Meredith Kendall's Blog, page 31
August 8, 2015
seals
Floating logs, half submerged, in the bay.
I sat on a granite boulder and looked at the blue water. Sun was hot on my shoulders but the breeze was cool and damp. The logs moved.
A square head poked up. A spotted gray arch rose wetly and disappeared. And the other.
I watched the seals for half an hour.
I sat on a granite boulder and looked at the blue water. Sun was hot on my shoulders but the breeze was cool and damp. The logs moved.
A square head poked up. A spotted gray arch rose wetly and disappeared. And the other.
I watched the seals for half an hour.
flat earth
The earth is flat and there's a giant waterfall at the edge of the ocean.
At least that's how it seemed today. I sat at the beach, the Atlantic Ocean. There was a flat hard line of dark blue where the water ended, white sky above. A sailboat there, sail like air, boat invisible in the water.
A long lonely stretch of dark blue, one boat.
At least that's how it seemed today. I sat at the beach, the Atlantic Ocean. There was a flat hard line of dark blue where the water ended, white sky above. A sailboat there, sail like air, boat invisible in the water.
A long lonely stretch of dark blue, one boat.
teaching a teacher
I recently spent 20 hours in class. As a student. I learned a lot.
I learned about teaching.
First was 12 hours, split in three sessions, on communication and self-care. These are topics I teach to nursing and Reiki students. The delivery was verbose PowerPoint slides; two instructors read the slides to us for 10 of the 12 hours.
Second was an 8-hour class on laboratory values. The delivery was verbose PowerPoint slides; the instructor read the slides to us for 8 hours.
All the instructors were smart, skilled, compassionate, and experienced. They had a plethora of important information in their heads and hearts. But. Their delivery was at either end of a super-cute-adore-me and monotone continuum. They read PP slides to us. They cut off audience questions and comments, saying "I have a lot of content to cover." They ignored, alienated their audience, who were also smart, skilled, compassionate, and experienced. Their content delivery method assaulted and insulted the learners.
This is what I learned:
* reading PP slides for hours, in a monotone, is an assault on the student
* if you focus on content rather than student, you risk alienating student
* it's more important to engage the student than to cover every single bit of content
*
* teaching is a skill
* answer questions, encourage pertinent sharing of info
* interact, engage, excite the learner
There were ten students at the lab class: 5 RNs, 3 NPs, and 2 physicians. The NPs were: 2 nurse midwives and one pedi-psych NP. The RNs were 1 ICU RN from Colorado who was able to share a few fascinating facts about high-altitude care (before being shut down by instructor), 3 hospital nurses, and me.
The lab class instructor read PP slides to us. She listed common lab tests and read to us how to remember normal values, and a few facts about the tests. Why do I need to remember the normal values? I don't. They are listed alongside the found value on computer screens. One no longer needs to memorize normal values. One will memorize them anyway if used daily. Why spend my valuable time telling me how to memorize?
I learned that I already know facts about the lab tests.
This is what I wanted to do in this class. I wanted to get into small groups with the other incredible students and do case studies. Give me a list of a patient's lab values and let us interpret, form a picture. Interact with others.
Instead I sat in a room with 9 intelligent and experienced healthcare professionals and never spoke to them. Never learned from them.
The communication/self-care class: best part was role-playing. That was interactive and engaging. We all woke up for that.
Adult education: engage the learner.
I learned about teaching.
First was 12 hours, split in three sessions, on communication and self-care. These are topics I teach to nursing and Reiki students. The delivery was verbose PowerPoint slides; two instructors read the slides to us for 10 of the 12 hours.
Second was an 8-hour class on laboratory values. The delivery was verbose PowerPoint slides; the instructor read the slides to us for 8 hours.
All the instructors were smart, skilled, compassionate, and experienced. They had a plethora of important information in their heads and hearts. But. Their delivery was at either end of a super-cute-adore-me and monotone continuum. They read PP slides to us. They cut off audience questions and comments, saying "I have a lot of content to cover." They ignored, alienated their audience, who were also smart, skilled, compassionate, and experienced. Their content delivery method assaulted and insulted the learners.
This is what I learned:
* reading PP slides for hours, in a monotone, is an assault on the student
* if you focus on content rather than student, you risk alienating student
* it's more important to engage the student than to cover every single bit of content
*
* teaching is a skill
* answer questions, encourage pertinent sharing of info
* interact, engage, excite the learner
There were ten students at the lab class: 5 RNs, 3 NPs, and 2 physicians. The NPs were: 2 nurse midwives and one pedi-psych NP. The RNs were 1 ICU RN from Colorado who was able to share a few fascinating facts about high-altitude care (before being shut down by instructor), 3 hospital nurses, and me.
The lab class instructor read PP slides to us. She listed common lab tests and read to us how to remember normal values, and a few facts about the tests. Why do I need to remember the normal values? I don't. They are listed alongside the found value on computer screens. One no longer needs to memorize normal values. One will memorize them anyway if used daily. Why spend my valuable time telling me how to memorize?
I learned that I already know facts about the lab tests.
This is what I wanted to do in this class. I wanted to get into small groups with the other incredible students and do case studies. Give me a list of a patient's lab values and let us interpret, form a picture. Interact with others.
Instead I sat in a room with 9 intelligent and experienced healthcare professionals and never spoke to them. Never learned from them.
The communication/self-care class: best part was role-playing. That was interactive and engaging. We all woke up for that.
Adult education: engage the learner.
August 3, 2015
teaching Reiki
I love to teach Reiki to a person with cancer. I want the person to see that he/she has dignity and worth ~ has something to give back, something of value to share with others.
July 20, 2015
education is key
Education is the key to unlock the cage of poverty. Unlock the jails.
We must support schools, teachers, and educational systems. Exciting and beautiful educational opportunities must be available to all, not just a select few.
Put money in schools, not jails.
We must support schools, teachers, and educational systems. Exciting and beautiful educational opportunities must be available to all, not just a select few.
Put money in schools, not jails.
energy field disturbance
This nursing diagnosis was established in 1994, but has been controversial. NANDA is considering retiring this diagnosis.
It relates to holistic nursing and Reiki. How unfortunate if it is no longer accepted.
It relates to holistic nursing and Reiki. How unfortunate if it is no longer accepted.
myths
Some Reiki researchers are researchers, but not Reiki practitioners. So there might be an inherent lack of understanding or even promulgation of Reiki myths in published studies.
therapeutic presence
When sharing Reiki with another, therapeutic presence is an important part of the experience.
The practitioner must be able to communicate compassion, model ethical behavior, and demonstrate knowledge of Reiki history and practice. All of this can be silent, unspoken unless required by the client.
The practitioner must be able to communicate compassion, model ethical behavior, and demonstrate knowledge of Reiki history and practice. All of this can be silent, unspoken unless required by the client.
qualitative v quantitative
Both are valuable.
But since Reiki is so difficult to define, how to do we know what to measure? Quantitative Reiki research is all about finding the right question, the right hypothesis.
Now qualitative, the person's lived experience. Yes, let's hear about that.
But since Reiki is so difficult to define, how to do we know what to measure? Quantitative Reiki research is all about finding the right question, the right hypothesis.
Now qualitative, the person's lived experience. Yes, let's hear about that.
summer garden
Raspberries are piling up in the freezer. Picked twice yesterday, and another 3 quarts this morning.
Tons of cilantro, basil, and mesclun. Can't keep up with it.
Picked the first green beans today. Steamed them, and ate with pesto. So tender, such sweet mild flavor.
Some delicious blueberries, more every year. The birds like to fly in under the netting for bites. I don't mind sharing a few.
Sunflowers must be 10 feet high. Cosmos, calendula, bee balm.
Love the fairy energy in the garden, gentle touches of welcome.
Tons of cilantro, basil, and mesclun. Can't keep up with it.
Picked the first green beans today. Steamed them, and ate with pesto. So tender, such sweet mild flavor.
Some delicious blueberries, more every year. The birds like to fly in under the netting for bites. I don't mind sharing a few.
Sunflowers must be 10 feet high. Cosmos, calendula, bee balm.
Love the fairy energy in the garden, gentle touches of welcome.
