Reviews for Stuart & Sundeen's Principles and Practice of Psychiatric Nursing

The average rating for Stuart & Sundeen's Principles and Practice of Psychiatric Nursing based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-08-05 00:00:00 James Wray Summary The beginning of the book goes over many of the shortcomings of traditional education and how teachers are not preparing their students for the 21st-century. According to Yelland, one major problem is, “much of what occurs in school today was designed around old learning and preparing for the industrial age; hence the focus on knowing facts and repeating routine procedures. However, these skills are becoming used less and less, and skills associated with being collaborative, creative, flexible, and knowing strategies for effective problem posing and solving are being regarded as more important” (p. 1491). Yelland also argues that almost all jobs today require the use of some sort of technology, and yet many students don’t get to use it very often at school. One startling statistic I read was that in 2005, kids were using media for 6.5 hours a day, but none of that was in school (p. 120). Yelland says that students are frustrated that the technology they use to learn on their own is not how they learn in school. She argues that it causes them to question the relevance of school (p. 364). I’ve definitely seen that in my high school classroom. Students always question the relevance of outdated assignments and they don’t take them seriously. Students devote their own time learning by surfing the web and watching videos. Yelland cites evidence of how important it is for young children to learn how to write and tell stories (p. 1221). She argues that it is a long, difficult process, but technology can make it easier for children to learn these skills. She says that “First, they can provide context in which oral stories can be recorded and saved, and second, they can act as a stimulus to encourage oracy in the early childhood years” (p. 1232). There are many options for digital storytelling that allow students to make graphics and explain them verbally and in writing. I use some of these tools in my classroom such as Powtoon or My students love creating stories with these fun apps and it’s a great way for them to practice their writing. Another part of the book talks about the importance of connecting home with school. Yelland says that “It is evident that children learn in a variety of contexts that include not just school but also their homes, and community, and beyond, incorporating both geographically different sites and virtual locations” (p. 1338). Knowing what students’ home lives are like and also knowing what technology they have available to them is really important in determining appropriate lesson plans. For example, I once assigned a Powerpoint project only to have a student tell me that she didn’t have access to that application at home. I had to make adjustments so she could complete the assignment in a different way. It’s also nice to know what technology students are using at home for fun. Knowing that many of my students are playing online video games makes me think of ways I can incorporate that into learning. Another useful tool for 21st-century learning is computer games. Yelland says that “Game concepts can motivate children to play with ideas, interact, and collaborate with peers in sharing strategies and articulating ideas, and in doing so they acquire skills for learning and new knowledge that seem to be adaptable to new and different contexts” (p. 1514). She says that students learn well from games with puzzle formats or narratives. Video games help students learn because they are collaborating to solve problems. Students like the element of choice and the fact that they can go through things at their own pace. I use computer games in my classes and my students are always engaged in them. It’s a great motivator and when games are complex, I have seen students band together to beat them. Critique I agree with Yelland that in the 21st-century, it is absolutely essential for students to use relevant technology in school. I have seen first hand that many of the tools discussed in the text have a positive impact on student engagement and learning. Yelland does a good job of explaining how different types of technology tools can aid in student learning. She backs up her claims with many different studies with both qualitative and quantitative results. I think the intent of the book is to show educators how integrating technology into the classroom can reengage students in school and also improve their learning. Successfully integrating the right technology will better prepare students for the 21st-century workplace. Author qualifications Nicola Yelland is Professor of Early Childhood Studies in the College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work in South Australia. She has a Ph.D. in education from the University of Queensland. Yelland has spent the last ten years researching how emerging technology is impacting curriculum and pedagogy in multiple disciplines in elementary and middle schools. She explores how technology can make learning more relevant to students. She has also researched how educational technology tools can engage students and improve their academic achievement and learning. Yelland has been a visiting scholar at several universities around the world. She is also the editor of two educational journals on childhood development.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-03-17 00:00:00 Jdawg Mc Shift to the Future- Rethinking Learning with New Technologies in Education was written by Nicola Yelland who is a Professor of Education in the School of Education at Victoria University, in Melbourne, Australia. Yelland’s research has focused on young children’s learning in technological contexts. She is currently working on exploring the role of new technologies in curricula and ways to engage children in schools. Yelland’s book Shift to the Future focuses on how school learning can mobilize new technologies for enhanced educational opportunities and outcomes. Her book is broken up into seven chapters that describe topics such as; what is expected from education?, how we can prepare for new technologies in education, critical thinking lessons, assessments, and new contexts for learning. A theme that is found throughout the book is 21st Century Skills (collaboration and teamwork, creativity and imagination, critical thinking, and problem solving). The author explains that in preparing our children to live meaningful lives, education should be about providing contexts in which students are able to acquire and practice new skills in ways that help them utilize already existing ideas in order to generate new knowledge, (Yelland, 2007). It is very important for students to learn and master 21st Century Skills because those are skills that will be transferred over in life, especially to their area of employment. Shift to the Future also provides great examples of what it takes to revitalize a school. It is important that education should be more than just “covering stuff” and doing activities that involve constant repetition. For example, students should not have to study a sound or a number for a week and fill in mindless worksheets in order to have a record of a fact that it has been “covered” (Yelland, 2007). It was interesting to read this because many teachers practice this routine on a daily basis. Considering all of the technology available to learn, I think that students, especially in the early years would benefit from learning online apps, group learning, and/or without worksheets. This book is easy to read and it does a great job at detailing technology lessons. One thing that I really enjoyed from this book was that it had scripts, scenarios, and lots of pictures of student work and actual students working through the lessons. There was a division lesson that I practiced with my struggling students. I copied the lesson exactly as it was in the book and asked the students to share the goldfish (in the picture) equally and record the findings. Students understood the concept, used manipulatives, worked with a partner, were able to speak off of their visual/graphic organizer, and typed their findings. Shift to the Future is definitely a go-to book for ideas and resources on how to implement new technology in lessons. The book provides over 15 websites that can be used either at school or at home as new ways of learning. Some of those resources focus on using technology in math, some in health projects, and other resources in language arts. Some resources explained how to use certain websites, how to create and publish group projects (Yelland, 2007). Another useful fact is that this book provides resources from other places outside of the U.S. For example, Australia, China, and Mexico. This book is a must read!