Remember, remember...the 13th of September!

Morning all,


I trust you all had a lovely weekend and are ready for week three. Time sure is going quickly!


Just a quick reminder that I would like you all to complete the short reflective writing exercise that I set you last Thursday.


It serves as an interesting unassessed piece of work for me - for your writing, for you to reflect on where your head is at the moment since you started the course, to think structurally, amongst other things.


It will be a dialogue between the two of us. Nobody else sees it and I will provide some feedback for the following week for you on a one to one basis.


I look forward to the class on Thursday where we (you) will define communication, assess the import of effective communication skills within the Nursing vocation and other associated exercises. Again, the session will include some working within small teams.


So, the 'Please let me introduce myself to you' writing exercise should either be handwritten or typed up for Thursday, whatever suits you. There is no word count on this unassesesd piece of work, as I know some of you will want to write lots and others might be slightly more economical. Both strategies are of course fine!


Until then, then.


Mark

Baby decapitated due to doctor's actions

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-44357023

Thank you to Kathleen who alerted me to this story. She quite rightly thought it would be a good discussion point for the blog.

A further link:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/969430/baby-decapitated-doctor-dundee-Vaishnavy-Laxman-guilty-medical-misconduct

Please note your comments in the comments section below.

Moral Dilemma Feedback

Hi all,

I thoroughly enjoyed the Moral Dilemmas session this afternoon and it was a great exercise to get you thinking about the situation allocated to your group, forming a personal opinion, listening to the comments of your peers and articulating your thoughts individually and as a group. 

It also helps with confidence building.

I was impressed at the level of focus from all the five groups today and you all performed very well indeed.

Let me know in the comments section what you thought about the session. Did you find something out about yourself, were you swayed by the arguments of your peers, have you had second thoughts you communicated in the class?

All comments welcomed, and I always enjoy reading your thoughts. 

Lighthearted academic interlude at Hogwarts University...

Dear all,


In the not too distant future, you will be making your applications to UCAS if you have aspirations to go to University. Yvonne will give you some expert advice on that in due course, and I will pop a few things on the blog which will hopefully be of help to you.


I post a photo of an applicant's UCAS reply which is 'magical'. Learning and study can sure be fun.


Hopefully you will like this too! See you all on Thursday.


Mark

Moral Dilemmas Thursday!

Hello all,


I hope you are all having a lovely weekend and reflecting on your first week at College. It went quickly for me, even in my 24th year of lecturing time still flies. Which reminds me of an old Groucho Marx quote - "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana..." (Think on that one, it's actually deliciously clever!)


Anyway, on Thursday we will do some group work on moral dilemmas. What is a moral dilemma I hear you say? It could best be described as a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two (or more) courses of action, which entails transgressing a moral principle or principles. This exercise worked a treat over the last couple of years as you get the chance to consider some scenarios and decide what you might do. And crucially, why...


So, to whet the appetite for that session, try this one below for size. It is of course hypothetical and no judgments will be made. So what do you think?






You have witnessed a man rob a bank, but then, he did something completely unusual and unexpected with the money. He donated it to an orphanage that was poor, run-down and lacking in proper food, care, water and amenities. The sum of money would be a great benefit to the orphanage, and the children’s lives would turn from poor to prosperous.


Would you:


a: Call the police and report the robber, even though they would likely take the money away from the orphanage?


b: Do nothing and leave the robber and the orphans alone?


c: Do something else?


Hmmmm.

Do you think teenagers should be banned from buying energy drinks?

The government has announced plans to ban the sale of energy drinks to teenagers, following an investigation into the negative effects they have on young people in the UK.


According to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) research, children in the UK consume more energy drinks than any other country in Europe. In March, most UK supermarkets voluntarily banned to sell them to under-16s following concerns about the effect they were having on children’s health and behaviour, due to their high sugar and caffeine content.


If you’re a parent, what have been your concerns with your children and energy drinks? What do you think of a ban? If you buy energy drinks, what effect do they have on you and why do you think they’re so popular? Or, perhaps you used to buy them but stopped due to the impact it was having on your health?


Feel free to comment on the subject of energy drinks in the comments section below. There is no right or wrong. Go on, have your say!

Reflections of you

Dear all,


I really enjoyed our first session together today in 2012 and you provided lots of interesting detail on reasons for coming onto the course, your backgrounds and hopes for the future.


Keep up the positivity, believe, find your voice, be confident and we will be absolutely fine!


See you next Thursday at 2. As always, please note any comments about the class and how you found it.


Cheers,


Mark