to help spark memories and start conversations that grow harder to come by as the disease takes hold. The film struck a chord with the staff and the residents, both those living with dementia and those without, bringing back long lost memories for all.


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjUAjbO6X7F21JZ5tNTV49g - the WayBack reaction!


I hope this has raised a smile and made you reflect.


Mark

A world where fish are no longer forced to climb trees...

Hi all,


I hope you all had a lovely break (it isn't over yet of course!)


This is a fantastic video which questions how we can learn, how we can be taught and raises many different questions about our own psyche perhaps.


Collaborative learning works well, sharing ideas and thinking differently works. I too believe in students and their capacity to learn, be creative, be evaluative and have an equal voice. That to me is important in my style of teaching. Reflection and being a reflective practitioner comes naturally to me. Yet we know there are many ways to teach, learn and assess.


The Finnish education system works. And addressing different ways to approach an assessment, well that works too.

On another note, it actually reminded me of my dad who was a well respected Music teacher for many years and how he viewed the curriculum. I'll leave that to one of his star pupils, arguably one of Scotland's finest female writers, to describe that. There's a wee link to an article from Janice Galloway at the bottom of this post. 

If you have any comments on the video or the newspaper article, please note them below as I'd like to hear your thoughts. 

Have a lovely weekend, 

Mark

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jul/13/janice-galloway-my-hero-kenneth-hetherington

Schedule of work until that time in December which shall not be mentioned!

Hello everybody,

When we return after our well deserved October break, there will be only 9 weeks until the end of the academic year. That nicely avoids the 'C' word I think!


Below is how I intend to roll out the classes on our return. I have been mightily impressed with how the class has operated since we first met, especially in the way you work in the spoken form and your research skills. Because of this, I have decided to keep the momentum going and move onto the second speaking assessment next. This is an individual oral presentation and I like to assess that by splitting the class into three groups (8, 8 and 9 in our case). We can discuss that on the first Thursday back. It is also a good idea to piggyback on the work you are doing with Alan in IT and I will e mail him to see whether there are any opportunities for you to do some preparatory work in his class. I will need to check this of course and make no assumptions there.


So, here is how I intend to roll out the next nine weeks. I am a great believer in schedules and sticking to them, so there should be no problems if we follow this recipe for success.


25th October - reflecting on the discussion assessment, teaching what makes an effective and ineffective presentation delivery. In this session we will share experiences in presentation delivery and I will fill in with some commentary from my experience teaching this area of communication. As you would imagine, I have many a story! This will set the scene for what things you should be thinking about when delivering an individual talk. The assessment is 5 minutes plus additional time for questions. The feedback sessions for the assessed talks have been very warmly received in the last four years that I have been teaching SWAP at Motherwell. More about that nearer assessment time though.


1st November - looking at PowerPoint use, examples and critique of previous student work (PowerPoint slides), presentation titles from previous SWAP Access to Nursing classes, and watching a presentation. Not a TED talk this time, but one of my favourites which we can analyse together.


8th November - everybody should have a topic for their presentation by this time. This session, as well as the 15th and 22nd November will be time for you to work on your presentations. Please bring laptops / tablets etc. to these classes and I can book some PCs in the library for some members of the class if I know the numbers in advance.


29th November, 6th December and 13th December - assessment delivery.


20th December - this will be used if anybody has been unable to deliver their talk on the allocated time as agreed as above.


I wish every one of you a great break, you have earned it, and I will mostly be drinking Pinot Grigio, relaxing and wearing silly golf trousers. A selection of which can be seen below! Och you have to have a laugh, right?


See you all on Thursday 25th October.


Mark

Doctors can prescribe medical cannabis from November in UK

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45822629


I just noted on the 'Top 5 BBC stories' feed that appears on our blog that this story has popped up.


Often controversial, it is always a solid talking point.


So have a wee look at the story and let me know what you think.


Mark

Discussion assessment success, round 2!

Hello all,


Another excellent session of discussions this afternoon, and all 13 attendees passed, so well done for all your hard work researching the two topics.


For those of you who were involved today, please let me know what you thought of the session. What did you learn, either about yourself or aspects of the discussion topic? Was it what you thought it would be?


The key to unlocking success again was in the preparation, and this was evident across all four discussion groups.


Well done all, and please lend me your feedback thoughts below in the usual place!


All the best,


Mark

Does the UK have much to shout about on World Mental Health Day?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45804229

Hi all,

Have a look at the link above and let me know what you think.

Anti-bullying video

Anti-bullying video

Thank you to Myra for alerting me to a really interesting angle on the serious issue of bullying. Please click the link above.

Myra was a member of the discussion group who were looking at this subject and had seen the video on Facebook.

As always, I look forward to your comments at the bottom of this page.

Many thanks,

Mark

Nurses rock!

https://en.stories.newsner.com/family/nurse-sneaks-patients-room-seconds-later-camera-catches-kind-gesture/


What a lovely story and one I think one you will all enjoy reading.

Discussion assessment success

Hello all,

I listened to and assessed two excellent discussions this afternoon. 

Well done to all of those involved today; I was impressed with the level
of research and opinions. All 11 attendees passed the outcome.

I look forward to the discussions next Thursday too very much. 

I would like to hear the thoughts of those who were assessed this afternoon in the comments section as always. All students were well prepared, respectful, supportive and time seemed to pass by very quickly I think. Dare I say when you were having fun?

Cheers,

Mark