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The Complete Picture of Academic Success

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Education is one of the great equalizers in the world. It can bring a family out of poverty. It can raise villages, and it can bring out the potential of problem solvers all over the globe. Yet what does it take to make your education the best it can be?

Active learning and constructivism are theories of educational interaction. Interaction of the students with both the teacher/professor and the material.  Much of the material covered in chapter 8 of Students Helping Students is information that can help combat the internal struggles that many students face that can hinder academic success. Problems of motivation, mentality managing stress, and not knowing your strengths can all hinder academic success. Learning theories are what go on inside the classroom that can determine some student’s academic successes and if they develop skills students will need later in life. Chapter 8 was many parts of succeeding in academics that take place outside the classroom.

They are connected. Both subjects can have dramatic impact on the success of students. It is when you combine these aspects of internal struggles and the learning theories that you create a complete picture of how to encourage student academic success.

If I get an opportunity where I am in a position to encourage peers or anyone else academically I will try and share this complete picture. However two things I know that I would definitely stress are the learning theory of constructivism and learning demanding a confident attitude. Constructivism because I am a kinesthetic learner and enjoy when teachers employ methods to really engage with material. The confidence aspect is because it is something that greatly effected me. I have two sisters that I love, who both excel academically. (Both in the top 10% in high school and Jamie had a 4.6 gpa). So confidence in academics was something I did have because I thought I could never compete, so I hovered in the middle academically. It wasn’t until I got to college that I found my academic confidence and I have grown so much because of it that I am hopefully graduation with honors.

Learning is the Key

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Understanding active learning and learning theories relate to the contents of chapter 8 in many different ways. Let me being by explaining why learning engagement is important to understanding active learning. To learn you have to be engaged thats where active learning comes into play. Being engaged is a great way to learn something in and out of class, by participating in class discussions or just being generally interested in what is going on will help you learn better. Cognitivism is one of the learning theories that goes well with learning engagement because we need to receive the information in organized manner to better understand it. Next is self-regulation is important for learning because you wont have people telling you your whole life what to do so by self-regulation you will have a better way to learn because you can make decisions on your own. The learning theory that goes well this is constructivism because you have to create your own set of rules wether it be being on your own or being with others. Learning demands and knowing yourself learning theory is both cognitivism and constructivism because they both have things that apply to this such as creating meaning from experience and how information is received by the mind. Active learning applies to learning demands and knowing yourself because you have to be able to learn so not every time you do something is confusing. Learning improves by managing stress and maintaining a sense of well-being is very to know active learning because doing hand on projects is a way to reduce stress and maintain your well being. Cognitivism is the learning theory that goes with this because it helps your mind receive information in a organized manner which help reduce stress. Something I have learned in the past two weeks that will help me coach others to be academically successful is the learning theories because it will not only help them but they can teach others that way they are becoming a leader in there own way. Another thing I have learni

Knowledge from the heart

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To begin I want to start with constructivism relating to learning engagement. Constructivism says when students are more interactive with an activity or assignment they are more likely to be engaged. In correlation chapter eight talks about learning engagement and supports this idea stating to learn you must be engaged. Cognivism also supports chapter eight’s section on learning engagement by stating it is more helpful when students are given information they can relate to. To tie this section all together we can use active learning to see the correlation between chapter eights section on learning engagement. When chapter eight talks about self-regulation it is important to know how vital self-regulation is to our abilities to learn. Without taking the initiative to be responsible enough to show up to class the learning theories would be pointless. A good first step towards learning is just showing up to class. Self-Regulation can then lead to the next steps on understanding the type of learning theories and how one can use the knowledge of these theories to their own benefits. Next I want to jump into learning demands and knowing yourself. It is important to know yourself and understand what is your learning style and which learning style can benefit you most. Once you understand self-regulation and know yourself to a level where you can utilize your best learning styles it will be much easier to improve your learning. Other factors such as stress and time management can be very effective to your type of learning style. The less stress the better your ability to perform will be. I believe when you reach your peak of confidence and ability you can adjust to a number of learning styles and be more open to new ways of learning. When we talk about the exploration stage I really believe it can help you understand how a person can work on all these areas of self-regulation, knowing yourself, time, and stress management. I believe it is a huge step on knowing how you can improve your learning and progress as a person. Of course once you understand you can start stepping out of your comfort zone and start assessing these new ideas to your life. Also the understanding stage will really help you see how far you progressed as a person and how you can further improve day-to-day.

I personally loved all the ideas in chapter eight as I see them all tie together. The one I see myself utilizing the most is the exploration and understanding stages. As a EOP mentor and future RA I will be communicating a lot and listening as well. Of course this is active listening, by active listening  you can build a better understanding on where each individual stands and how I can help them progress both academically and as a person as well. I feel being a compassionate person would make the exploration stage much more effective for me. I believe compassion is more than just showing sympathy and emotions, it shows that you truly care within your heart and signifies something that goes beyond words. Being compassionate will help me transition to the understanding stage. Understanding what someone is going through as a person can help me understand where they need to go and help them find the place they truly want to be. I can also easily reflect on their thoughts and show them ways I could relate to make them feel more encouraged to raise the bar and exceed to greater heights as a person. I think its important for individuals to start recognizing their strengths and weaknesses and embracing them. The first step to progressing is realizing your areas where you have flaws, you can then use these to build as a person. Now it is important to note your flaws are what make you who you are and help you find the direction of where you truly want to be. Having someone to help you explore the most important things in your life can be a powerful aspect on your abilities as a person, your confidence, and sense of direction. As an EOP mentor and future RA I look forward to applying my knowledge of learning theories along with my personally skills and skills gained from this course to help others prosper both as an individual and academically.

Santa Paula Hazard Spill

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I focused my research on the hazard spill that occurred in Santa Paula on November 18, 2014. For those of you who don’t know, I actually live in Santa Paula and thus I was really interested in examining this event.

On November 18, 2014 at 3:45 a.m. there was a spill of approximately 1,000 gallons consisting of an unknown liquid organic peroxide. The spill was a result of a leaking truck which then later exploded. At the time of the first explosion there were two people injured. In response to the explosion, firefighters responded and they noted that when they stepped on to the dry area, in which the chemical had spilled, their rubber boots began to melt as well as the tires from their fire truck. As a matter of fact one of the fire trucks ended up exploding as a result from the mysterious chemical. At this time the Ventura County Geoff Dean declared the situation as a local emergency and ordered for an evacuation plan to be made. The evacuation plan consisted of any people living within a one mile radius, and people living within a 3-mile radius were asked to remain in their homes with all their windows and doors closed. As a result of the evacuation, the American Red Cross created a temporary shelter on Main St.

As for the 44 people that were exposed, they were all sent to VCMC to be treated. Unfortunately, this led to further explosion of the mysterious chemical; not only were the people coming in exposed, but the healthcare workers as well as their patient exposed as well.  Despite the help of many individuals (public health workers, environmental health workers, fire fighters, and etc.) none of them were able to identify the chemical or an antagonist to stop all chemical reactions from occurring.

Overall, I personally believe that this event was very eye-opening for a lot of people, like myself. I was really happy to hear how many people actually responded to this event. Santa Paula is a fairly small city and thus often times I feel like when something happens in Santa Paula it is not really a big deal; but this definitely proved me wrong. I think, because of such event local hospitals have now implemented a response team if such event ever were to happen again. The reason why I say this is, because at the time that this occurred I was in my leadership rotation and thus I saw how Ojai Valley Community Hospital implemented a plan if ever such event was to happen again.

References:

Small fire ignites in chemical spill area outside of santa paula (2014). Ventura County Star. Retrieved from http://www.vcstar.com/news/local-news/santa-paula/small-fire-ignites-in-chemical-spill-area-outside-santa-paula_98585274

Quednow, C.V. (2014). Santa paula chemical explosion causes injuries, evacuations, and road closures. Ventura County Star. Retrieved from http://www.vcstar.com/news/local-news/ventura/officials-working-to-decontaminate-people-at-vcmc-exposed-to-substance-in-santa-paula-explosion_29956958

Santa Clara Waste Plant in Santa Paula, Ca

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The Santa Clara Waste Plant in Santa Paula had a chemical explosion in mid-November 2014. The plant had mixed sodium chlorite and waste that caused an explosion. The mixture exploded when chemical introduced in a vacuum truck. Over 1,000 gallons of the material spilled, crystalized, dried and ignited into flames. The mixture was not identified when fire fighters went into care for the injured individuals of the explosion. Once the fire fighter trucks went over the mixture the tires began to burst into flames. The fire fighters and injured party were treated at the local hospital for inhalation injury, and rashes.

I believe some of the barriers for healthcare providers and providing care included dealing with an unknown chemical substance. If the environment is not safe for health care providers to be at it is almost impossible to expect the injured individual to be provided adequate care. Fire fighters responded to the injured individual, but caused more injured because the environment was not cleared before emergency responders charged into provide care. As a health care provider I feel that it would be better to neutralize the chemical first then to increase the number of individuals that need to be cared for by exposing myself. If the disaster occurs in the future health care providers should have a list of chemicals that were involved in the explosion.

After the explosion the 126 free way was closed down while detoured traffic and caused local schools to shut down. The plant made a pledge to clean up the spill and remain closed until they went through the proper channels for approval to be reopened. Environmentally, the effects of the mixture are still unknown because the sodium chlorite and waste made a new chemical. Socioeconomically, the plant employed hundreds of workers that lost their jobs when the plant shut down. These workers had to seek unemployment. I feel that we can continue to learn from this disaster.

 

Chen, T., & Goff, K. (2014). Dozens Treated After California Waste Plant Fire. Retrieved April 22, 2015, from http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Firefighters-Hospitalized-After-HazMat-Explosion-283059521.html

Wilson, K. (2015). Chemical that triggered Santa Paula blast . Retrieved April 22, 2015, from http://www.vcstar.com/news/local-news/county-news/chemical-that-triggered-santa-paula-blast-identified_47049879

Protected: Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

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Typhoon Yolanda, Philippines

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On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Yolanda swept the Philippines and is still considered the most powerful storm recorded in history. The devastating outcomes of this storm left the country with millions of dollars worth of damage. Although the storm lasted only one day, its winds, reaching speeds of greater than 250 km/hr, ravaged several cities in Central Philippines(WHO, 2013). As a result, there were 6201 deaths, 4.1 million people were displaced, 1.1 million homes damaged and 16 million people were affected (USAID, 2014). Government preparations began three days prior to the storm’s arrival and included preparing and allocating food and relief items, evacuation, and healthcare and rescue personnel deployment (GovPh, 2014). Despite these preparations, the aftermath proved the country to be ill-prepared for a storm of this magnitude. Both government aid, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) responded in an effort to provide much needed supplies and aid to the country (WHO, 2013). Emergency kits were provided to cover basic health needs of 120,000 people and 400 surgical interventions. Additionally, international support came in form of medical teams and hospitals to provide emergent care to the country’s wounded (WHO, 2013).

In addition to destroying homes and uprooting trees and telecommunication equipment, the storm destroyed all hospitals. Road blockages and lack in emergency relief stations and shelters posed a significant barrier in the response to the disaster. Both air ports and sea ports were closed, which further contributed to a lack of access to care and responders. On November 22, 2013, 14 days after the storm hit, one million food packs and more than two hundred thousand liters of clean water were distributed to the areas affected (GovPh, 2014). By this date, almost one thousand aid centers were established. The Philippines continues to see the effects of the catastrophic storm a year later as they finally transition out of the emergent humanitarian relief phase to the rehabilitation stage (USAID, 2014). Although the country anticipates and prepares for an expected amount of storms each year, it was clear that this catastrophic event required a significant amount of preparation. Humanitarian funding totaling $87,735,775 as of February 18, 2014 was reported to help significantly in the country’s initial emergent phase (USAID, 2014). The country’s low socioeconomic status certainly affected the initial access to resources and continues to be an issue plaguing citizens today. As mentioned in the USAID report (2014), the country’s economy depends heavily on the production of coconuts, thus affecting the livelihood of more than one million coconut farmers after the storm destroyed 33 million coconut trees. Lingering public health concerns associated with the storm include the shortage of dengue fever prevention and treatment, immunizations, mental health and psychosocial support (USAID, 2014).

As I imagine myself as a healthcare provider, I can see the hopelessness one might feel amidst such a catastrophic event. I can only imagine the desperation and overwhelming feeling as one of the only healthcare providers with thousands of severely injured people to help. Knowing you can only do very little with the limited resources and without a rescue shipment in sight would only deepen the desperation one might feel in the wake of such a calamity. Days seem like years in these instances, and although aid finally arrived, it proved to be too late for so many. The Philippines has since focused on disaster preparedness by establishing projects making the Eastern Visayas less vulnerable to typhoons and preparing with sufficient food, medical kits and generators. In May of 2014, government agencies and private organizations launched an application that provides satellite images and high resolution hazard maps to be used in rehabilitation efforts in the Philippines (GovPh, 2014). Although the Philippines has made great strides in rehabilitating since the storm, it still is unprepared to face another of such a magnitude as it is still working toward re-establishing to its baseline function. I think it’s important to consider however, that as healthcare providers we must be prepared for possibility of such an event occurring in our own state or country.

References:
USAID. (2014). Fact Sheet #21, Fiscal year 2014. Retrieved from http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1866/philippines_ty_fs21_02-18-2014.pdf
WHO. (2013). WHO responding to health needs caused by Typhoon Haiyan (“Yolanda”). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2013/typhoon-haiyan/en/
GovPh. (2014). Typhoon yolanda a year later. Retrieved from http://www.gov.ph/crisis-response/updates-typhoon-yolanda/

Self-Care Practices BSN Information

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Self-Care Practices of Baccalaureate Nursing Students – Study Participants
 
If you have completed the pre-survey, and are currently planning to complete the 9 exercise classes to be eligible for a raffle- this is just a friendly reminder that this is the last week for you to complete those classes as the exercise study ends on April 25.
 
This is a great opportunity for you to give yourselves a legitimate study break before finals to do something to help with your stress level.  We really appreciate your participation in our study.

Colleen Nevins, RN, MN, DNP
Jacqueline B. Sherman RN, PhD​
Brooklyn Steinfeld
Elizabeth Vinci
Jessica Wager

Capstone Research Updates

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Check out my Capstone Research Page for a more comprehensive look on my current study!