ASSURE II: Return of the Anxiety Factor

ASSURE II: Return of the Anxiety factor



Yes, I know that I should be familiarized with creating a lesson plan using the Assure Model. I also know that I should not be stressing out as before. Well, guess what? The anxiety factor is back again. It has a tendency to repeat its’ self just like a broken record player. Rather, a scratched CD. As I learned from the past assignment, anxiety can be a good motivator or just the opposite. Just as before, in order to help alleviate any stress or anxiety, planning is a must. The most important part I felt was to select the content for the lesson to be taught. We spent approximately two meetings in choosing and talking about our individual content areas. This helped me a great deal. After deciding on my content area everything started coming together.
In my case I am leaning towards anxiety being a motivator. Our second write up is on creating a lesson plan using the Assure Model as a guide and using two digital media tools to present the lesson plan to our students. The students in return have also to use two digital media tools in response to the lesson plan created. That sounds simple right. Remember the computer is a tool that I am still trying manipulate at will. It is getting easier the more I use it. The two digital media tools that I have initially chosen for this lesson plan are the use of a video presentation and the use of the blog. Why these two? I have used them in some capacity in class and it is in my comfort zone. However, I have never used any form of digital media to teach anything.
After today’s class (11-19-08) I decided to attempt creating a website as a tool to help teach. Why the change? Why move out of this comfort zone? Well after viewing the sample ASSURE lesson plan in class and how some of the plans were created by some students with little experience, I decided to give it a try. This is my first time in creating a website. I know it is not highly sophisticated. Guess what? I enjoyed creating the site. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be. Believe it or not I attained some kind of self-fulfillment in attempting this. “Students using technology experience increased self-esteem, and beliefs about their capabilities improve (O’Connor & Brie, 1994).”
Why use the blog to teach a lesson, if I was a teacher? The use of a blog allows me to communicate information to students. It is an easy way of giving and receiving information. The information is posted for all to see and read. Students likewise can post homework and ask pertinent information. It allows for group work outside of the classroom. A private group account can be created if a group desires. It is an easy tool to learn and use. My second digital media tool that I choose to use is video recording. This is an easy tool to use. The digital recording of the lesson and posting it on the blog site is similar to having a face to face class. The recording of a video and uploading it on a blog will also allow the students to review the lesson. The use of a website is me thinking outside of the box. All tools will allow a teacher to communicate with students frequently. The plan is to present a lesson using the media tools mentioned, without having a face to face class session. Basically I will post all videos and all PowerPoint Presentations via a blog for students to view.
I enjoyed the assignment. It forced me to utilize the tools I have been learning about in class. By using these tools my confidence level in using them for future projects has increased. The part of this assignment that I enjoyed the least was using a tool for the first time, the making of a website. I felt that if I wanted to teach a lesson to students, then I should have attained a certain level of mastery on the topic and mastery of presentation. It was time consuming, but it paid off. I learned with every step.
These tools remind me of the steps that the hospital in Guam is taking or will be taking. A lot have been said about the future of the Guam Memorial Hospital in the PDN lately. Physicians now have the technology to communicate in real time with other physicians around the world. This will only better our health care here. Digital communication is a must in education also. This will increase our standards and will better prepare our students for the future.
The NET*S which best applies to this particular assignment is standard “III, Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum: Teachers implement curriculum plans that include methods and strategies for applying technology to maximize student learning (3A, 3B, 3C and 3D).” Technology is used to teach students and to support the student centered activity.

Websites:
Eggan, P., & Kauchak, D. (2004). Chapter 11: Technology and Learning: Using Technology to Increase Learner Motivation. Educational Psychology Windows on Classrooms, 414.
National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers. (2004). Learning Objectives: Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences (2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E). International Society for Technology in Education.

Asthma: Impact on school age children

Asthma Overview Lecture:

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways of a person’s lung.
Airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs.
When an Asthmatic attack/episodes occurs the person’s airways start to swell and the tubes start to narrow. Along with the swelling and narrowing of the airways the mucus glands start to hyper secrete mucus in the airway.


Who can get Asthma?

Affects people of all ages and nationalities.
The greatest impact of Asthmatics is school age children.
Statistics show that 22 million people have Asthma and of these numbers there are 8 million children affected.
Asthma is not a contagious disease.
Genes and environmental factors play vital roles when a person is diagnosed to be an Asthmatic.
The exact cause is unknown.


The vicious cycle of having an Asthmatic attack:
Genes and environmental are key factors. A positive family history may exhibit that Asthma runs in the family.
The environmental factor also plays a vital role. These factors are allergens (dust, animal hair, smoke…) that can cause an Asthmatic person the start to react to the allergen by narrowing, swelling and an increase of mucus secretions in the airways.
This hyper response will cause a person to start to cough and wheeze.
The response may be mild or severe.
I untreated the person may start to experience a state being deprived of oxygen.
Ultimately if uncorrected…..death may occur.

How Asthma affects our school age children:

The Cost of Asthma
In U.S. Children
Lost School Days
14 Million Days/Year

Asthma Treatment
$3.2 Billion/Year

Hospitalization
3rd Leading Cause
Among Children
Under 15 Years Old

Asthma can be debilitating. However if we educate ourselves it can be controlled.



Websites:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_KeyPoints.html

http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/asthma/pdf/asthma.pdf

hhtp://www.youtube.com


Sales, Robert J.
ASSURE #2 Asthma: Impact on school age children
ED 451-03
http://rjsasthma.weebly.com/

The Bar Graph Shows that the students have indeed increased their knowledge base on the topic