Policy Paper: The implementation of RA 10650
Open Distance Learning to the Continuing Professional Development of the Medical Technologist

By: Christine R. Guerrero

Abstract

The continuing education is an integral part to the medical and health care profession to enhance performance, improve technical competency, upgrade new skills and promote health awareness. It’s about time that the medical technologist be informed and level up the 21st century skill in medical laboratory science and in public health. Despite of the laws supporting the online education, the progress of online or web-based education system has been very slow and unreliable, there has not been created a medical technology courses offered in the the internet intended to supply the demands of the CPD programs especially to the medical technologist in far places like the provinces or abroad. The research method used in this policy paper study is descriptive analysis or describing characteristics of a population or phenomenon. It describes the the educational and training needs of the medical technologist in a fast-paced health care setting, and the challenges to eliminate the barriers of geographic and economic condition, and thus the need of online course.

While the online learning has overwhelming benefits and advantages, for the online course to be successful the students should be self-disciplined, self-motivated, goal-oriented, responsible, and organised. They should also possess skills in time management, multitasking, and critical thinking.

Reform in this area should include the following: The student must be informed and be ready of the basic knowledge and requirements of online learning methodology. This includes the distance learning readiness, assessment or screening of the students. And to achieve the full benefits of online learning, there should be an option of blended learning as a support to provide the students learning instructions through acquired cognitive learning and motivation and encouragement from the instructor.

My thoughts on International tourism

Even though international tourism creates jobs for the local population in that area and it can attract foreign investors that may improve the local economy, international tourism should be considered more disadvantageous than advantageous because the culture clash that inevitably results from the interaction of the local culture with the cultures of foreign tourists tend to be detrimental. For instance, when white westerners would go to these tourist spots, people in the town would welcome them only because they see them as a money people or someone who could give them lots of money and sometimes some would make funny jokes or stereotype remarks about them. In reality it is hard to accept foreigners in a new place or town because people tend to dislike who looks and acts different from them.


The most important reason international tourism should be considered more disadvantageous than advantageous is because too much exposure and use of environment's natural resources will exhaust its own supplies, leaving nothing to the locals even to the next generation.
Take Boracay Island as an example, because too many local tourists and tourist from around the world visits Bocaray beach every now and then, environmental related problems arises such as garbage disposal problems, coral reefs disruption, ecosystem imbalance and much more.
It may have improved Boracay in becoming famous for awhile and gained economic growth, but in exchange of losing her beauty and innocence, in the long run, the locals will soon feel the effect of the ecological abuse and later on in years to come.


So you can see that although international tourism creates jobs for the local population in that area and it can attract foreign investors that may improve the local economy, international tourism should be considered more disadvantageous than advantageous for two main reasons. First, the culture clash that inevitably results from the interaction of the local culture with the cultures of foreign tourists tend to be detrimental . But most importantly, too much exposure and use of environment's natural resources will exhaust its own supplies, leaving nothing to the locals even to the next generation. And although It is easy to overlook the state of our natural environment for "greater good" of the community of that which brings food to the table in exchange of the life of our dearest mother earth, we should be responsible and be a good stewards of what God has given us, let us take action and start now by taking good care of our nature before it is too late.

Coffee, a friend or a foe?

Coffee drinkers like me are somehow dependent in one way or another in our morning coffee rituals.

I want to explore about it since it has been my brain fuel and comfort for theses past months. Is coffee a friend to be trusted or an enemy in hiding?

The caffeine in brewed coffee is a legal stimulant and has no side effect either except it drives your brain cells to get working. According to this article in Huffington post, "Coffee may make you more intelligent" because the chemicals in the coffee beans can boost the brain to work and think more efficiently and smarter. My example for this is right now, I have my morning brewed coffee beside me while writing this, isn't it brilliant?! Another example is not only i am active in the morning, it helps me in my motor skills to be sharp and accurate and my brain to be alert, exactly what i needed in my job.

Coffee has not just been very helpful to me in waking me up in the morning and drives me to go to work everyday but it has been my close friend, it has never failed me whenever i need a driving force in my work and in my study, and whenever i need to relax when i am stressed. Throughout this years, coffee has been my companion in every twists and turns of my life. Just a few moments in a cafe or coffee shop feels like I'm entering to a new world dimension that takes me away from stress and dealings of this world to the wonderful world of imagination that is just a door step away. (Disclaimer: This is not what you think about pots and smoke, though in other countries it is legal combination with coffee, but here in my country is strictly prohibited, and a drug is different from a stimulant, take it from me, i'm a certified drug analyst, so.... it's not what you think, sorry!) What i mean is, i'm entering to a new world of ideas, this is the time where concepts and understanding is being brewed in my mind at the same time there is the smell the fresh aroma of brewed coffee by the barista. I came to understand a lot of things such as. what is life is about and what it means and in depth wisdom that only can be compounded wherever i am around with coffee.

Just like any other things, coffee can be very addictive. To some, 6-7 cups of coffee per day is not enough, and there we could see a perceivable problem in the future about control issues and discipline. The cliche "keep in moderation" is easier said than done, it has been said many times all over again but the reality still remains that coffee is addicting. The problem lies when the body starts to be dependent of the caffeine and at the same time immune of its effects, and thus, the reason for the increase and escalation of coffee consumption. It takes will of power and strong decision and moral support from loved ones and to some extent from professional help to keep the coffee consumption in moderation.

We can see the reason why coffee drinkers like me turns to coffee not just for social events but to keep me mentally focus and alert in the morning, and it is also an array and a means by which we could delve into the world of ideas and concepts even if it sometimes can be very addictive. It takes strong will power and attitude, moral and emotional support from friends and family to be able be healthy coffee drinker.

Classical Music, Coffee and Studying

By: Christine R. Guerrero, RMT, MLS (ASCPi)CM

Febuary 14, 2016

"Without my morning coffee I'm just like a dried up piece of roast goat."

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) The Coffee Cantata

"Coffee: Induces wit. ..."

Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880)

Most people do not think of classical music and coffee together, and yet one of the  best ways to maximize one's thinking is listening to classical music while sipping a  strong, brewed cup of coffee. Many indeed challenge this notion, saying that any music  (including heavy metal or death rock!) one enjoys maximizes ones thinking, and brewed  coffee a mere luxury for people with money. Even though brewed coffee is expensive and  classical music is often boring or tiring or both, still one should start listening to  classical music while studying and reading with brewed coffee or cappuccino or  espresso, whatever your preference because while the classical music stimulates our  brain into working effectively, it does even more by improving the attention span  and by enhancing  concentration and focus.

A bag of coffee beans can cost more than half of a day's salary and a cup of freshly  brewed coffee can range from a thirty pesos to a One Hundred and fifty pesos depending  on the branding or the name of the coffee shop or establishment. And although the taste of fresh coffee is irresistible, not  everybody likes the taste of coffee, sometimes it maybe too acidic or too strong for  them and these could turn them away and would prefer a better alternative than coffee  such as adequate water consumption, organic veggies, balanced diet and tea for healthier brain leading to an effective studying and concentration. Same in the case of classical music, not all has a love for classical music or has a taste  for one. Because classical  music is not very popular in today's societal musical taste, it will be very difficult  to ask a college student to switch music genre from pop to classical; In my own  experience, transistioning from pop musical preference to a classical music did really  took me a long time to like it, at first I thought of it as boring and uninteresting.  Greg Sandow argued in Pop vs. Classical that pop music has the same effect as of the classical music, it can also stir one's emotion, evoking emotional and spiritual content, implying that listening to  pop music could also improve one's concentration and studying.

But although brewed coffee can be expensive and classical music is often boring or tiring or  both to modern hearers used to pop music, still one should start listening to classical music while studying and reading  with brewed coffee because while pop music may have the same effect as classical music, it is classical music that has a greater effect than pop music in stimulating our brain into working effectively. According to the article Studying for finals? Let classical music help,  

University research in France, published in Learning and Individual Differences, found  that students who listened to a one-hour lecture where classical music was played in  the background scored significantly higher in a quiz on the lecture when compared to a  similar group of students who ?heard the lecture with no music.

The researchers  speculated that the music put students in a heightened emotional state, making them  more receptive to information.

And if one is inclined to think that any other genre of music will have the same effect, the article continues, "But make sure you are listening to classical music, because not all music aids blood pressure, a University of San Diego study found."

Scientists at the university compared changes in blood pressure among individuals listening to classical, jazz or pop music. Those listening to classical had significantly lower systolic blood pressure when compared to those listening to other musical genres or no music at all.

If testing anxiety causes sleepless nights, classical music can help soothe insomnia. A team of researchers at the University of Toronto found that tuning into classical music before bedtime helped  people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Works by Brahms, Handel, Mozart, Strauss and Bach  were effective sleep aids because they use rhythms and tonal patterns that create a meditative mood and slow brainwaves, the study found.

What this means is that while a person studying to the tune of classical music is just as receptive to one studying with pop music in the background, listener of classical music is more relaxed which enhances significantly the effect of study.

The most important reason why one should start listening to classical music is, according to Chris Boyd Brewer, "Baroque music, such as that composed by Bach, Handel or  Telemann, that is 50 to 80 beats per minute creates an atmosphere of focus that leads  students into deep concentration in the alpha brain wave state. Learning vocabulary,  memorizing facts or reading to this music is highly effective." Thus, it help establish  a more positive learning state than pop music, create a more desired relaxing atmosphere, increases attention span, focus concentration and improve memory. This all the more when combined with coffee, which improve the brain's memory and attention span because of caffeine's  cognitive enhancing effect, one might find classical music and freshly brewed coffee a perfect combination for optimal  learning.

So you can see that although brewed coffee is expensive and classical music is perceived as either boring or tiring, still one should start listening to classical music while  studying and reading with brewed coffee or cappuccino or espresso, whatever your  preference for two main reasons. First, while both pop and classical music may have the same effect (which is debatable, at best), classical music stimulates our brains more effectively than pop music, it does even more by improving the attention span especially  when combined with coffee. But most importantly, the combination of classical music (or more specifically, Baroque music and Mozart) and coffee has greater effect on the person's concentration and focus than pop music ever would, for pop music is more distracting and therefore less conducive to focused study. Bach, the preeminent Baroque composer whose music is one of the suggested listening for studying, has expressed his love for coffee through the Cantata he made about coffee. I think that Gustave Flaubert got it right when said, "Coffee induces wit," for many years later  science proved his assertion. I had my caffeine fix this morning and Vivaldi on the background, this two components when combined together instantly enriched my brain with so much ideas  that needed to be written down, so here it is, my thesis on coffee and classical music.  And coffee need not be very expensive at all, for one doesn't have to go to a coffee shop  to get one's caffeine fix. There are now easier and cheaper ways to brew fresh coffee at home. So try sipping warm coffee, turn on youtube and play some classical  music for studying and concentration--simple and easy as pie.

Citations:

Greg Sandow, Pop vs. Classical, www.artsjournal.com, 2008

Allison Engel, Studying for finals? Let classical music help, www.news.usc.edu, 2014

Chris Boyd Brewer, Music and Learning: Integrating Music in the Classroom, John Hopkins  School of Education, 1995

Managing Time: School, Work and Leisure

Everyday in our life we set aside a time and much of this is for studying and working either outside or at home doing some errands and house chores. After high school or college comes next is entering the professional career and that again is work and study but more in working. The question is where is the leisure part comes in? Some would say, "I have no time for fun", "I need to work harder"... But is it worthwhile?

Studying and working hard is very essential in building one's career or future economic stability. The benefits that one can reap from being diligent at what he does is vastly enormous. As Marlon Wayan says, "Success is not a destination, but the road that you're on. Being successful means that you're working hard and walking your walk every day. You can only live your dream by working hard towards it. That's living your dream." Even Vince Lombardi Jr. agreed too by saying,“The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. work is the key to success, and hard work can help you accomplish anything.” I could almost claim that because of my hard work I graduated from college, and after years of studying hard finally passed the qualifying exams. But how I did it, blows me away! What I discovered along my journey to success is the missing piece to my pie chart, first is Study, second is Work and lastly Leisure. Spending quality time with my family and friends and at church is one of the most satisfying and fulfilling things. It refreshes one's mind, it creates a clearer thinking mindset and a wider perspective. In these times I've got to rest, pray, recharge and do my favorite hobbies and this is where my inspirations is built.

Working and studying hard can benefit us from achieving almost anything, but it doesn't guarantee success in a world's point of view. Because there are a lot of factor to consider in become "successful" n the world. These are just few but important factor such as wealth, connections, and a little bit of politics and successful communication or marketing oneself. The link between the gap of "working hard" and "success" is known as of what we called "Working Smarter". As the saying goes, "Time is gold" so better use time wisely and part of working smarter is Time management. Chapter 3, p. 85 of Managing Your Time from the book Essential Study Skills by Linda Wong, says, "Time Management is a highly prized skill in both the work force and the academic world. Learning to manage time effectively will help you meet your goals, be productive, and achieve success in many different avenues of your life. The following strategies will help you apply your time-management skills more effectively and consistently."

How to apply Time Management?
First, Be Flexible - Set a flexible daily task to accomplish each day. Even the littlest thing done is a great achievement. If a task is a long term process, patience is the key. Just keep on working on it.
Secondly, Post a note reminder - Post a note of things to do, in your work area and even right in front door of your fridge, this will remind you of your daily tasks and schedules to meet, knowing your schedules, maybe your family and friends could help in their little own way.
Third and lastly, Seek Solutions to Time-Management Problems. "Some would find that their lives have specific circumstances that make creating a weekly time-management schedule difficult. Be resourceful and seek solutions to your scheduling conflicts. Discuss your circumstances with your instructor or with other students; frequently they will be able to suggest solutions." Chapter 3 p.85, Managing your Time, Essential Study Skills by Linda Wong.

To summarize it, Learning Time-management helps one balanced their time for studying and working and for leisure. It is a skill that need to be practiced, and eventually mastering it will help one to  achieve the desired goal in a span of time or a specific amount of time. Everyone needs everyone, helping a friend, making time for family, and setting time for God and church, do charity works is using your time wisely. As would Ecclesiastes Chapter Three verse One would say,"To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:..."


Written by:
Christine Guerrero


 Marlon Wayan says, "Success is not a destination,...."; Vince Lombardi Jr.,“The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. work is the key to success,...."
Chapter 3, p. 85 of Managing Your Time from the book Essential Study Skills by Linda Wong,

Multiple-Choice Exams: Myths, Misconceptions, and How to Conquer Them

Multiple-choice exams have existed for more than 70 years—so have the myths surrounding them. Still, many students believe such tests put them at a disadvantage. Thus, it would be worthwhile to dispel some of these myths, and then find out the best way to prepare for them.

Myth #1 “They measure only isolated facts, not what I really know.”

In truth, since a multiple-choice question can be answered usually within a minute, many questions can be asked in a given period of time. Thus, coverage of topics can be more comprehensive than other kinds of tests such as essay and short-answer.

Further, the more questions you have to answer, the less likely your overall performance will suffer if you encounter problems with a single topic.

By contrast, since essay and short-answer questions tend to be highly selective, your overall performance will suffer if you are unsure you
addressed the question correctly.

 Myth #2 “You just have to memorize.”

Actually, properly designed multiple-choice questions test your capacity to understand a body of complex and sophisticated information, and to reason and analyze using that understanding. In other words, multiple-choice questions demand the same sort of capacities as other kinds of tests such as essay and short-answer tests.

Granted, you must know terms and their definitions. Even more crucial, however, is gaining a thorough understanding of a subject’s particular discourse that will enable you to interpret and apply your understanding come test time.

Myth #3 “Your need to know the little tricks.”

We've heard this advice before: “When in doubt, choose the longest answer;” “Choose one of the ‘inner’ answers” (i.e. not the first or the last); “Eliminate distracters that contain extreme modifiers” (always, never etc.), and so forth. Multiple-choice tests, after all, contain “trick questions.”

In reality, multiple-choice questions are straightforward. What makes particular questions difficult has nothing to do with the multiple-choice format, but with the complexity of understanding needed to answer the question.

Myth #4 “You should stay with your first answers.”

Conventional wisdom suggests that if you change an answer, you are more likely to change to a wrong answer. Research suggests otherwise:

• Anywhere from 57% to 96% of students change their answers, with a median of 84%.
• The proportion of items changed is around 3%.
• Wrong to Right — 57.8%
• Right to Wrong — 20.2%
• Wrong to Wrong — 22.8%

A word of caution: The success of your answer depends on your reason for the change. While your judgment usually improves when you take time to reflect, it worsens when your mind fills with doubt or anxiety.

So, How Do I Prepare?

Toughen up.

Many students aren't tough enough with themselves about whether they really know and understand things. Instead, they passively browse and highlight text in the hope that information with stay vaguely in their minds.

Mastery, by contrast, demands self-questioning, searching for connections and relationships, making clear distinctions between terms, concepts, theories, and processes, and seeing how the details fit together to form “the big picture.”

Pair up.

Study pairs or groups work best when people who are roughly equal in their knowledge, diligence, and motivation use each other to consolidate their grasp of material they have already studied individually.

What doesn’t work: just hearing other people’s quick summaries of what they’ve read. What does work: asking pertinent questions and responding with fully elaborated explanations. Only then does the information become fixed in long-term memory.

Quiz yourself—ruthlessly.

Old exams, end-of-chapter questions, and study guides—all are useful for testing what you know and identifying areas you need to work on. Making up you own questions and answering them is also an excellent way to test your knowledge. After all, why wait for your professor’s study guide
when you can create one of your own?

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~lrngctrs/pdf/multiplechoiceexams.pdf

busy days

Been busy all this months, from personal reasons, family to work and stresses of academic pursuits. Through all of these, prayer is my saving grace and a comfort of cup of coffee and music along the journey. Being part of Order of St. Luke's, prayer is a vital part and much more is the Eucharist. Six to seven times a day is the biblical way of how should a christian pray. Or atleast three times. "Pray without ceasing".