There is a huge trend going towards online learning. It's flexible, its easy to do on your own, it's easy to meet employer requirements in the comfort of your own home. It's wonderful.
I personally love this move towards online learning and I love that anytime I have a question or want to learn a new topic, I can look something up online (often for free) and learn a new skill. It's actually what I've been doing a lot of to learn how to run a small business.
But I worry a little about online learning. Over the last week and a half, I've been teaching a group of awesome HCA's in a completely classroom environment and it's really rather awesome.
You get something from the classroom that you can't get with online learning. INTERACTION. You get to hear what others in your same situation are going through. You get to hear questions that you didn't even know to ask. You get to add your own stories and history to the learning and get immediate feedback from the instructor.
As a teacher, the classroom has been very revealing to me. Online, my students are in a whole other frame of mind, but in front of me, I get to learn about their challenges and backgrounds and experiences. This helps me to form new curriculum and learning techniques to reach more students.
The most effective learning technique for adults has shown to be a BLENDED approach. Most colleges have adopted a lot of classes this way. Part of the time is spent in the classroom and you get the interaction and the 1:1 with the teach and part of the time is done online in the comfort of your own space.
I'm a big fan of this.
What works best for you? Online - Classroom - Blended?
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Ode to the Gait Belt
I so desperately want to write a poem, sing a song, enact a play that marvels at the benefits of a Gait Belt.
I was teaching a Individual Provider class last week. I came across "that" student. Every class has this student. The student who:
1) Knows Everything
2) Has been doing this for 20-30 years
3) Thinks this class is such a waste of time
It's OK. Every class has them and it's easy to humor this student. They don't bug me (well actually, they do, but that's my problem to work out). And that's not the point of this post.
This particular student announced to this class of 20 students that Gait Belts were only for NACs working in a Nursing Home.
If you remember a ear-splitting crack heard across Washington State, I'm hear to assure you that that sound was the sound of my heart splitting in 2.
Gait Belts are simple and easy ways of holding onto the client when doing a transfer or assisting to walk. They give the Home Care Aide a handle to hold onto. Even if the client is weight bearing and at relatively low risk of falling, you just never know when something may go wrong.
Their knees may suddenly give out
A cat may push them off balance (you know that cats do this on purpose, don't you)
An underlying infection may be brewing that would make them dizzy
Their blood sugar may be low
Their blood pressure may be high
Any number of things may be happening that you are not aware of that could cause even the most stable client to lose their balance and fall at any time.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE use a Gait Belt. They are your friend. They want to help. They want to be put to use.
BTW... If I ever need help and you use my pants to lift me and give me a wedgie, I'll kick you in the shins.
Use a Gait Belt!
I was teaching a Individual Provider class last week. I came across "that" student. Every class has this student. The student who:
1) Knows Everything
2) Has been doing this for 20-30 years
3) Thinks this class is such a waste of time
It's OK. Every class has them and it's easy to humor this student. They don't bug me (well actually, they do, but that's my problem to work out). And that's not the point of this post.
This particular student announced to this class of 20 students that Gait Belts were only for NACs working in a Nursing Home.
If you remember a ear-splitting crack heard across Washington State, I'm hear to assure you that that sound was the sound of my heart splitting in 2.
Gait Belts are simple and easy ways of holding onto the client when doing a transfer or assisting to walk. They give the Home Care Aide a handle to hold onto. Even if the client is weight bearing and at relatively low risk of falling, you just never know when something may go wrong.
Their knees may suddenly give out
A cat may push them off balance (you know that cats do this on purpose, don't you)
An underlying infection may be brewing that would make them dizzy
Their blood sugar may be low
Their blood pressure may be high
Any number of things may be happening that you are not aware of that could cause even the most stable client to lose their balance and fall at any time.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE use a Gait Belt. They are your friend. They want to help. They want to be put to use.
BTW... If I ever need help and you use my pants to lift me and give me a wedgie, I'll kick you in the shins.
Use a Gait Belt!
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