Life. Evaluated

Five fellow classmates completed the evaluation survey. Their responses indicate that though required for class, the content of the blog caused each classmate to do something. Some explored other TED videos while others explored how to use RSS feeds as a direct result of a posting. Each response indiciated a different cateogry for content which is interpreted as a desired outcome to be broad enough to be labeled as science & technology, education, how to, or personal.

The not so techy audience rated the ease of navigation as a 4 out of 5 while requesting more frequent postings and enhancements to navigation. A later change to navigation was adding an assignments page that allowed visitors to quickly and easily navigate to a particular assignment related to the class. However, it is suggested that lack of blog experience amongst several visitors may account for a difficulty in navigation.

Of those classmates that responded, most visit about once a week and will continue to do so after the class is over. This inspires me to hopefully continue contributing posts to engage the readers and share about my life.

For a self evaluation, I think put a fairly good amount of "lessons learned" from previous blogs in the creation and maintaining of Life. As a      and a graduate student. The requirements for the class prohibited me from using my ongoing professional blog which initially I would have liked to put the time and energy into. However of the past several weeks, I have enjoyed the topic and opportunity to artistically create videos and posting for this new blog.

The earlier videos were short and simple. Unfortunately, I did not put as much effort or time as I had hoped into creating the closed caption video. I have an appreciation for those who take the time to make CC available in their videos. It requires the storyboard and script creating BEFORE making the video. I will have to restrain from discussing my personal beliefs regarding CC in nursing education from a disability and/or language necessity.

Life. Each day a new day

StoryBoard for CC Video

I am running a little behind on getting the video posted. But I will try and make the wait worth while. Preview of the storyboard

Life. Evaluation

To view results, click here for Google Document

Life. Infographic.

And yet I always seem to need more time each week. Where does all the free time disappear to?

Blogger Pages vs Posts

I have noticed than many of you have utilize "Pages" in blogger to post your assignments and utilize the page link toolbar. Though this works just fine, it does however eliminate one often forgotten feature, RSS feeds.

As information on the internet grows exponentially every day, many people resort to using an aggregator to retrieve new information in an organized fashion. A great example is Google Reader. The down side of Blogger Pages is that newly created pages are not included in the RSS feed that your blog automatically produces and therefore not typically included in aggregator services. Thus, people are not directed to look at your blog for new content.

This translates into relying upon a different mechanism for letting someone know you have added or update a page on your blog. Luckily, Dr. Stoner has required a fail safe in the class by using Twitter to serve as an ongoing "go look at my/their blog" tool.

So keep using Twitter to announce new pages or comments for us to read. Another alternative to using pages is to use the post method and copy and paste the url of each post that is an assignment in a customized toolbar.

Just an opinion. Everyone is doing so great and I need to catch up!

Missing for 2 weeks

Wow. You forget to put on the student hat for 2 weeks and there is a lot to catch up on. Though I have done a closed caption video in the past for other project, I am working on one that will fit within the topic as assigned for our class. 

Meanwhile, I have enjoyed classmates posting their videos and there seems to be a common theme of taking care of ourselves amidst the stress of life.  I have been able to adjust my daily schedule to allow for some early early morning exercise before work. To do so, it meant giving up "unwinding" time each night, but the early morning rides are well worth starting the day out right. 

Additionally, if you haven't heard, my wife and I are expecting our second child due in November this year. So LIFE is getting very busy, but living day by day makes every minute worth while. 

Ideas

When you get a good idea, what do you do?

This quarter we have all been exposed to TED talks - a collection of ideas coupled with outstanding orators in less than 20 minutes. You can assume that each one of these talks started as a thought while driving to work, a quick minute of brillance during a shower, or........?

There are several different application out there that can be used as a "digital notepad." Like journaling, the important rule to remember is to be consistent. For me, I have utilized an email filter that store everything to a folder in my inbox with "Pad of Ideas" in the subject line. But is that enough?

Great ideas require not only brainstorming, but also demand performance. Just this morning, I have an idea for a research study to assess nursing satisfaction throughout the process of an EHR swap. A multi phased study could assess current state, the transition process, and immediately after an a year after. We'll see if I can't somehow manage my current thesis project and get another 3 year phase study going in order to take advantage of the opportunity I have associated with my current employment.

What was the last idea that you executed?

Future of Web Browsers

For my surprise this week, I would invite classmates to explore the web browser add-ons available for them to use and utilize. Of the four major web browsers - Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox - offer a library of free downloads that can make your web browsing experience more streamlined and efficient. Each comes with pros and cons, and one might be more developed than the other while others are merely "bookmarks" to the website. But the main thing is to explore the add-on for the browser you currently use and see what might be there to help you enhance your internet surfing.

For Google Chrome, click here
For Apple Safari, click here
For Mozilla FireFox, click here
For Internet Explorer 9, click here

Please note that you should click on the link for which ever browser you are currently using.

Some useful add-ons that I use include:

• TweetDeck
• Pandora
• Evernote

Feature Video for kTube

Made a feature video for kTube using powerpoint and imovie.

EMR Testing

For the past several weeks, I was asked to coordinate testing portions of the new Loma Linda EMR system that will be going live in July. After endless meetings and trying to get others to get work done, today was a big day as it started to become an automated process. Independent teams now have to test together from what we call end to end (or from new patient scheduling an appointment to receiving a bill from an office visit).

On my way home, it reminded somewhat of what the graduate program is like. You spend your first several quarters doing a lot of work that can hopefully ease you into your research or project. It no way does that transition become automated, but seeing how your previous efforts shape into a finished product is worth the frustration and lack of sleep.

33 weeks to go

Last weekend, I came with the theme for my blog of highlighting what it takes to be a ____ and a full time graduate student.

Each time I try to explore the world of mircoblogging, I struggle in choosing ONE, and only one, to use. There various options all have advantages that make them unique from each other. Tumblr has a very clean and easy to use interface. Facebook is very popular. And Twitter has proliferated just about everything there is out in the digital world. However, with Twitter, I never have invested enough time and energy necessary for the continual maintenance for a growing Twitter account. Failing to utilize and maintain list, your main feed quickly become useless and cluttered with such random assortment of tweets that results in time wasted and frustration. Furthermore, trying to find just the right iphone app that has all the things want to do but doesn't exist just makes the problem worse.

I will give it my best shot and though I still would have liked to use my nurseacademia.com blog for the purposes of this class, I hope you will enjoy the entries related to my life.

VoiceThread Demo

If you are viewing this on iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and you have the VoiceThread app installed, tap here to view this VoiceThread on your device.

TED Talk

Another great TED video. Its really good for graduate level students.

 

Poll Everywhere

Looking for 11 results by April, 20.

Creative Commons

Creative Commons added to the bottom of the home page to the blog. A hint for everyone else would be to look into how to add a gadget to your blog layout.

Audio intro for class

First week of class

Just getting ready for class to begin. It's my last class for the program!