Learners are like Ants

In George Siemens article Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age he states “Personal knowledge is comprised of a network, which feeds into organizations and institutions, which in turn feed back into the network, and then continue to provide learning to individual.” If I were to restate this proclamation in an analogy; I could say today’s learner is like an ant. In that an ants travels from here to there in hopes of gathering scraps of food. Today's learners hop from resource to resource hoping to gain pieces of information. Ants take the food back to the nest to feed the community, today’s learner processes information in hopes of turning it into knowledge. The work of one ant helps feed the community, the network of many learners feeds the individual learner.

People are social beings, we like to communicate. Siemens in his video The Impact of Social Media on Learning states “our language gives birth to thoughts, and content is the conduit toward conversation” (The link below will allow you to watch the video if you'd like). The way in which we learn today is hugely different for the way our parents and grandparents learned. Knowledge in the 21st century is all about networking.

I joined the social network school20.ning. partially because it was a homework assignment but mostly because it looks like a great way to interact, gain information, and have conversation with fellow teachers. School 2.0 goes beyond the practical discussion of applying the read/write and collaborative Web technologies in the classroom. It is, instead, a larger discussions of how education, learning, and our physical school spaces can (or should) change because of the changing nature of our social and economic lives brought on by these technologies.

If your not sure what social networking is all about check out this video created by Chris Pirillo it does a great job explaining how we can use the experiences and wisdom of others to help us gain knowledge.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp4UfBK5Zw8&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grI_h88vs3g&feature=PlayList&p=3E43054A8703F57A&index=3

Students Welcome

This blog is being developed as part of a masters class assignement. My hopes are that this blog will grow into a tool that can be used by general consumers as well as Respiratory Care practitioners and students. Students will be asked to check the blog for assignments, respond to class questions, and assist me in compiling an informational resources for persons suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Sleep deprivation is rampant

A large proportion of the American population is sleep deprived. Partially due to the high paced lifestyle we live but also because of a variety of sleep disorders. Many people are unaware that they may have a medical condition causing their sleep deprivation. Think you might be sleep deprived?

The EPWORTH SLEEPINESS SCALE is a great evaluation tool.
In contrast to just feeling tired, how likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the following situations? Use the following scale to choose the most appropriate number for each situation.

0 = Would never doze
1 = Slight chance of dozing
2 = Moderate chance of dozing
3 = High chance of dozing


Situation Chance of Dozing


Sitting and Reading _________

Watching TV _________

Sitting inactive in a public place (i.e. theatre) _________

As a car passenger for an hour without a break _________

Lying down to rest in the afternoon _________

Sitting and talking to someone _________

Sitting quietly after lunch without alcohol _________

In a car, while stopping for a few minutes in traffic _________

A score of greater than 10 is a definite cause for concern as it indicates significant excessive daytime sleepiness. *

* These results should be reviewed with your primary Doctor.

For more information regarding sleep deprivation go to http://www.sleepnet.com/disorder.htm

Sleep Disorder Categories

Did you know there are more than 70 different sleep disorders. Most of these conditions can be generally classified into one of three categories:

lack of sleep (e.g., insomnia),
disturbed sleep (e.g., obstructive sleep apnea), and
excessive sleep (e.g., narcolepsy)

In most cases, sleep disorders can be easily managed once they are properly diagnosed. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It occurs more often in women and in the elderly. The amount of sleep that a person needs to function normally depends on several factors (e.g., age). Infants sleep most of the day (about 16 hours); teenagers usually need about 9 hours a day; and adults need an average of 7 to 8 hours a day.

For the purposes of this blog my intent is to concentrate on disturbed sleep and the treatments available for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) check out the following reference sites:

http://www.neurologychannel.com/sleepdisorders/index.shtml

http://www.sleepeducation.com/

Sleepy Time

A collection of suggestions for achieving a good nights sleep.