“Change Your Classroom From Yawning to Yearning With One Simple Technique”

 Presentation from: Nurse Educators Conference in the Rockies July 14, 2009 by Jinjer Mitchell, RN, MSN Sharol Finley, RN, MSN

BEGINNING NURSING STUDENTS  Have multiple large reading assignments  Have limited time  Have difficulty determining what is “important” versus what is “nice” to know  Often feel overwhelmed

BEGINNING NURSE EDUCATORS Commonalities:  Have large amounts of material to cover  Have difficulty discerning what is imperative for students to learn from the material  Feel as overwhelmed as their students (Giddens & Brady, 2007)

SOLUTION:GUIDED READINGS  Assist students with focused reading  A tool that directs students through assigned chapters  Like reading a map through the chapter

GUIDED READINGS  Begin with “What you already know”  Build on previous knowledge Examples: Do you know someone who has had a heart attack? What was it like for them? Have you ever known anyone with edema? What did that look like?

GUIDED READINGS  Ask key questions along the way  Questions help clarify material  Also help students discover knowledge deficits  Take the guesswork out of what material should be thoroughly read versus skimming “nice to know” material  Key concepts

BENEFITS FOR THE EDUCATOR  Can break away from content driven lecture  Class time can be utilized for:  Critical thinking exercises  Case studies  Discussion  Clarification of difficult concepts  Active learning  Give group scenerios; have them act out scenerios

BENEFITS FOR THE EDUCATOR  Students come prepared for class  No more blank stares  Bring questions  No more passive learning  “Arm chair learning” waiting to be filled with knowledge  Students are partners in learning  Exam questions easily taken from GRs

BENEFITS FOR THE STUDENT  Feel reading assignments are more manageable  Less time spent in frustration  More time spent focusing  Able to participate in class  Gain confidence  Able to get clarification  Have a prepared study guide for exams

HOW TO MAKE A GUIDED READING  Read the chapter yourself  It’s imperative that you know what your students are reading  **Outline important concepts based on learning objectives/NCLEX Blueprint  As you read, discern “nice to know” from “need to know”  Trust yourself

HOW TO MAKE A GUIDED READING  Develop a word document (pdf) including:  Name of text and chapter to be read  Open with a “What you already know..” question  Begin reading on page…stop at page….  Pose a question or two regarding that particular section  Now skim pages…begin reading again…  Give small blocks to read  Pose more questions  Finish by asking “What concepts need further explanation?”

HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS  Cut the material down  The idea is to focus  Don’t ask too many questions  No more than 5 pages of GR  Use variety  Have them draw pictures  Fill in the blanks  Charts and graphs  Use the GRs to design your test questions

PRACTICAL USES  10% of grade for completion of GR; take points off if incomplete or answers too short  Handwritten; leave enough space for complete answer  Instructor provides answer keys; student’s responsibility to check their answer