My, how meta we are today.

Currently studying learning styles, learning intelligences, and learning strategies.
This entire Master's thing is so much fun.

Most of us know about the different types of learners. We've used it as an excuse for years as to why we didn't do as well as (insert THAT GUY here) on the exam.
"If only my teacher knew I was a VISUAL learner!" we wail in anguish as they ramble on indefinitely without a graph, picture, or powerpoint in sight.
Then there are the poor Kinesthetic learners who are convinced the entire education system is out to get them. 50 minutes of sitting still, "taking notes" then 10minutes to run across campus only to sit for 50 more minutes. When will it be lab day when I can actually DO something? Oh wait. This class doesn't have a lab component. Well, I'm boned.
Auditory learners, you poor kids. What's the point of a 50 page reading? I could read that book all day and still have no idea what the general topic is.

Sigh everyone is out to get us. All of us. Worthless educational program, not understanding MY needs. Only after my monies...

Have a bit of fun. Take one of the "Multiple Intelligences" test.
I liked this one, it's a self scoring excel spreadsheet (complete with graph for all you visual -spatial learners!)

I really was not that surprised with my results. I've always known I'm a left-leaning brain. I can do right-sided things, but it takes some work around. A bit of synestheia helps too. I scored the same on almost every category with the exception of musical/rhythmic (got none) and intrapersonal (much higher.)

After discussing the styles of learning, we moved on to strategies for learning.
They listed three.
Concept Maps
Mental Imagery
Storytelling

For those nurse's out there I don't have to explain Concept Maps. They're pretty much the pillars of nursing education. Draw a bunch of pictures to represent your patient and what's wrong with them and all the things we will do to fix them (don't forget to include how they feel about it!)

Mental Imagery dealt with that initial "gut" understanding or visualization of an idea. Those pictures you automatically associate with words. Triggered by language or music. It allows people to see the "big picture." Based on socialization and indoctrination if you ask me. How do I know when I say "tiger" if you're thinking of a Bengal or White tiger?

Storytelling- Acting out the scenario. This is the part of your CPR class when they tell you you've found a 40 year old unconscious on the golf course. "Hey! Are you ok? You, call 911. You, get the AED." Etc. Or, for example, when I was a baby nurse and freaking out about all the little things (IV starts, etc.) I wrote myself a little short story involving a new grad and the zombie-apocalypse while she was working a night-shift. Really helped me with my triage skills. ;)


Then it ended saying that another method of storytelling is blogging about your learning experience.
Whee.

All the while I was envisioning myself in my dream job, using all these skills to develop the most awesome educational materials ever.
Ah, the power of daydreams.

The Pleasure of Finding Things Out

This is a fantastic book.

I'm a bit of a scientist-stalker and one of my favorites is Richard Feynman. (Who doesn't like this guy?)

I'm reading along in this book and it's got loads of practical advice.

Here's an excerpt I particularly liked and wanted to share.

Link to the story here.

It really gets my attention that it actually doesn't matter all the naming conventions and idiosyncrasies about an object you could name. If you don't know anything about how it works, or why then you truly don't know the object.

For instance, pretty much everyone has that "friend" that they know really well. You know what they like and don't like and how they react to tapioca, but you never can quite remember their name. Do you know them? If you know about their family and favorite book and what they want to do this weekend or where they want to go on vacation do you know them? Or do you know the person you were just introduced to?

Learning different languages really puts things in perspective. There are so many ways to name yellow. How do you describe it?

In another Feynman book (Quantum Man by Laurence Krauss.) He challenges us to explain left and right to an alien. It's very complicated. Try to figure it out.

"The prize is the pleasure of finding the thing out." That's the short version of his answer to winning a Nobel Prize in physics. How many people do you know that after achieving something of that magnitude would blow it off so easily? How much better do you think everything could be if people were more focused on doing things because they're interested as opposed to doing them for the rewards?

I don't run to lose weight, or beat a certain speed. I run because it's fun. Some days its not fun, its frustrating. Other days its a blast and I can hardly wait for the chance. The pleasure I get from running isn't all the goal setting and achieving or medals and PRs. The pleasure is in getting out there and discovering what my body can and won't do.

Zumba?

Two things I learned from Zumba.

Know where YOUR water bottle is and wear socks.

I accompanied a co-worker to a free, work-sponsored zumba class. If I wasn't the only white-girl there at least I was the only one under the age of 40. It's interesting to be talking to someone about their grandchildren then have them explain to you how to "pop and lock-it."

Zumba is a combination of all those ridiculous moves you combined when you were 13 and rocking out in your bedroom to your cassette tapes. I ended up failing my arms and legs around for an hour while burning approximately 10 calories a minute.

Techincally, it's salsa, samba, bollywood, and belly-dance. However, to me it's more like the hokey-pokey with squat-lunges, and "little kicks."

Really wished I grabbed a pair of socks though..

It's still too hot outside to enjoy the porch.

It's almost too hot outside to enjoy the couch...

I've been thinking, might I need to revamp this blog? I technically don't work IN the ER anymore. I don't have patient interaction, I don't see my former co-workers, I don't really DO nursing in the traditional sense.

I spend most of my time researching things, making presentations, having conference calls. True it's about Nursing Informatics and technology.

However, this blog tends to be my rantings and ravings as it is.

I downloaded the iTunes University classes Principles of Management. I figured if I have to be the project leader for the ED I might as well learn how to do it right. Now, where to fit THAT in?

I've only listened to one class so all I can tell you is a bunch of theorists and studies that have been done on human behavior.

I should probably get dressed before I go to work.

I might be out of dress code in a dressing gown...

MorningCat

Let me introduce you to someone.

His name is Morning Cat.

He's snuggly, sleepy, purrs and is quite a bit insistent.
Morning Cat gets up between 530-630 and requires attention. Doesn't matter from who or what kind. Positive or negative. Morning Cat enjoys snuggling just as much as being hurled at the wall because godsdamnit this is the first day ive gotten to sleep in in months!
Places MorningCat likes to be. My head, my back, under my arm, walking on my stomach. It's ok if you want to keep sleeping, Morning Cat will rub his head against your hand or face receiving all the pets he wants regardless of your state of consciousness. He will also step on you and kneed your face with a bit of clawing and a few "sweet" mews.

However Morning Cat morphs into Bastard Cat by 7am...
He then remains in this form until 530am the next morning.