Free Virtual Classroom Space for College Classes including Nursing, Medical, and other Disciplines

Four islands in the virtual world (Second Life) are available for classes and training if you are affiliated with one of the 34 community and technical colleges in Washington State (SBCTC).  Any discipline of study can use the islands and create specific learning areas.  Students and faculty operate avatars during class time.  At this time there are these facilities on the Evergreen Islands:

• Orientation area on Evergreen (1), http://bit.ly/SBCTC-EvergreenOrientation  (login to Second Life viewer with avatar information)
• Nisqually Art Gallery on Evergreen 2, http://bit.ly/NisquallyArtGallery
• Medical facilities for patient simulations in numerous buildings on Evergreen 3, http://bit.ly/patient_simulations
• Courthouse for legal proceedings and a residential building on Evergreen 4, http://bit.ly/SBCTC-EvergreenCourthouse
• Lecture and video areas are available on any of the islands.

Medical area

Courthouse and other buildings    

Art Gallery exterior with five floors of exhibits

Fast and easy orientation for faculty and students can be accomplished with multiple avatars expressly devoted to class time.  

• The free viewer is downloaded and installed easily in less than 5 minutes.
• The students simply log into the account for a specific avatar, already located in the class area.  All items for the avatar are already in place.
• Three essential skills to operate the avatar (movement, text chat, and zoom in) can be taught to students in five minutes.
• Access to the teaching area can be restricted to those only in the class.
• Students can operate one avatar as a group allowing for group projects and streamlining the simulation.
• Rapid deployment of new learning areas can be accomplished with minimal cost by re-purposing objects available in Second Life's Marketplace.
• Free instructor training is available by request and as schedule allows for the trainer.

Contact John Miller, jsmillerrn@gmail.com. 

More information is located at http://ctcinsl.wikispaces.com/, https://www.youtube.com/user/jsmillerRN

Although it is not that interactive, is an interesting approach for anyone with knowledge to make an impact in education, http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57394688-10391709/brain-science-101-with-sanjay-and-sal-khan/?tag=cbsnewsMainColumnArea.1

Nursing Technology Course for ADN Nursing Program

Since January, I have been teaching a new Nursing Technology course for all nursing students in the ADN program at Tacoma Community College.  We have some of the course materials on our wiki at Google Sites, https://sites.google.com/site/nursingtechnologyjsmillerrn/.  The rest is in a course site within Angel learning management system for the college.   The course is all face-to-face with numerous online activities, one day a week for 2 hours, concluding in 11 weeks.

Google Sites wiki

Some of the outcomes for the course include:

1. Demonstrate how to create accounts, download, install, update the following:-Operating systems-Web browsers and associated programs-Security software, including antivirus, adware, spyware.  
2. Demonstrate how to back up files, using flash drives or web based storage.
3. Manage accessing grades, assignments, calendars, and email for a course, including file submission, editing, and renaming.
4. Compare programs for different browsers, word processing, editing pictures, and editing video.  
5. Explain how to access free technology resources on the web.  
6. Analyze research sources for evidence based practice.  
7. Recognize nursing and medical multimedia resources on the web.  
8. Demonstrate accessing clinical resources on the web.  
9. Demonstrate proper communication with peers, faculty, and nurses using chat, texting, blogs, and video.   
10. Develop professional quality web pages, presentations, and blogs, using group collaboration and communication with web based software.   
11. Create flow charts, mind maps, and concept maps using electronic software.   
12. Implement charting using electronic medical record software.   

Angel coursesite

Halloween Prezi (an alternative to PowerPoint)

http://prezi.com/rlzhppdbnkha/copy-of-happy-halloween/
Use a .edu email and get more Prezi than just the basic and for free.

TED Talk by Ben Goldacre, Battling Bad Science

Great talk on how bad science is used to persuade people, including on how to stay or get healthy.  http://www.ted.com/talks/ben_goldacre_battling_bad_science.html