CURRENT EVENT HEALTHCARE-RELATED TOPIC
CAREER SPOTLIGHT (HCA Coordinator)
PRE-TEST
SAY: We’re going to talk about the topic of test taking and critical thinking this month. These two topics are relevant to each other because to perform well on tests, you have to learn to think for yourselves. You won’t always have your parents and teachers thinking for you. You will also be challenged to do the right thing when your friends want to cheat and want you to help them. That’s a matter of INTEGRITY which is our Character Moment for this month. At some point in time, you will have to make an important decision which will cause you to weigh in on all the facts before coming to a decision. These types of decisions can change your life in a moment.
ACTIVITY “Brain Freeze” TE-1 Think of a time you had a difficult test to take. Describe it including any questions you remember.

“Fail Forward!”
Test Taking/Thinking
Introduction
10 minutes
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SAY: There are so many things to think about … health, school, home life, college … . What are you thinking about? What are you planning for? It could change in a second (snap your finger). Then, you could be faced with choices that are not so great. Maybe some of you have already experienced these types of choices.
The title of “Fail Forward!” came from the imagination of a guy named, John Maxwell. Dr. Maxwell started out as a preacher, but now he’s a motivational speaker and talks to audiences all over the world about a concept called “failing forward.” It’s about learning from your mistakes. You are NOT a failure. All of us make poor choices … sometimes.
Now, let’s take a look at what we will be working on this month.
Review important elements of great note taking.
Discover various learning styles and how this impacts our ability to solve problems.
Discuss and identify ways to facilitate problem solving.
Identify steps to be successful at problem solving.
CHARACTER MOMENT: Integrity
Okay, let’s get started!

“Fail Forward!”
Learning Objectives
10 Minutes ____________________________________________

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SAY: To become a great thinker starts with learning to take good notes. Good notes are the best preparation for test review. REMEMBER: No one can remember everything, every time. The essential elements are: OBSERVE. RECORD. REVIEW.
OBSERVE: How well do you pay attention in class? Become a KEEN observer and focus on details. Learn to improve your observation skills. BE PREPARED. Always have a notepad and pen/pencil. Sit up front. The closer you are the less distracted you’ll be. STOP daydreaming! Don’t doodle. Don’t allow internal dialog to distract you from learning. Be alert!
RECORD: The Cornell Way. (It works). Draw a line 1 1/2 inches from edge of LEFT side of paper. Use RIGHT side for notes and LEFT side of line for key words. Pictures and diagrams can help you remember. Write things down several times. Use index cards. Circle things that need clarification or draw a light bulb. Use different colors on your paper.
REVIEW: Edit and review notes. Labeling notes with the date and class helps, too! Key words to recite. Create mind maps (YR. 1). If acceptable you could take notes using a lap top. EXPERIMENT!!! Finally, all the note taking in the world is useless if you can’t read it afterwards. PRACTICE writing for great results!

Note Taking Essentials
10 minutes
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SAY: There is a tremendous amount of research on how our brains function. You may have heard people use the term: left brain/right brain in reference to how people learn. SIMPLE: we learn in different ways. It’s important to mention that there are certain learning disabilities that can possibly have an impact on how your brain receives, processes, and analyzes information. So, if you feel you may have a learning disability, talk to a trusted advisor/teacher or even your parents!
ACTIVITY FF-2: “Learning Styles Inventory.” Let’s take a look at this concept by completing a Learning Styles Inventory. REVIEW
DESCRIPTIONS.
DEBRIEF: The way you responded indicates your tendency to learn a certain way. A writing instructor named Gabrielle Rico describes it as simply this - The left-brain is called “sign mind” because words, or the description of words, are more important to you than pictures of the words. The right brain is called “design mind” because how something looks, visually, is more important than the word to describe it.
So, what does all this have to do with studying for a test? Let’s see … .

Left Brain/Right Brain
10 minutes
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©Copyright, SC AHEC, 2007

SAY: It will be the norm that you will have multiple tests on the same day. So, how do you prepare? We’ve talked a little about note taking. Find a system that works for you and get organized. It’s up to you!
CHUNK IT! Think about studying in chunks or blocks of time especially if you have more than one test scheduled for the same day.
REVIEW IT! Pay special attention to the things that were reinforced by your teacher. More than likely you’ll see these again on a test. Write things down. Make flashcards. Whatever it takes to help you remember. After a few attempts, you’ll be surprised at what you can recall … even after a good night’s sleep! Don’t wait until the last minute and PANIC. Start studying in advance and keep up with your readings. You’ll be glad you did!
WORK IT! Whether it’s a study group or by yourself. You ARE responsible for knowing the content of the subject. So, when you ACE the test, you’ll feel good about the efforts you made.
TEAM ACTIVITY: “The Box.” Select about 15 items (e.g., paper clip, pen, eraser, pager, marker, etc.) and put them in a box. Give students 3 minutes to review/memorize items. Close the lid! Now, ask students to recall as many items as possible in 3 minutes and write down on a note page. The team with the most answers … wins!

Studying for Tests
10 minutes
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SAY: If I were to say to you, close your books and take out a sheet of paper, chances are your palms would start to sweat at the mere thought of taking a pop test. We give a lot of power to tests. But, simply, we should begin to think of tests as a gauge of where we are in our learning.
IMPORTANT POINT: Grades are not a measure of self-worth! Yet, we give a lot of power to tests and that compounds over time to the point that we may feel like a failure. You are not bad if you get an F on a test, okay? You are just a person who got an F on a test. Be easy on yourself. Try harder, okay? Get help if you need it!
Avoiding the “F” can become paralyzing to our brains if we don’t learn to keep things in the proper perspective. Let’s take a look at what we can do to prepare ourselves for a test.

Learn from Mistakes
5 minutes
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©Copyright, SC AHEC, 2007

SAY: Here’s one simple way to eliminate test anxiety—BE PREPARED. Relax … These feelings are normal. In some extreme cases of “performance anxiety,” students feel they are going to faint or even throw up! These physical symptoms caused by stress release the hormone called ADRENALINE … the fight or flight feeling we get if we’re nervous or scared.
BE OPTIMISTIC! If you listened in class, studied the material, and reviewed your class notes, you’ll do okay on the test. Good study skills are critically important to help reduce test anxiety.
BE CONFIDENT! Be careful of your self-talk. Be positive and kind to yourself. Don’t walk into a test feeling defeated … .
BE ALERT! Don’t stay up all night studying for a test. Research tells us that students who got 8 hours of sleep were 3 times more likely to solve math problems easier than those stayed up all night.
If you feel totally out of control because of test anxiety then tell your teacher or guidance counselor. And, try not to be so hard on yourself.
Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from them.
ACTIVITY: BREATHING EXERCISE. (Read exercise from ACTIVITY SHEET).

Got Test Anxiety?
10 minutes
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©Copyright, SC AHEC, 2007

SAY: With every choice, there are many possible approaches. So, how do you figure out the right one? That’s the basis of critical thinking! It’s essential to create a toolbox of critical thinking skills. So, what’s in your toolbox?
I DON”T KNOW. Don’t adopt half truths. Uncertainty is growth!
DEFINE TERMS. Conflicts of opinion can occur over the same words. TOLERANCE. Opinions are normal. Learn to develop tolerance for a wide-range of opinions.
UNDERSTAND BEFORE CRITICIZING. Listen without judgment.
MENTAL HOT SPOTS. Do you know yours? “Detach!”
CONSIDER SOURCES. Do you respect this person to listen?
ALTERNATIVE VIEWS. Many opinions exist on many topics!
ASK QUESTIONS. Ask. Answer. Learn to ask “provoking” questions.
LOOK FOR AT LEAST 3 ANSWERS. Don’t just settle for a single
answer.
LAY CARDS ON TABLE. All your ideas to be open for inquiry; make room for new ideas.
WRITE ABOUT IT. See differing points of view more clearly in written form.
ACCEPT CHANGING PERSPECTIVES. Through the years, our initial opinions change based on where we are at a particular time in life.
COMBINE PERSPECTIVES. No two people will look at the same truth in the same way. That’s okay! Learn to combine the thoughts and opinions of others.

Do I Have What It Takes to Be A Critical Thinker?
10 minutes
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©Copyright, SC AHEC, 2007

SAY: Successful problem solving is knowing some or all of these concepts. But also remember … .
Be true to yourself. What are you capable of? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
Be optimistic/hopeful. Believe in yourself, even if no one else does.
CARE. Do the very best you can at everything you do. EVERY DAY.
It’s About Making Choices. When you make good choices, you will quickly see the positive results. But, you also have to be willing to accept the consequences for bad choices to make whether they are failures or actions you take. (Examples: Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg).

Successful problem solving is …
5 minutes
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SAY: One of the most important skills to acquire today is the ability to think critically and logically. Avoid these mistakes. READ SLIDE.
As we discussed, choices are an important part of our life—for better or for worse. As you press through the experiences of life, you’ll get better at making choices. Some will be easy. Some will not be easy.
CONCLUSIONS: Be care not to jump to conclusions. Others will … . Don’t be too quick to form opinions without knowing all the facts. Everyone deserves this respect. It’s a matter of integrity.
ATTACKS: We see a lot of this during election campaigns. Take the high road. Don’t insult others. Be the example for others.
APPEAL to AUTHORITY: Try to involve people by citing reputable authority figures.
BEWARE of FALSE STATEMENTS: Some events might be related, but be careful not to make assumptions until you have all the facts. THINK “all or nothing.” It’s one of the most common problems in logic thinking. Consider key facts and differences of opinion.
ARGUMENTS on EMOTION: Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Get past the mask. See if ideas are worthwhile. Lay it DOWN!

Logical Mistakes
5 minutes
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SAY: What is the problem? & How do I solve it? These are the two most important questions to ask yourself before solving any problem you want to tackle.
STEP 1: What is REALLY the problem? What are the causes? Who is involved? Talk to the people involved. Uncover the hidden/unknown facts and assumptions about the problem.
STEP 2: How do I solve the problem? What information is needed to resolve the problem? Can I put something in place temporarily to help? What are possible solutions?
That’s it! All there is to it! Approach everything in this manner and you’ll have less problems and be able to solve some of the most difficult challenges you’ll face in life.

Critical Thinking:
A Two Step Process
10 minutes
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SHARE: Talk about someone you know who has great integrity and share some of your positive/negative examples.
ASK: Do you ever think about things that seem impossible to most people or your friends? Albert Einstein was one of the great all time thinkers! He was considered a genius by most standards, but upon asking him about it, he said … he just never gave up on a problem!
Albert Einstein was fascinated by a compass at an early age, taught himself geometry before age 12, self-driven, loved music, good at math, never gave up, QUOTE from Albert Einstein: “It’s not that I’m so smart, I just stay with problems longer.”
Are you like Albert Einstein? INTEGRITY is an important component of thinking and test taking. It’s takes person with great integrity and great thinking to be challenged by moving beyond what is normally accepted as the “status quo.”
Give yourself permission to become a great thinker.

Character Moment
Integrity
5 minutes
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Distribute POST Test
Evaluation

Wrap It Up … The End!
5 minutes
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©Copyright, SC AHEC, 2007