Category: Teaching

Introduction

Understanding the basic information on the electrocardiogram is essential to nursing students. The electrocardiogram is an essential investigation that can provide a speedy diagnosis of the condition of the heart in an emergency. Several conditions of the heart can be diagnosed using this tool. The nurse who sees the patients in the emergency room must understand the value of the ECG in a life-saving situation. She may have to do it as the first step in patients who arrive with chest pain or after an accident. The ECG is a transthoracic interpretation of the electrical activity of the heart and is recorded externally by using skin electrodes. An electrocardiograph is a device used to perform this non-invasive procedure. The electrical impulses begin in the sino-atrial node and travel through the heart. The heart muscles contract and causes systole. The relaxation produces the diastole of the heart. Electrodes on the different parts of the heart measure the activity in the different parts. The display on the ECG shows the voltage difference between pairs of electrodes and the corresponding muscle activity. Abnormal rhythms of the heart can be measured and diagnosed (Braunwald, 1997). Abnormal rhythms can be demonstrated when the conducting tissue gets damaged due to electrolyte changes (Clinical value, 2004). The standard 12-lead ECG used all over the world was introduced in 1942 (Electrocardiogram, WebMD).

Aim of Teaching the recording of ECG in the clinical setting

Clinical education has models which help improve the clinical education experience immensely. “Overall planning, structuring of sessions, integration and logical progression of the clinical practicum” are aspects to be improved in clinical education (Rose and Best, 2005). The ultimate aim is to improve patient care. This teaching class aims to enable the learners to understand the different aspects of the ECG; the reasons for using it, the emergencies which require ECG for diagnosis, how the ECG is taken in an emergency and what readings are generally considered normal and abnormal. A smoothly run clinical education experience is least stressful for both the participants, the educator, and the student, and yet the maximum productivity must be realized. Competence in the field allows educators to contribute positively to the teaching standards of practice in a particular discipline.

Models of learning

Here the traditional method will be used for procedural instruction. The constructivist theory will be adopted for the rest of the clinical education. Students who are being trained to serve patients acquire their experiences in the ward. Organizing their knowledge base, developing their skills for clinical reasoning, improving their diagnostic skills, and helping them to apply clinically their sound knowledge form part of the teaching curriculum (Clinical education, Griffith University). The students need to learn the theoretical aspects, develop their reasoning and use their skills in a dynamic classroom.

Constructivism

Constructivism is a “philosophical viewpoint on how the mind forms and modifies its understanding of reality”(Constructivism, UmassAmherst). Jean Piaget was the first person to introduce constructivism in the modern era and he believed that” the mind organizes the world by organizing itself” (1937). Other philosophers considered that knowledge is not a representation of facts but an association of theories, relationships, and rules (Foerster, 1981; Glaersfeld, 1984). Locke, Dewey, and Kant also believed in the constructivist theory (Young and Patterson, 2007). In constructivism, knowledge is not transmitted from teacher to student; it is constructed by the student himself or is student-centered. His prior experience or knowledge influences his present learning. Effortful activity with a purpose is necessary for the process of learning(Constructivism, UmassAmherst).

The traditional method and constructivism model have been selected for teaching the subject of electrocardiography to Second Year Nursing students. In constructivism the students gain and process information, simultaneously constructing meaning from the experience (Constructivism, Pearson Education, Inc.). The teacher creates the environment. The students give shape to what they have learned from their active involvement and their critical skills. They are not passive listeners as in the traditional model of learning where the teacher teaches and the student listens. The principle behind this is that knowledge obtained from data acquired by learners is more flexible and transferable than that obtained by experts. The teacher first gauges the basic knowledge that the students have. He then helps the students build on that with further knowledge, skills, and competencies so that he slips into the role of a professional easily (Demarco, Hayward, & Lynch, 2002). The possibility of a shift in nursing from nurse-centered to client-centered nursing practice is demonstrated by the constructivist theory; the student would use the experience he had from teaching classes (Engebretson & Littleton, 2001).

Teacher objectives

The student would be able to identify the reasons and significance of taking an ECG in the emergency room, describe the importance of doing it as much as any life-saving measure and demonstrate how an ECG is recorded, and explain the significance of letting the emergency doctor know immediately.

Teacher Strategies and rationales

Utilizing the five principles of constructivism, the teacher would create sessions that help the student come through with his ideas (Brooks and Brooks, 1993). Students would be assisted in boldly sharing their ideas during and after each session of their learning. They would be free to change their concepts whenever necessary. Key concepts of the subject would be always remembered and the students would be assessed frequently to observe that they are not missing the essential ones. The teacher ensures that the interpretations of the student are asked for and valued. The plan that the teacher decided on could be changed at any moment to suit the intelligence and cognitive styles of the students. Whatever the student provides as feedback should not be considered in a biased manner and the teacher should not be judgemental or allow others to be so (Brooks and Brooks, 1993).

The teacher finds ways to promote student autonomy and creativity in class (Health, Pearson Education Inc.). They are expected to come prepared for class as the timetable is the notice board. In the first session, the procedural information would be imparted traditionally. The students would also share the information gathered from their readings and what each of them thought about the subject and what more they would like to know about it (Health, Pearson Education Inc.). Engaging the students to frame their questions and layout the basic information which they have gathered, they would be helped to evolve an aim from their ideas about what else they would like to know. The learning objective then should become obvious.

They would be shown an ECG and the students would be expected to explore it and ask questions and how it is related to a patient. The significance and importance of taking an ECG early for diagnosis in an emergency will probably be surmised by the students themselves. When other examples of ECGs are shown, they would ask more questions about the differences. The interesting comments and observations would help the teacher provide her suggestions and knowledge about the subject. Occasionally resorting to open-ended questions, the interest of the students may be stimulated for more information (Health, Pearson Education Inc.). Clarification may have to be given; their original responses may be clarified along the way. Providing opportunities for them to correct wrong assumptions will be the teacher’s job but guiding them to correct themselves would be better than openly telling them in the first place. Ensuring that sufficient time is allowed after a question for the answer to be made, they would be given ample chance to answer in their own words. Their natural curiosity is to be used as a means of furthering their knowledge (Health, Pearson Education Inc.).

The third session would be a training class in the ECG room to see how an ECG is being taken. They would be given sufficient opportunities to take the ECG themselves. They are guided by the teacher and Technician on duty.

The minimum requirements for effective teaching include the environment, the dialogue, and the closure. The learning environment requires lighting, seating arrangement, and audiovisual aids adequate for training. The dialogue must be offered in a formal, clear, and logical manner so that the students do not miss any part of it. The lessons must end with sufficient time for discussion and clearing doubts. The teaching must end with the educators being in a position to submit a summary (McTaggart, 1997). The teacher must also be able to have applied proper teaching and learning principles in the three areas of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor (Roberta, 2001).

Learner outcome

The student must be able to record an ECG and know about its significance in an emergency.

Student Evaluation

The written examinations and practical evaluations would determine the level of learning the student has acquired.

Teacher self-assessment

By viewing the examination papers, the teacher understands how much her students have learned from her. This should be able to tell her whether her methods were right and whether she needs to change them for later batches of students. She can ask and clarify which parts failed in the process (Bradshaw, M., & Lowenstein, 2006).

References

Bradshaw, M., & Lowenstein, A. (2006). Innovative Teaching Strategies in Nursing and Related Health Profession. London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Braunwald E. (Editor), Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fifth Edition, p.108, Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders Co., 1997. ISBN 0-7216-5666-8.

Brooks, M.G. and Brooks, J.G. (1993), In Search of Understanding, The Case for the Constructivist Classroom”, New York: SUNY.

Cobb, T. (1999). “Applying constructivism: A test for the learner as scientist. Educational Technology Research & Development, 47 (3),15-31.

Constructivism, Scientific Research and Reasoning institute, UMassAmherst, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Demarco, R., Hayward, L., & Lynch, M. (2002). Nursing Experiences with the Strategic Approaches to Case-Based Instructions: Areplication and Comparison Study between two Disciplines. Journal of Nursing Education, 41, 165-174.

Engebretson, J.C. and Littleton, L.Y. (2001). “Cultural negotiation: A constructivist-based model for Nrsing Practice” Nursing Outlook, Volume 49, Issue 5, Pages 223-230.

Electrocardiogram.

Foerster, H. von (1981) Observing systems. Seaside, California: Intersystems Publications.

Glasersfeld, E. von (1984) An introduction to radical constructivism, in P. Watzlawick (ed.) The invented reality. New York: Norton. German original, 1981.

Health, “Clinical Education”. Web.

Health: “Constructivism: A model of Learning”.

McTaggart, R. (1997). Participatiry Action Research. New York:Sunny Press.

Piaget, J. (1971) The construction of reality in the child; New York: Basic Books. French original, 1937.

Rose, M. and Best, D., (2005). “Transforming practice through clinical education, professional supervision, and mentoring”. Elsevier Health Sciences.

“The clinical value of the ECG in noncardiac conditions” Chest 2004; 125(4): p. 1561-76. PMID 15078775.

Young, L & Paterson, B. (2007). Teaching Nursing: Developing a Student-Centered Learning Environment. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

The understanding of basic information on Community Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is essential to people. Basic life support training equips people with knowledge and skill that enable them to act and save lives of those who experience sudden attacks. Stakeholders in the health sector such as health care experts, hospitals and clinical educational centers are putting more emphasis in encouraging people to take basic live support training (CPR training) to be able to save the lives of people who encounter sudden attacks. Majority of patients who experience sudden attacks due to cardiac arrest die because they do not get immediate treatment while waiting for the doctor’s arrival. Basic Live support Training enables people to offer appropriate treatment at an opportune time and in the process save the lives of those affected. Therefore, this has highly enhanced the importance of basic live support training to people to reduce the mortality rate that occurs due to patients not receiving immediate attention when they suffer cardiac arrests. An international institution such as the Red Cross Society has allowed people to take basic live support training from any authorized organization. New skills to effectively save the lives of people suffering from cardiac arrests have been developed. Encouraging people to understand the benefits they can gain fro CPR training can motivate them to attend these classes. Those individuals who successfully complete First Aid and CPR training are capable of handling any emergency situation more confidently. This is essential as 80% of cardiac arrest cases happen at home and quite often it happens in the presence of a family member or friend. The national survival rate for patients who suffer in cardiac arrests is around 6% only. The life saving intervention of Basic Live Saving Training improves the patient’s chance of survival (MacDonald, M. (2001).

Aim of Teaching Basic Live Support Training

The main topic for the teaching session is basic live support training to learners. The aim of teaching this topic is to enable the learners to understand the principles of CPR training and adequately develop these skills for teaching high school students to perform Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. According to Saem Medical Student Educators Handbook (2009), “see one, do one, teach one method”, is the appropriate method for CPR training traditional model. It is also the most likely common technique for procedural instruction. This technique implies that the supervising tutor demonstrates the procedure using proper technique, which is repeated and performed by the student under supervision.

The constructivist’s theory is inscribed in the teaching session with a focus on ‘student-center’ learned evident. Young & Paterson (2007), postulates that Locke, Dewey, Kant, and Piaget had constructive views on learning. Constructivism is a theoretical position, as it will be understood here, refers to learning and teaching that is student centered. In this case, the tutor or educator begins with the student’s experience and together build knowledge, skills, and competencies for professional practice (Bergum, 2003; Demarco, Hayward, & Lynch, 2002; Doane, 2002). This teaching approach moves away from traditional content focused or teaching focused learning. Student centered learning not does provide a new vision for teachers, but also reflects a shift in nursing practice from nurse-centered to client-centered nursing practice (Engebretson & Littleton, 2001).on the basis of constructivists view, a teaching strategy used in the learning session was to elicit learning from prior learning experiences.

Teaching Objectives

At the end of the teaching session, the student will be able to achieve three main objectives which include; identify risks for minimizing risk of accidental deaths, describe the importance of Community Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, and demonstrate and perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

Teaching Strategies and Rationale

There are a number of simple and effective definitive teaching strategies that can be applied in Community Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation training available to educators. These teaching methods include: one, the lecture and discussion group method. In this method, lecture is used as by the tutor to revise the core material and group discussion provides valuable opportunity to assist in sustaining interest in the lecture. For the lecture to succeed, it must uphold the following key points; consciousness, simplicity, eye contact, variation in speed and volume, and use of personal experience and questioning (Mackway-Tones & Walker, 1999); two, practical skill session, as CPR essentially involves practical skills. Therefore, it is important for the teacher to ensure that any training session is provided with plenty of time for these skills to be taught and effectively practiced. Practical skill session provides learners with the opportunity to learn CPR skills and be able to debate relevant issues (Gaberson, 1999).

There are three important approaches that should be adapted to facilitate effective learning and teaching regardless of the methods used in teaching. These three approaches are: one, set which ensures that the teaching and learning environment that includes lighting, seating arrangement, audiovisual aids and others are adequate for training; two, dialogue which ensures that the content is presented in a clear, logical, and formal manner at a level which the learners can understand easily; three, closure which includes provision of time for question and queries form learners. This provides educators with concise summary that clearly ends the teaching session (McTaggart, 1997)); four, in teaching and Learning, the teacher must be able to understand and apply the basic teaching and learning principles in a teaching setting to be a successful teacher. These principles occur in three learning domains; cognitive, affective and psychomotor (Roberta, 2001). At the end of the teaching session on CPR learners should be able to; one, to check the dangers, hazards, risks, and safety of the patient; two, check the patient’s responsiveness “unconsciousness”. Incase the patient is not responding, help should be sought immediately; three, open airway and investigate signs of life; four, give two initial breaths incase the patient is not breathing properly; five, to give thirty chest compressions; last but not least, continue CPR until qualified personnel arrive or signs of life are witnessed (Young, L & Paterson, 2007).

Student Evaluation

The written examination and practical skills evaluations are accomplished at the training site under the supervision of the Basic Live Support instructor through two means of practical test and written test. The practical and written tests involves evaluating the students in three major steps in basic live support; checking for the danger and vital signs, opening the airway, and giving breadths and compressions to ailing patients (White, 1997).

Teacher Self Assessment

This assists the Basic Live support instructor to be able to know that learners have learnt what they have been taught. This can be achieved through; one, looking at the students’ evaluation and finding out whether the concept was clearly explained; two, finding out if all students understood CPR; three, determine whether all students are able to perform CPR; four, determine whether the learning outcomes were met. Incase the learning outcomes were not met, the instructor should find out why this was not achieved; and finally, the instructor will ask students to determine part of the session that was not clear and assist by providing them with further clarity (Bradshaw, M., & Lowenstein, 2006).

Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes provide clear statements of what learners are expected to be able to do. On completion of the CPR training, learners should be able to demonstrate resuscitation of a cardiac arrest victim. This ability should be assessed during or at the end of a CPR training program. This is done using simulated incident and resuscitation training.

References

1. Bradshaw, M., 7 Lowenstein, A. (2006). Innovative Teaching Strategies in Nursing and Related Health Profession. London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
2. Demarco, R., Hayward, L., & Lynch, M. (2002). Nursing Experiences with the Strategic Approaches to Case-Based Instructions: Areplication and Comparison Study between two Disciplines. Journal of Nursing Education, 41, 165-174.
3. Gaberson, K., & Oermann, M. (1999). Clinical Teaching Strategies in Nursing. New York: Nelson Thormes.
4. MacDonald, m. (2001). Systematic Assessment of Learning Outcomes in Nursing. London: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
5. McTaggart, R. (1997). Participatiry Action Research. New York:Sunny Press.
6. Roberta, H. (2001). Community Based Nursing.
7. Saem Medical Students Handbook, (n.d). Saem Undergraduate Education Committee.
8. White, R., & Ewan, C. (1997). Clinical Teaching in Nursing. Nelson Thormes.
9. Young, L & Paterson, B. (2007). Teaching Nursing: Developing a Student-Centered Learning Environment. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

Introduction

Teaching nurses in clinical settings, although an educational experience, presents challenges that are different from those encountered in the classroom. The latter is specifically evident when the application of clinical practice is required. Accordingly, due to such distinct challenges, the teaching experience, as well as the learning, can be seen as unique. The collaboration between theory and practice is evidenced at its best in such aspects of health care education. Furthermore, the significance of nursing clinical education can be seen through the involvement of the patients in such activities, either as a requirement of the lesson or in the outcome of the activity. In that regard, the term clinical, that is, involving direct observation of the patient (Gaberson & Oermann, 2006, p. 2), is central.

Consequently, in teaching clinical skills, the importance of the context implies certain educational theories to be applied in the process. Although such theories might vary, they share a common characteristic of being student-centered. Student-centered education is designed to develop professional skills, among which are “problem-solving, group process and facilitation, and lifelong learning skills” (Young & Paterson, 2007, p. 4). One of the theories that underline the student-centered approach is the constructivist theory. The usage of the constructivist theory in the context of nursing education can be seen as “an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current or past knowledge” (Brandon & All, 2010, p. 89). The benefits of such an approach can be seen in the promotion of students’ responsibility, improving critical thinking, and encouraging the rapid adaptation to changes in evidence-based practice (Brandon & All, 2010, p. 91).

In light of the aforementioned, the present report provides a personal reflection of a clinical teaching activity that was conducted on the topic of IV medication administration for staff nurses working in accident and emergency departments. With the theoretical foundation of the lesson being based on the constructivist theory, this report provides a literature review on constructivism in education and nursing clinical teaching, providing recommendations on improving future teaching activities, based on the review and the feedback from peers, as attached to this report.

Literature Review

The use of the constructivist theory in lessons is based on several arguments favoring such an approach in the educational context in general, and in nursing education in particular. The constructivist theory contains many theoretical assumptions and principles which are utilized differently in different contexts. In that regard, this section provides a literature review of the theoretical foundation of the constructivist theory and the practices of its application in learning settings, specifically in nursing education.

The roots of the constructivist theory can be traced to the early 18^th century when the first constructivist theory was attributed to Giambattista Vico (Von Glasersfeld, 1989, cited in Tobias & Duffy, 2009, p. 3). It was later in the last century when the works of such authors as Vygotsky, Dewey, Piaget, and Bruner not only revived interest in constructivism but its applicability was also investigated in various educational contexts (Tobias & Duffy, 2009, p. 3). Nevertheless, an essential element that was not changed, which is the emphasis on the “how” and “doing”, which is traced to one of Vico’s basic ideas that “epistemic agents can know nothing but the cognitive structures they put together… ‘to know’ means to know how to make” (Tobias & Duffy, 2009, p. 3).

Thus, it can be stated that the suitability of constructivism as a teaching method is based on the fact of involvement, which requires three essential elements, the learner, as an active participant of knowledge construction; the context; and the instructor, the one providing students with the opportunities to construct the knowledge (Young & Paterson, 2007, p. 5). As opposed to the traditional transmission model of learning, on which much of the current education is based, the constructivist theory is not a transmission of fixed facts and ideas, but a creation of knowledge through a transformation of experience (Kolb & Kolb, 2005, p. 194).

The participation of the students in the process adds another essential element to the process, which is the knowledge that the students have. Accordingly, constructivism seeks to focus on the relationship between the taught material and the knowledge that the students possess (Young & Paterson, 2007, p. 9). By linking the application of the theory in the nursing educational context, there were many prerequisites for a change of the traditional educational model of teaching, an aspect which can be seen through reports from the National Research Council, the American Psychological Association (1997), and several other scholars (Baxter-Magolda, 1999; Boyatzis, Cowen, & Kolb 1995; Keeton, Sheckley, & Griggs, 2002; King, 2003; Light, 2001; Mentkowski and Associates, 2000; Zull 2002; cited in Kolb & Kolb, 2005, p. 193). It can be stated that the application of the constructivist theory lies in its main principles, that is, participation, previous knowledge, and construction instead of a transmission. Transforming the latter into a clinical setting implies the minimization of the lecture material and the increase of active student-centered approaches, which turn students into active participants of the learning process rather than passive recipients of information (Brandon & All, 2010, p. 91).

The Teaching Session

The selection of the constructivist theory in my learning activity was facilitated by the nature of the topic, intravenous medication. This topic implies practical skills as well as theoretical knowledge. Accordingly, the topic relies heavily on the setting, the context, and the nursing students’ experience, the reliance on which is a characteristic of the constructivist theory. In that regard, following the notion that “one has to experience the world to know it”, the action emphasis in the activity confirmed the action-based nature of knowledge emphasized in the constructivist approaches in education (Moss, Grealish, & Lake, p. 328). The aims of the lesson corresponding to the action-based nature of the knowledge the students were to receive, which can be seen through the following skills that were to be learned:

• Determining the right dosage;
• Preparing IV medication;
• Administering the IV medication;
• Learning the methods, precautions, and complications; and
• Handling complications.

With the aforementioned objectives, the lesson was problem-oriented, with all the objectives, activities, and learning processes being connected to a larger problem defined by the tutor (Young & Paterson, 2007, p. 248). In that regard, the problem designed for the class can be seen in the common clinical task of administering the medication for patients. Such a task consequently led to smaller sub-problems, derived from the main problem in the lesson, that is, the dosage, the precautions, methods, complications, etc. In this way, the lesson is problem-oriented where the instructional principles are based on constructivist propositions, such as connecting learning activities to the problem, guiding and supporting the learner, designing the problem situation, and providing the opportunities for the learners to take ownership of the process (Young & Paterson, 2007, p. 248).

Another aspect of the constructivist theory is my role as a facilitator in this learning process. Facilitation is defined as “enabling of making things easier for others… through a goal-oriented dynamic process in which participants work together in an atmosphere of genuine mutual respect, to learn through critical reflection” (Young & Paterson, 2007, p. 250). My role as a facilitator was to emphasize collaborative work in which the utilization of the students’ previous knowledge has a larger scope, assuming pre-existing differences in such knowledge due to different academic performance.

The literature addresses many of the advantages and the implementations of collaborative approaches in learning in several teaching models which were mostly connected to constructivism. Among such examples is the case described in Bruce et al. (2001, cited in Rose & Best, 2005) where the students in the described program were placed in pairs, with clinicians and learners having modified roles, the role of guidance for the clinician, and the role of learner/practitioner and facilitator for the students. The case showed generally positive results, although the perceptions varied between clinicians and learners, mainly regarding the perceived differences between students (Rose & Best, 2005, p. 234). Thus, working with groups provides several advantages among which are the extension of learning opportunities, reduced anxiety, engagement, and shared self-reflection. For tutors, such advantages include efficiency in planning and the ability to manage a greater clinical workload. Among the indirect positive outcomes, the development of communication skills, interpersonal relationships, and collaboration with others can be attributed to the implementation of such an approach.

In terms of addressing the differences in learners’ ability, Rogers (1989, cited in Banning, 2005), the variation of the pace of teaching is outlined as a way of meeting the learning needs of all students. The latter, however, requires constant contact with the group of learners, where “the teacher needs to explore who the students are in the group, set out the housekeeping rules such as maintaining a positive regard for all members of the group, listening to contributions offered by group members and discuss the objectives of the course” (Banning, 2005, p. 504). However, such an approach might be difficult to implement in single learning sessions without an assessment of the academic performance of the students or at least a general acquaintance with them.

An essential element of the feedback provided for the teaching lesson (see Appendix 1) was related to what I experienced as a lack of feedback, namely regarding questions on the topic covered. That is, the strategy of the lesson sometimes shifted to the transmission model, with minimal tutor-learner collaboration. This aspect might be attributed to personal and professional characteristics as well as the type and degree of expertise of the tutor. Without going so far as to distinguish negative and positive characteristics of tutors, I should emphasize two desirable qualities mentioned in literature which are related to clinical expertise and student-teacher interactions (Young & Paterson, 2007, p. 255). The student-teacher interaction might be emphasized where, despite being an area in which two sides are implied, it falls within the tutor’s responsibility. This can be related to the area of ineffectiveness, described by Rideout (1999, cited in Young & Paterson, 2007), as the lack of sufficient engagement with students and not dealing with issues of group process (p. 256).

Accordingly, the inception of other methods during the learning was investigated by researchers, improving the engagement in the process. In Baumberger-Henry (2005), the combination of the cooperative approach and the case study method was investigated in terms of the effectiveness in problem-solving and decision-making skills. Although such a combination did not show significant differences, possibly due to the study being limited to assessing the outcome through the students’ self-perception, this approach might be recommended mainly due to the positive characteristics of the case study method. Case studies are used in nursing learning contexts to “expose nursing students to a variety of clinical situations where decisions can be creatively controlled and designed without causing potential harm to the patient” (Baumberger-Henry, 2005, p. 239).

The applicability of this approach in the teaching activity performed can be seen in two dimensions. On the one hand, the topic of the lesson implies clinical situations and what-if scenarios, e.g. dosages, precautions, and complications. On the other hand, the combination of the case study method with collaborative learning, all within the framework of the constructivist theory, might increase the interest of the student and encourage them to ask questions. The latter accordingly increases feedback from the students, with the students’ questions assisting in expanding on the topic. Adding other theories in the mix does not contradict the learning principles of constructivism, as “[i]t provides a general approach that can incorporate many other theories and approaches” (Rose & Best, 2005, p. 138). The utilization of the problem-based strategy in the conducted lesson is a good example in that matter, where the problem presented in the lesson and its context helped guide me through the lesson. Moreover, the incorporation of another method, namely the case study, might help set the appropriate level of guidance, which has been one of the concerns of education researchers of conservatism (Tobias & Duffy, 2009, p. 224).

Recommendations

A revision of the theories and strategies implemented during the teaching sessions as well as the frameworks discussed in the literature highlight the emergent aspects to consider in the future. The next section outlines the recommendations that emerged during this reflection, mentioning the aspects that can be improved on.

The first recommendation is related to the encouragement of learner feedback. As noted in the review, the tutor’s failure to maintain the appropriate level of guidance can be seen as a deficiency in the use of the constructivist theory in general, and the lesson that I conducted in particular. Thus, developing a case study scenario can be recommended in the future, which will guide the pace of the lesson and might help the students relate more to the problem through the interaction within real-life situations (Baumberger-Henry, 2005). Additionally, in terms of raising the awareness of the learner, case studies might be suitable through their requirements for intense examination, reflection, and assessment of the case content (Kala, Isaramalai, & Pohthong, p. 64). Therefore, my role as an educator will be to create quality learning material with appropriate cases that are relevant to the topic of the lesson.

The second recommendation is related to the practical aspect of the lesson. Despite covering practical elements of clinical learning, the students’ involvement was mostly theoretical. With one of the arguments for learning clinical skills being the enhancement of these skills as well as gaining practice (Tucker et al., 2003), it is recommended to utilize the setting for more on-field involvement from the students’ side. Context-based interactions would motivate the students more if they were allowed to apply the practical item being taught, which in this context can be seen as a conflict between the learners’ goals and the previous lesson. If the aims of the lessons were explained, the aims of students and the drivers for their motivation to learn clinical skills would be related to their ability to apply these skills and be confident while doing so. This should therefore be addressed in future lessons, both in the lesson plan and in matching the aims of the lesson with the student’s expectations.

The aforementioned recommendation can be extended to include a suitable assessment measure, based on which the learners’ performance can be evaluated. Hence, a suitable assessment tool should be developed and seamlessly integrated into the lesson to measure the students’ performance in their application of the practical skills as well as their knowledge of theoretical aspects. The significance of suitable assessment can be seen through the link between learning outcomes and the competence of future health practitioners in “service provision, safety and reduction of malpractice/litigation” (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2007, p. 540). The method recommended here, in addition to the written strategies implemented in the lesson, is to use self-assessment techniques through such means as open discussions on performance, description of the students’ perception, and their self-evaluation of what they learned during the lesson (Gaberson & Oermann, 2006, p. 72).

The last recommendation is mainly related to personal aspects of my teaching method which might prove crucial in evaluating the lesson that I conducted. These aspects are self-confidence, eye contact while teaching, and variations in the voice. Improving these aspects will be reflected through the learning experience and translated into the students’ level of confidence and trust shared with the tutor. It is therefore recommended to practice the lesson individually and beforehand to make any necessary adjustments to the personal style of teaching. It can be assumed that it would be difficult to practice the whole lesson, although it is possible to draft an outline and practice my communication skills in some parts of it.

Conclusion

To sum up, the teaching experience was generally positive, although minor issues might be outlined. The review conducted in this paper provided a review of the theories of constructivism in education, the problem-based approach, and the case study approach. The strategy chosen in the lesson conformed to the problem-based approach and the principles of constructivism. Despite several unsatisfactory points, I can state that the experience was beneficial, thus setting the directions and the guidelines for future teaching activities. The main points that should be focused on are related to the issue of increasing the students’ involvement and increasing opportunities for their feedback during the lesson. The set of recommendations provided in this reflection outlined areas such as combining teaching strategies, increasing the students’ practical involvement, assessment, and practicing communication skills.

References

Banning, M. (2005). Approaches to teaching: Current opinions and related research. Nurse Education Today, 25(7), 502-508.

Baumberger-Henry, M. (2005). Cooperative learning and case study: does the combination improve students’ perception of problem-solving and decision making skills? Nurse Education Today, 25(3), 238-246.

Bradshaw, M. J., & Lowenstein, A. J. (2007). Innovative teaching strategies in nursing and related health professions (4^th ed.). Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Brandon, A. F., & All, A. C. (2010). Constructivism Theory Analysis and Application to Curricula. Nursing Education Perspectives, 31(2), 89-92.

Gaberson, K. B., & Oermann, M. H. (2006). Clinical teaching strategies in nursing (2^nd ed.). New York: Springer Pub.

Kala, S., Isaramalai, S.-A., & Pohthong, A. (2010). Electronic learning and constructivism: A model for nursing education. Nurse Education Today, 30(1), 61-66.

Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2005). Learning Styles and Learning Spaces: Enhancing Experiential Learning in Higher Education. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4(2), 193-212.

Moss, C., Grealish, L., & Lake, S. (2010). Valuing the gap: A dialectic between theory and practice in graduate nursing education from a constructive educational approach. Nurse Education Today, 30(4), 327-332.

Rose, M., & Best, D. (2005). Transforming practice through clinical education, professional supervision, and mentoring. Edinburgh: New York: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.

Tobias, S., & Duffy, T. M. (2009). Constructivist instruction: success or failure? New York: Routledge.

Tucker, K., Wakefield, A., Boggis, C., Lawson, M., Roberts, T., & Gooch, J. (2003). Learning together: clinical skills teaching for medical and nursing students. Medical Education (37), 630-637.

Young, L. E., & Paterson, B. L. (2007). Teaching nursing: developing a student-centered learning environment. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Introduction

The question regarding the significance of the background and personal filter while learning seems to be essential and needs to be taken into account. The major purpose of the paper is to address the main arguments discussed by Johnstone in the article Chemistry Teaching—Science or Alchemy? and highlight the pivotal issues raised in the work.

Experiment with the Dates

The experiment presented by the author of the article proves that the working space is limited. We cannot extend it; however, we can improve the overall work. As the matter of fact, every person succeeded in it. Moreover, every child did it, and it is about reading. In the beginning, every letter comes as a new piece of information and only after certain effort, letters create the word, and it is only one piece of information. When I read the task and tried to perform it, I thought that everything was easy; and it was until a point when I started making mistakes.

The first three dates were very easy to transform into numbers and to rearrange. However, it worth stating that the fourth one was more difficult, and it is the point when I made the first mistake. Talking about the last date, I have to admit that I failed to rearrange numbers. This experiment shows that every person should put efforts to improve the capability of the working space. Our brain needs to be in constant progress in order to develop and not regress. Certain logical tasks and exercises are essential for the improvement of the abilities.

Model of Processing the Information

Figure two deals with the model of processing the information. The author suggests that all the events or instructions are analyzed according to the personal filter (background, experience), then the interpreted information comes to the working space where the information needs to be transformed and rearranged to be prepared for storage. After this phase, the information comes to the long-term memory where it can store or retrieve back to the working process.

Personal Filter

The third figure indicates how the students performed the experiment. The students were given certain tasks that the majority of them performed correctly, however, with the increasing of the level of difficulty most of the students failed. The author explains it with the idea that every student has different kinds of filters that indicate the importance or insignificance of the information, indicate whether the material is boring or not. The filter can be an obstacle to learning. That is, the students failed the experiment. Moreover, the personal filter might be the reason for failing exams and bad academic performing.

Type of Notes

The second table deals with the description of the connection between the type of notes students take and success on the exam. First and foremost, the author focuses attention on the correlation between the amount of the material and learning. According to the author’s point of view, the more material student get, the less they will remember. I take notes accurate and complete. For the better understanding of the material, I usually read the notes after the lecture.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be pointed out that academic success is connected to the number of factors, namely, the filter, personal background, and experience. I developed five commandments how to improve learning:

1. 1. Develop your learning abilities! Exercise every day.
2. 2. Keep your notes systemized and in order.
3. 3. Search new information and discuss it with your friends, groupmates.
4. 4. Improve your working space.
5. 5. Try to adjust the theory to practice.

References

Johnstone, A. H. “Chemistry Teaching – Science or Alchemy? 1996 Brasted Lecture.” Journal of Chemical Education 74.3 (1997): 262-68. Web.

Teaching to the test

The first article is “Teaching to the test: How NCLB impact language, state policy, and curriculum in ELL’s”. The study discussed in the article is solemnly focused on ensuring that the English Language Learners (ELLs) are mostly children coming from countries where English is not a native language. It also shows how to learn and understand English in a friendly and easy way. The instructors (teachers) in this study are expected to follow the “No Child Left Behind” legislation by giving the learners tests in order to find out how such tests influence their language skills.

In the study, the research is carried out in New York only which is not enough to come up with the relevant data that satisfies the hypothesis. More so, the sampled schools are only ten schools in the whole of New York City. These schools are mainly high schools yet most of the people who struggle with the English Language are ELLs and a large percentage are concentrated on the elementary level of education.

The conducted study uses a good method that is evidence-based rather than an analytical approach that depends on values projected from statistical assumptions and calculations. Thus, the research on data analysis is on the right track. Also, people who are involved in the research are persons who understand the education sector well, in particular, teachers, students, and administrators. Although I feel that parents should also be involved since they are always connected with the students directly as their children. Hence, they understand them better and they can easily tell if their child’s level of English is improving or not.

In data analysis to prove the hypothesis of the article “Teaching to the test: How NCLB impact language, state policy, and curriculum in ELL’s”, data is collected firsthand through the use of audiotapes to capture the interview sessions as well as using different topics and themes in the English language in analyzing the student development. However, the most successful method is the use of comparison with the performance of the students after they are administered with high stakes tests in English. The results show that there is an improvement in the level of English mastery for non-native students exposed to the “Teaching to test” program compared to those who are not.

As an educator, I must confess from experience that the “teaching to test” program surely works in aiding ELLs to master English. However, I do not fully support the program as I think that somewhere along the way both students and teachers lose the necessity of learning and teaching the language respectively. It makes the education system become a rat chase where teachers struggle so hard to see their students pass the English tests while the students spend so much time cramming in order to pass.

Instead of the use of tests, I think special educators should embrace the use of curriculum-based measurement methods that enable them to evaluate the performance of the students. This will also be in line with advanced student 4 which states that evolution is critical to the advanced practice of special educators. Good special education teachers should possess the ability to come up with research methods that will be used to analyze the best instructional methods, In addition, these methods should match their roles and assess their progress in achieving the goals and objectives as stated in CEC Advanced 4.

Evidence-based practice and students with autism spectrum disorders

The second article written by Simpson is “Evidence-based practice and students with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities”. It focuses on the fact that students who suffer from autism are assumed to be normal students most of the time. Thus, this article’s main purpose is to come up with a means that identifies the best practices and programs to be considered good and user-friendly towards teaching these students who suffer from autism and other associated disorders. The article majorly outlines that more attention and energy should be shifted to ensure that an evidence-based approach method of teaching is implemented (Simpson, 2005).

The author uses a simple basic approach in the design of this research and analysis of the subsequent results and data. The major arguments are based on the “No Child left behind Act” that was enacted into law in the year 2001. Furthermore, the author pays special attention to the current studies that are related to the subject matter rather than past studies. In order to come up with an effective method of helping students with autism, in his analysis, he majorly dwells and concentrates on using scientifically based methods of intervention rather than the use of non-scientific methods which are controversial most of the time (Simpson, 2005).

The author does not provide the real data although he describes a research-based method on the three principles of valid knowledge, objectivity, and evidence, that support practicability of the stated methods. Hence, this research does not give the best way to solve the issues. However, only research-based methods through the three basic questions are considered relevant by the author, because with their help only one may be able to come up with a solution. These questions involve determining the anticipated outcome, recognizing the potential risks of whatever method is chosen, and finally being able to find out an effective means of evaluation.

Finally, the article only provides suggestions on what interventions are suitable and their potential risks but it does not solve the question. As a special educator, sometimes I do find it hard to deal with students who have autism and related disorders because the methods available for teaching are not well determined and thus their potential risks are spontaneous. Hence, I support the idea of a complete restructuring of the education sector so that the students with autism and other related disorders can be provided with their own sector equipped with the recommended methods of teaching.

The article is also relevant to the CEC Advanced Standard 2 and 3 since it reflects insights into the scientific or controversial methods that can be used to improve education for students with disabilities.

Using curriculum-based measurement for formative instructional decision-making in basic mathematics skills

The third article under consideration is “Using curriculum-based measurement for formative instructional decision-making in basic mathematics skills”. Its main purpose is to explore the use of curriculum-based measurement in the analysis of the progress of basic skills in mathematics among students and also to study the extent to which the performance of students in mathematics varies among different levels of survey (Fore et al., 2007).

The design of this research sets out to determine three basic hypotheses that are teachers’ self-monitoring effects on CMB, a generalization of CMB survey level in mathematics, and construction of the validity of the CMB measures. The data collected during the research is compared within different ethnicities such as African-Americans, Caucasians, Indians, and Asians. According to the author, the research uses both experimental and evidence-based methods with the dependent variable which is the effects that the education sector encompasses if the program is implemented. The independent variable reflects the results of the actual performance after the implementation.

Curriculum-based measurement is used to improve performance in mathematics. It depends on the main hypothesis question since the results that are recorded in the study are coded and later analyzed using statistical methods of data analysis (Fore et al., 2007).

The use of curriculum-based measurement is sufficient for the improvement of students’ performance as long as the method is implemented and integrated into our main curriculum. My experience in teaching mathematics has shown that it is a challenging and technical subject and, thus, many students fear mathematics or just have a negative attitude towards it. The application of curriculum-based measurement will improve their performance as well as make it easier for other special educators to teach since improved performance is a motivating factor to both students and teachers.

In relation to the CEC Advanced Standards, this article is indispensable since it gives educators a means to develop and understand other ways of teaching in order to improve performance. More so, according to CEC Advanced Standard 2, having the curriculum content knowledge to improve the services to students is essential. Thus, the use of curriculum-based measurement is highly welcome as it promises to rise the performance standards of the students. Its use can also tell the difference between the various levels of students’ development in mathematics while promoting an individualized approach under CEC Advanced Standard 3.

References

Fore, C., Boon, R.T., Lawson, C. R., & Martin, C. (2007). Using curriculum-based measurement for formative instructional decision-making in basic mathematics skills. Education, 128(2), 324-332.

Simpson, R.L. (2005). Evidence-based practices and students with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 20(3), 140-149.

Indigenous education in Australia has been the focus in achieving equity in the education system. Government agencies, as well as international organizations in Australia have formulated numerous policies and repeated inquiries intended to focus on the provision of equitable education among all Australian citizens. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, commonly known as the Indigenous people, have been experiencing social problems ranging from housing, health, employment, and education sector. According to Ford (2013, p. 80), there has been huge discrepancies in the educational services offered to the indigenous and non-indigenous people across the continent.

Even though such inequalities still exist, the author acknowledges the historical decrease in the achievement gap between the two groups of people. Teachers being critical role players in bringing change by influencing behavior in society, the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority (ACARA) have to inculcate them in designing a curriculum that aims at instilling reconciliation between non-indigenous and indigenous people (Bartlett, 2002).

In understanding the key concepts of theories like the Critical Race Theory, teachers would be able to understand the genesis of such discriminatory attitudes, beliefs, and mindsets, thus instituting necessary measure to demystify them. The report looks into the need for teachers to develop a critical reflection and comprehension of the vital issues affecting the indigenous people in Australia. In addition, it reflects on the significance of raising such issues affecting the indigenous people.

With scholars recognizing the presence of deep discrimination in the Australian society, teachers and other educational facilitators should comprehend the historical needs of the indigenous and non-indigenous people to offer inclusive education. This group of Australians is approximately 517,000 in number. Notably, their high level of discrimination in all sectors has made life after school a great nightmare. Since teachers are the instillers of knowledge, in using the provisions of the Critical Race Theory (CRT), they can be the agents of change in making all their learners comprehend and acknowledge the significance of the indigenous culture (What is Critical Race Theory?, 2009).

Notably, ACARA has noted the significance of reconciliation by including all perspectives touching on the Aboriginal people into Key Learning Areas (KLA) (Gray & Beresford, 2008, p. 200). By adding the viewpoints of indigenous people into the national curriculum, the Australian government aims at ensuring that citizens from all states learn, comprehend, and appreciate the cultural practices of the indigenous people. In the education system, teachers play vital roles; they can opt to pass across wrong information to the receivers.

Therefore, teachers remain the key fulcrum of the cultural demystification process. Clearly, involvement of teachers in understanding the key issues of the aboriginal people is significant, as they are the final implementers of the curriculum. With Rahman (2013, p. 663) acknowledging the dominance of the white culture practices and values, the involvement of teachers in reducing the achievement gap remains imperative. Awareness creation among teachers from the non-indigenous people will make it possible for their learners to comprehend the need to accept the Aboriginal language and culture in the learning environment.

From this approach, learners from the indigenous people would conceptualize the true existence of classrooms for all. Therefore, to engage Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students effectively, applying school-based approaches like adopting a bi-cultural education and culturally responsive education is quite worthwhile (Keddie, Gowlett, Mills, Monk, and Renshaw, 2013, p. 94). In this dimension, teachers’ inclusion is inevitable.

For that reason, teachers need to understand the concepts of Critical Race Theory; it makes them understand how deeply rooted racism is in the system and fabrics of the Australian society. CRT notes that people need to know that institutional racism is prevalent in the principal culture. Teachers in the dominant culture in Australia have to conceptualize the whole idea of equity in order to instill the same in their learners.

CRT comes out to challenge the legal provision that says the law is colorblind and neutral by noting that the power structures favor the whites and propagates the marginalization of the black community. Moreover, the theory discredits the traditions of meritocracy that everyone who works hard can be wealthy and powerful; CRT argues that the meritocracy and liberalism traditions ignore the systematic disparities that formal racism offers.

From this perspective, to empower the disadvantaged groups in any society, there must be a total reform of the educational system, as it is the bedrock of multidimensional inequality. Aside from race, sexual orientation, class, sex, and nationality also account for disempowerment. Gray and Beresford (2008, p. 200) recognize the existence of many oppressions facing the people of color worldwide.

According to the National Schools Statistics Collection, Educational attainment and school retention of the Indigenous people is increasing. For example, the continent realized an increase of 3% for Aboriginal Australians aged 15years who had finished Year 12 between 2001 and 2012 (Jelinek & Li, 2013). Besides, there are strong correlations between the level of education attainment and income, heath, and employment. Education has a direct impact on a person’s economic outcomes. In involving teachers in encouraging Aboriginal people to pursue education, there are higher chances of increasing the number of indigenous people in full-time employment in Australia (A statistical overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia: Social Justice Report 2008, 2009).

Cottrell (2010, p. 226) believes that high levels of education decreases a person’s chances of engaging in health risk behaviors like drug abuse; it also reduces the rates of long-term health conditions, as the learned group would consume balanced diets and engage in exercises. Clearly, when teachers understand such historical data, as well as the need to have a competitive and just society, the whole concept of discrimination will be an issue of the past as Ford (2012, p. 9) predicts.

The National Reform Agreement is an important document in the Australian plan to reduce the gap in indigenous disadvantage. This initiative requires the involvement of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, individuals, and communities in order to improve the opportunities of the Aboriginal Australians.

Apart from the family unit and religious institutions, schools are very important centers of socialization. Since most of the early stages of human growth and development occur in these institutions, teachers are the right people to shape the thinking and ideologies of the Australian citizens as a whole. An inclusive view of such impacts works towards realizing the objectives of the pacts between the Commonwealth Government and State and Territory Governments of Closing the Gap Agenda and promoting social inclusion.

The issue of inequality can be well fought from the formal systems like schools. Teachers, with the spirit of CRT, will work towards removing all obstacles fostering racial oppression, and adopt the social theory approach of creating a national system (What is Critical Race Theory?, 2009). From this view, the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians will learn to avoid ethnocentric attitudes and beliefs that have been engrained in their respective cultures. Having mentioned that the issues of indigenous people cut across all sectors of the Australian economy, such as education, employment, property ownership, health, social relations, and public services, teachers will be in a position to develop an expansive view of designing the solutions to the problems.

For instance, instructors will use range of approaches to handle the situation like the current National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week and the marking of Sorry Day in most schools across the continent. On these occasions, students from all the racial divides learn about the Aboriginal culture, such as music, art, and games. As Keddie et al. (2013, p. 98) link good training to a robust teamwork among instructors, schools provide a ripe platform for teachers to weave the indigenous culture and knowledge into the fabrics of the Australian national curriculum.

Additionally, teachers as agents of change are closer to the local communities than the educational officials from the Commonwealth, Territory, and State Governments. Undoubtedly, teachers interact with parents from both the races, as well as other key stakeholders at the local levels. The pedagogy of the classroom, as Harrison and Greenfield (2011, p. 68) observe, is instrumental in enhancing the interaction between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Australia.

Schooling is a vital approach of solving key economic, social, and political issues that affect oppressed people in a society. From the foregoing analysis, the involvement of teachers has been instrumental in changing the historically deeply rooted cultures in the lives of Australian communities. Apart from taking more time with the final consumers or beneficiaries of the curriculum, teachers interact with many stakeholders of the education system. This provides them with many opportunities to engage actively in changing the attitudes and perceptions of the society as a whole. Learning changes the perception of students; it empowers graduates economically, as they are able to go up the employment ladder. In being able to learn and appreciate other people’s culture and values, the Australian society is on a brink of fostering peace and national unity.

References

A statistical overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia: Social Justice Report 2008. (2009). Web.

Bartlett, A. (2002). The aboriginal peoples of Australia. Minneapolis: Lerner.

Cottrell, M. (2010). Indigenous Education in Comparative Perspective: Global Opportunities for Reimagining Schools. International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education (IJCDSE), 1(4), 223-227. Web.

Ford, M. (2013). Achievement gaps in Australia: What NAPLAN reveals about education inequality in Australia. Race Ethnicity and Education, 16(1), 80-102.

Gray, J., & Beresford, Q. (2008). A ‘formidable challenge’: Australia’s quest for equity in Indigenous education. Australian Journal of Education Australian Journal of Education, 52(2), 197-223.

Harrison, N., & Greenfield, M. (2011). Relationship to place: positioning Aboriginal knowledge and perspectives in classroom pedagogies. Critical Studies in Education, 52(1), 65-76.

Jelinek, P., & Li, I. W. (2013). Education in Australia: Cultural influences, global perspectives and social challenges. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers.

Keddie, A., Gowlett, C., Mills, M., Monk, S., & Renshaw, P. (2013). Beyond culturalism: Addressing issues of Indigenous disadvantage through schooling. Australian Educational Researcher, 40(1), 91-108.

Rahman, K. (2013). Belonging and learning to belong in school: The implications of the hidden curriculum for indigenous students. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 34(5), 660-672.

What is Critical Race Theory? (2009). Web.

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

The US labor statistics show that health care is one of the most rapidly developing fields that accounts for the fact that it provides a huge variety of opportunities and options to build a career. The ones that I consider preferable for myself are a health administration instructor and an instructor of applied ethics.

The ultimate task of a health administration instructor is to promote the culture of life-long personal and professional development while supporting all facets of the learning environment. If I manage to occupy this position, I will facilitate the meaningful acquisition of knowledge and skills providing education through student-oriented instruction. My major goal will be to enable graduate students to comply with the requirements of the industry while preserving high-quality standards that rely on professional ethics as well as mutual respect and cooperation with colleagues. The key values that I will communicate to my students will include:

1. providing high-quality service;
2. promoting innovation;
3. adhering to life-long learning;
4. developing collaboration through teamwork;
5. sticking to sound ethical principles;
6. never stepping away from positive thinking.

My second option is to become an instructor of applied ethics – the profession that I consider fundamental to many spheres including health care. Ethical leadership in this field will help me guide future professionals through various dilemmas that demand difficult choices and quick and effective decisions. Moreover, I believe that the pivotal idea of my teaching philosophy will be a combination of the policy of the institution with care for patients as the ultimate goal of any health care professional.

I am convinced that no matter which of the two options I choose, my success will have three basic constituents: knowledge (that will give me understanding about the profession and its peculiarities), critical evaluation (that allows realizing one’s potential and identify directions for improvement), and scientific curiosity (helping overcome limitations of the existing knowledge through life-long development).

That is why I believe that my mission as an educator consists in both communicating fundamental theoretical knowledge prescribed by the curriculum and encouraging critical assessment that would assist students in the application of theory to real-life practice. The ability to find the practical implementation of any information will help my students when they discover professional areas that are currently void of scientific knowledge and theoretical generalizations. They will be able to hypothesize and deduce consistent patterns through empirical experimentation thereby filling this void. I will do my best to serve as a role model as I am sure that demonstrating your professional excellence is an issue of paramount importance in education.

I am also going to make a special emphasis on the individual approach to each student taking into consideration that they all belong to different backgrounds, have different levels of preparation, and desire for learning. I will try to help them find areas that seem exciting to them as this is the primary condition of meaningful learning.

As far as instructional modalities are concerned, I suppose that I will have to deal with both face-to-face and online education. However, I firmly believe that hybrid learning is the most advantageous combination. If it is carefully developed, it can unite the best features of traditional and Internet-based education: hybrid education increases class availability and at the same time speeds up students on their way to graduation.

Moreover, it will open new opportunities for those who cannot attend classes due to various health challenges. They will still have access to education based on traditional instruction while being able to establish a closer contact with an educator than online learning allows.

Introduction

Teaching is a very critical dimension in the process of learning and it can be very challenging and too demanding as well (Wette, 2009, p. 337). Comprehensive teaching may not be attained if at all the students do not fully understand the new knowledge (Wette, 2009, p. 337). Accordingly, the personal characteristics of the teacher are very important, not to mention the efficient managing of the factors that could obstruct the process of learning (Wette, 2009, p. 337). The process of teaching varies from one setting to another (Wette, 2009, p. 337).

Teaching a course like language (for instance, Spanish to non-Spanish speaker) is very different from teaching nursing practice. The paper explores the role of the teachers in different setting, that is, in terms of placement learning and classroom studies. Significant factors that influence teaching process shall also be examined. A meaningful teacher – student connection makes possible to acquire the required knowledge and formation of a worth (Moore, 2004, p. 35). To achieve this, the researcher visited a language school and a medical institution to observe how classroom teaching is done and compared it with the way placement teaching was carried out during placement of nurses.

Classroom teaching for Spanish

In some cases, teachers usually receive referrals from counselors for students who need special attention because they are slow learners or that they require more time so that they can be able to work efficiently (Moore, 2004, p. 35). It is very important to be able to explain teachers go about imparting knowledge to their students (Alexander & Potter 2005, p. 67). The purpose of this study was to assess the way teacher teach especially modification of the teaching techniques to help the students to succeed in learning (Alexander & Potter 2005, p. 67).

Teaching Spanish was the research topic and it was selected because learning a second language among adults has been a very critical issue as far as adult education is concerned. To collect information the researcher used observation techniques. Observing how the teacher conducts his/her teaching to ensure students learn the new language (Martin, 1999, p. 34). This is critical or curriculum designers because, research has shown that recently, there has been an increased enrolment of adult student learning a second language (Wette, 2009, p. 337). There can be some frustration in the classroom if the students are not enjoying or understanding anything they are being taught. Staff development in teaching practice is hence critical (Good & Brophy, 2002, p. 102).

Placement teaching

In the nursing profession, the method of teaching is not the same as classroom setting used for teaching language. If the students have to be competent in the nursing profession, students need practical exposure since the practice is more of practices that theory (Dunn & Hansford, 1997, p. 1299). Nurse students are taught to do basic practices like taking blood manually or detecting signs of common diseases from patients (Alexander & Potter 2005, p. 67).

According to the comments made by a nursing student in her first year of study, it is the desire of many nursing students to receive training on the fundamental skills involved in medical practice (Dunn & Hansford, 1997, p. 1300). However, with regard to ward placements, often times, the reliance is usually on technical equipment and at times, students do not have time to practice on the use of such equipments in their profession (Dunn & Hansford, 1997, p. 1301).

This is a concern that has to be evaluated so that these needs can be managed for the best interests of patient (Alexander & Potter 2005, p. 69). It is also important to realize that lack of practice can make the student lose their practical and theoretical knowledge (Dunn & Hansford, 1997, p. 1301). When nurse students are taught the use of medical equipment like sphygmometers in class, the knowledge has to be matched with real use of the equipments in practice after observing the Registered nurses use it (Dunn & Hansford, 1997, p. 1303). This is why training in nursing uses the model of placement teaching (Dunn & Hansford, 1997, p. 1306).

Methods and Approaches

The major technique used for the study was observation. There are two cases analyzed in this study, classroom teaching and placement teaching. In order to understand how adults learn, this research basically used observational techniques to collect information about the way Spanish is taught and the way nurses get to learn and gain experience in their profession (Dare & O’Donovan 1994, p. 45). The information that this research needed was better collected this way as the technique of observation has evolved over time and the qualitative observation was the best method to collect data from the nurses concerning their cognitive intent of their practice (Wragg, 2001, p. 55). For classroom setting, the researcher observed the way the teacher interacted with students. Basically, the teacher used Spanish to communicate to the students. This is because the students are expected to understand basic Spanish as they progress in their classes.

To investigate placement teaching, the researcher visited a medical facility and observed student nurses on placement work alongside the professional nurses, registered nurses.

Study Design

The research used a qualitative study method. This method is basically concerned about finding out why and how the subject under study is the way it is. For this case, why classroom study was basically used for teaching language and why placement was more appropriate for teaching a technical field like nursing practice. In the process, qualitative study attempts to find the meanings and the implications of main elements in research (Wragg, 2001, p. 55).

In this case, the study considered why student nurses were put on placement teaching and why classroom teaching like for the case of Spanish lesson would require a lot of participation. One basic element of qualitative research is surveillance (Wragg, 2001, p. 55). Through observing the way the RN and the trainee nurses work alongside each other, important information for study is collected. Observation included keeping track of the nurses and how they interacted with patients and other nurses (Dare & O’Donovan 1994, p. 49).

The outcomes are seen in the eyes of the researcher as the researcher did not attempt to take part as a subject of the study of a participant in anyway. The observation followed open ended questionnaire structure. The aim of this kind of design was to enable the researcher to melt into background in a manner that will not have an impact on this phenomenon that is being studied (Wragg, 2001, p. 55). The researcher only tried to make observations and comprehend the condition under study directly from the inside.

Qualitative analysis was conducted by observing RN daily routine and they allowed researcher to gain information from change-of-shifts and other processes that nurses performed (Dare & O’Donovan 1994, p. 49). The researcher followed the RN to various treatment rooms, keeping watch of what the RN did and they way they interacted with patients. Of particular importance was the way student nurses on placement acted as they were directed and watched the RN’s. This way the researcher was able to follow the ability of the student nurses to take care of identified priorities of care and other related activities.

On the other side of Spanish teaching Spanish, the researcher watched the way teachers did their job. The researcher watched the way a Spanish teacher used to teach. Marta was very knowledgeable at her job. She appeared very enthusiastic about teaching Spanish. Her classes were orderly and conducted in the logical structure.

Data collection

The background information was basically obtained from reading secondary sources to assist the researcher on how the teaching new knowledge goes. However, this research was a primary one and the information used for analysis was obtained directly from observation of the teaching processes in various settings, i.e. classroom teaching and placement. Observation of the way teaching was conducted formed the basic means of getting data.

Data Analysis

every activity that was conducted by the RN was grouped in various steps or processes, basic aspects like evaluation, diagnosis, intervention and organization (Benor, 1997, p. 210). These steps basically form what is referred to as standardized Approach. This is the widely accepted methodology of carrying out the analyses in nursing. The elements of the approach the ones that nurses use at their practice to carry out the fundamental practices of care: identification, diagnosis and reaction to human reaction to the health (Dunn & Hansford, 1997, p. 1307). Analysis of the results is important as it will be used by teachers in nursing profession as well as language teachers to understand the best way to pass knowledge to the next generation (Dunn & Hansford, 1997, p. 1302).

Analysis of the ways Spanish is taught took into account the ability of the students to understand the basics they had been taught in introductory classes (Hopkins, 2008, p. 156). The researcher also assessed how the teacher structured the class. This included time to speak Spanish and practice holding up a conversation for oral skills, writing sentences and essays, time for questions and homework.

Analysis was done via recursive abstraction. This is making of a summary of the observation as observed without coding them (Riddall 2008, p. 56). The notes by the researcher are a good example of this method. The qualitative data is hence interpreted without making any codes (Riddall 2008, p. 56). The common method is done by summarizing then further summarized (Riddall 2008, p. 56). The final results of the study are more compact and that it could have been very hard to precisely determine. This method however has a major disadvantage since many people accuse it of being shallow since many parts of the actual information have been removed during the process of summarizing the notes (Riddall 2008, p. 56).

Ethical Issues

In any form of study, the researcher is expected to apply high level of academic rigor and act honestly and with integrity. It is nature such study is immerses in difficult and chaotic reality of actual personal interaction and sensitivity (Ary et al, 2009, p. 444). In this research it was evident that issue of confidentially and informed consent would come up (Hatch, 2002, p. 68). Informed consent- this is the key issue in a study: the participants were given letters explaining the proposed research, its procedures and design of operation which was followed by an invitation to take part in the study if they were comfortable with the whole research design (Ary et al, 2009, p. 444).

They then assented to an informed consent to confirm their acceptance. Confidentiality – to maintain integrity, high levels of confidentially were maintained and no disclosure on the part of the researcher as he/she had agreed to comply with confidentially requirements as set by the ethics committee (Hatch, 2002, p. 68). The research conformed to the university and governmental policies of education. Honesty- all the data was reported as it was without fabrication and misinterpretation (Ary et al, 2009, p. 445). Integrity – the researcher kept the promises and agreements made with participants and acted with sincerity.

Presentation and Interpretation of Findings

Placement Teaching

For the cases of placement teaching for student nurses, the researcher observed students nurses doing their attachment or internship programs. However, the study had a little twist because rather than watching these students, the researcher was watching the process of teaching (Dunn & Hansford, 1997, p. 1299). The following is a summary of observation.

Interpretation

There is a very complicated interface between knowledge obtained from lecture and the actual practice learning experience (Moore, 2004, p. 35). In the later case, nurse students take initiative of directing their learning. They interpret concepts, participate in medical practice and they get deep into the practice under the guidance of an RN mentor. This is why a RN was set to be the case study. Registered nurses are mandated to act as mentors, this way they are able to facilitate learning of student nurses (Myrick & Barrett, 1994, p. 196). This will go a long way to help build up their competencies (Myrick & Barrett, 1994, p. 196). This exclusively means that RNs have a responsibility of training nurse students (Myrick & Barrett, 1994, p. 197).

Student nurses can gain knowledge and become better practitioners if they are nurtured by the best mentors (Myrick & Barrett 1994, p. 198). In all manner of work, experiences that workers go through offer the best way of transferring knowledge. Students can recognize this and familiarize themselves with what needs to be done (Myrick & Barrett, 1994, p. 198). The major pressure of mentors will be obligated to direct the appropriate consideration to applicable experiences and kick off the process of reflective thinking (Hopkins, 2008, p. 156). Students then gain the task of fostering improved relations or to be moved to another staff member, to create relationships with patients, fellow workers and from literature (Hopkins, 2008, p. 156).

Classroom teaching

In the case of classroom teaching the researcher also made some notes on what was happening during teaching. And just as the above case, this also focused on the teacher rather than students even though teaching and understanding on the part of students is paramount for learning (Alexander & Potter 2005, p. 69). The following is a summary of results. The study was done for three weeks and the teachers name was Marta. She knew Spanish so well. During class, she looked very enthusiastic while teaching. Most of the activities were visual.

Sometimes she could use compact disc player to help student with Spanish pronunciation difficulties. With these technologies, the students were kept interested. They seemed very attentive and actively participated in the class. This way, the classes were observed to be very interactive and interesting as well. From the start of the class, the teacher used simple Spanish phrases to express herself. However, she interpreted her statement into English when students indicated that they were struggling to understand.

Interpretation

Teaching Spanish can be a very big challenge and it’s been found that only some methods are efficient while other do not produce positive outcomes (Martin, 1999, p. 34). Some people learn Spanish through wrong ways. Since has proven that few teaching methods can actually lead to positive outcomes (Good & Brophy, 2002, p. 103). The brain usually gets wired to begin learning a new language and the process is called immersion (Martin, 1999, p. 37).

This is where a student is bombarded with the new language as much as possible (Clarke, 1999, p, 121). The brain then adopts and begins to learn new patterns of language, but subconsciously (Hopkins, 2008, p. 156). This is the reason why, Marta the teacher used Spanish throughout her classes and occasionally interpreted it on English and translated some difficult words to her students can be able to speak a language conversationally because the brain is forced to adapt and not because he/she completely understand the structure of the language (Bailey, et al, 1994, p. 237).

Critical Evaluation and Conclusion

Factors that affect quality of nursing care in oncology department especially caring for elderly patients have been identified and they including the time the nurse spent in placement, the clinic facilities and how they were mentored. Hence role modeling and place critical variables when implementing nursing practice (Benor, 1997, p. 207). Even though nursing is a very old profession with many practitioners, placement teaching does not usually succeed (Moore, A. 2004, p. 74).

Placement teaching, if done well provides the much needed benefit of connecting theoretical knowledge with practical application (Wette, 2009, p. 337). The use of automated technology is good to use in medical practice as it has high accurate, however it’s not perfect way of practicing nursing as it can fail (Benor, 1997, p. 207). Therefore nurses and students need to be able to understand basic manual ways of doing things like taking blood pressure manually (Benor, 1997, p. 207).

Nursing practice requires that nurses be efficient in their job in their quest to professionalism (Benor, 1997, p. 209). To do this, students are required to work hard in class and then in actual practice in a medical facility to get practical experience. Teaching nursing has developed over time and adopted the use of mentor-protégé working relationship where an experienced nurse (RN) mentors student nurse into the practice (Benor, 1997, p. 210).

Even though wards are usually very busy, when students observe experienced nurses doing the job, they will easily learn and be able to do it too (Benor, 1997, p. 207). Nurse students may not be able to gain the basic skills required in the practice if they are not given the opportunity to do the job under supervision of a qualified practitioner (Benor, 1997, p. 210). Therefore they need mentors who can teach new nurse the basics and they can learn and grow to gain more experience.

This has seen doctors and nurses grow to become proficient medical experts (Bourne 1994, p. 121). At the university, students are only taught the theory and simple medical skills (Benor, 1997, p. 210). When they go on placement, they get a chance to observe what is done and take the advantage and use the chance to get acquitted with practical skills (Bourne 1994, p. 122). They can always get that knowledge from the registered nurses (Benor, 1997, p. 209).

For the case of classroom teaching, the implementation is different from placement. This is because the objective is to adapt the student’s brain to the change of language construction (Riddall 2008, p. 58). Spanish is a language with a lot of expressions (Watkinson, 2002, p. 89). The best way to teach it is to ensure that the students are bombarded with the information materials (Riddall 2008, p. 56). Physical actions like giving instructions and students respond is very important and students need to be given more information and opportunity to practice Spanish (Watkinson, 2002, p. 89).

This is just the way Marta was doing it. Playing CDs of Spanish lesson and using it to teach (Watkinson, 2002, p. 89). Some vocabularies were also explained in Spanish unless students indicated that they could hardly understand anything. Then the teacher would translate to English. Generally adults attend schools for different reasons but many others reasons are focused on personal advancement or a new found inspiration to achieve (Watkinson, 2002, p. 92).

Some of the common reasons include; to take advanced course in building their careers so as to earn promotional and salary increments; become more marketable in certain field, to inspire their children and improve their level of education and quality of life and simply to complete some courses they had interest in the past or have developed an interest in, currently (Watkinson, 2002, p. 95). Adults get the opportunities to advance in their specific careers as they can determine several things about their lives. The best learning setting or environment in this case would be placement learning. This way the adult gets the practical application of the skills they are learning.

Reference List

Alexander, T. & Potter, J. (Eds) 2005. Education For Change: Transforming The Way We Teach Our Children. London: Routledge Falmer.

Ary, D., et al. (2009). Introduction to Research in Education, Boston, Cengage Learning.

Bailey, N., Madden, C., & Krashen, S. 1994. Is There A “Natural Sequence” In Adult Second Language Learning? Language Learning, Vol. 24, Issue 2, pp. 235–243.

Benor, D.E. 1997. The Development of Students’ Perceptions of Effective Teaching: The Ideal, Best and Poorest Clinical Teacher in Nursing, the Journal of Nursing Education, Vol. 36. Issue 5, pp. 206-11.

Bourne, J. 1994. Thinking through Primary Practice. London; Routledge.

Clarke, M. 1999. Reading in Spanish and English: Evidence from Adult ESL Students, Language Learning, Vol. 29, Issue 1, Pp 121–150.

Dare, A & O’Donovan, M. 1994. A Practical Guide to Working with Babies, Cheltenham, Stanley Thornes.

Dunn, S & Hansford, B. 1997. Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Perceptions Of Their Clinical Learning Environment, Journal Of Advanced Nursing, Vol. 25, Issue 6, Pp. 1299–1306.

Good T. & Brophy, J. 2002. Looking At Classrooms, Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Hatch, J.A. (2002). Doing qualitative research in education settings, Albany: State University of New York Press.

Hopkins, D. 2008. A Teacher’s Guide to Classroom Research, Buckingham: Open University Press.

Martin, E. 1999. Changing Academic Work: Developing the Learning University, Buckingham, Open University Press.

Moore, A. 2004. The Good Teacher: Dominant Discourses in Teacher Education, London; Routledge Falmer.

Myrick, F & Barrett, C. 1994. Selecting Clinical Preceptors for Basic Baccalaureate Nursing Students: A Critical Issue in Clinical Teaching, Journal of Advanced Nursing, Vol. 19, Issue 1, Pp. 194–198.

Riddall, L.S. 2008. How to Observe Children, Oxford: Heinemann.

Watkinson, A. 2002. Assisting, Learning And Supporting Teaching: A Practical Guide For Teaching Assistants In The Classroom, London: David Fulton.

Wette, R. 2009. Making the Instructional Curriculum as an Interactive, Contextualized Process: Case Studies of Seven Esol Teachers Language Teaching Research 13 (4): 337-365.

Wragg, E.C. 2001. An introduction to classroom observation, London; Routledge.

General Overview

Information to be taught

The main set of information to be taught on the issue of the brain and neural and hormonal systems includes the principles of the work of the brain and endocrine system as well as the neural system. The connection between the structure and functions of different parts of the human brain should be taught due to its direct relation to human behavior which is the main focus of this course. Besides, it is necessary to offer links and facts important to shape the overall concept of this issue.

Information to be omitted

What should be omitted while presenting the information on biology and human behavior is the conclusion. In other words, the professor should introduce facts and ideas on this issue but should not explain how this or that concept influences human behavior in detail. It is possible to provoke in-class discussion by suggesting certain ways in which the biology of the human brain, neural, and hormonal systems can influence psychological behavior.

Organization of the Teaching Process

The sequence of presentation

The sequence of the presentation can coincide with the one offered by Myers (2007) who analyzes the biological aspects of psychological behavior about neural and hormonal systems as integral parts of the system called human organism that also inevitably impact the behavior in this or that way. Moreover, it is possible to use an encyclopedia-approach such as one applied in the study by Christensen, Martin, and Smyth (2004) or by Craighead and Nemeroff (2004).

Way of teaching

The approach mentioned above fits lectures as well as a class discussion because students can search for relevant information and come to the class having some ideas on those issues in mind. However, a class discussion can be more effective because a professor can guide students in terms of the right way to be followed. Though it is possible to learn different facts and theories from library and web sources, it is preferable to share information to understand the relations better.

Special materials

The materials mentioned above are appropriate for teaching whereas it is also possible to use websites and guides relevant to this topic. However, it is necessary to use only reputable sources such as evidence-based researches and peer-reviewed articles. In other words, it is necessary to organize the process of teaching so that all topics were acquired in a proper sequence about previous and coming ones. Web lectures are appropriate if a professor only presents information and does not provoke discussion.

Importance of the Material

Connection to everyday life

It is necessary to show students the importance of this information and its relation to everyday life. Biology should be discussed as the primary concept whereas psychology should be analyzed about biological functions, processes, and abnormalities that may influence the psychology of human behavior. So, the everyday lives of students should be related to topics discussed in class through vivid examples such as ‘hormonal responses to emotional stress’ discussed by Craighead and Nemeroff (2004, p. 405).

Science of psychology

As psychological behavior is influenced greatly by the physiology of the human organism, it is necessary to know relations and possible interactions and mutual influence of systems about potential problems that may occur. This content should be discussed about the entire organism and the scope of processes that take place in its maintenance.

Reference List

Christensen, A. J., Martin, R., and Smyth, J. M. (2004). Encyclopedia of health psychology. New York: Springer.

Craighead, W. E., and Nemeroff, C. B. (2004). The concise Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science (3^rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.

Myers, D. G. (2007). Exploring psychology, seventh edition, in modules. New York: Worth Publishers.

Author’s Subjectivity

Subjectivity revealed through the piece of non-fiction

The piece of non-fiction chosen for analysis is the article The secrets of Haiti’s living dead (1986) by Gino Del Guercio whose specialization is botanies. The article is aimed at explaining the concept of zombies and reasons why people who act like zombies look so realistic. In this respect, the opinion of the writer revealed in the piece of non-fiction supports the idea about the irrelevant evidence presented by people who claim to be zombies.

In other words, the author introduces the problem, finds solution to this problem, and explains why such things are possible or not possible in the real life. The opinion of the author is also supported by his identity of a botanist; so, the readers believe the ideas introduced in the article because his evidence are strong and grounded while his specialization serves as another evidence on the objectivity of research conducted on the issue of living dead.

Influence of subjectivity on perspective

The influence of the opinions, beliefs, and perspectives on the topic is clear in case of the problem discussed by Gino Del Guercio in his article The secrets of Haiti’s living dead (1986). As the author is the botanist, he tries to find scientific explanation of the problem and rejects all possible explanations that cannot be supported with the help of a research conducted on the issue. So, the author reports about investigations conducted by different researchers of the same area and tries to persuade the readers in this way that the process of ‘zombification’ cannot be explained only using analysis of the poison while many cultural components should be assessed as well.

Subjectivity and Teaching

Aspect of subjectivity that influences the teaching methods

The main aspect of my subjectivity can be the approach used with 1-3 grade students because I can try to explain some notions unknown to children in this age. In this respect, I might fail to communicate the message through clear explanation of the topic and of requirements. For instance, I may influence the children’s point of view through implementation of inappropriate methods. For instance, it is possible that a teacher can use the same perspective with different subjects and problems; the same idea can be found in the report presented by Franklin et al. (2007), “…professors of logic may insist that students accept the logical validity of the syllogism…” (Finkin et al., 2007, p. 54). In this respect, I can teach students some issues that are irrelevant to their study level or may impact their opinion in the wrong way.

Ways in which subjectivity of a teacher can impact students

The subjectivity of a teacher can influence students in a great number of ways. One of the most spread ways of influencing students’ ideas concerns propagating of ideas instead of giving information for discussion and asking about different opinions students might have on the issue. This idea finds support in the article by O’Connor (2007) who claims that students should be able to analyze information on their own while “…professors have been accused in recent years of indoctrinating rather than educating…” (2 para). So, it is possible that I may present my opinion instead of teaching students to collect information and make their own conclusions on the topic.

Subjectivity and curriculum

If my subjectivity differs from the one required in the curriculum, I would try to avoid sharing my views with students because this can end up in the way similar to the report presented by Fish (2006). This report introduces the claims of a professor who said that he has “…shared with students his strong conviction that the destruction of the World Trade Center was an inside job perpetrated by the American government” (Fish, 2006, 2 para). In this respect, I should not tell students about my convictions and beliefs while it seems that sharing information is more appropriate to meet the requirements set in the curriculum. Though students of 1-3 grades do not study political science and similar issues, they should not be influenced by my opinion about the evolution of species or other matters.

Mediating subjectivity and the role of a teacher

I believe that mediating the role and responsibilities of the teacher with my subjectivity is of great importance, especially for students of 1-3 grades because they seem to be very perceptive to the information received and can treat the data provided by the teacher as rules and important components. In this way, I should make everything possible to provide students with objective information on the issue, valid links to reputable sources, and libraries where materials of outstanding authors are available. It is inadmissible to make students share my opinion with me. If I want to make students aware of some facts or problems that took place in the past or are relevant to the present, I should make them interested in the issue and assign them to find answers to some questions.

Reference List

Guercio, G. D. (1986). The secrets of Haiti’s living dead. Harvard Magazine, 31–37.

Finkin, M. W., Post, R. C., Nelson, C., Benjamin E., and Combest, E. (2007). Report – freedom in the classroom. American Association of University Professors. Web.

Fish, S. (2006). Conspiracy theories 101. The New York Times, 4 (13). Web.

O’Connor, E. (2007). AAUP to critics: What, us biased? Minding the Campus: Reforming Our Universities. Web.