Re: RE: Any Idea About EMT/Paramedic Textbooks?

[Guest guest]

Donn the voice of reason. The end times approach.

Louis N. Molino, Sr. CET

FF/NREMT/FSI/EMSI

Typed by my thumbs on my iPhone.

On Nov 22, 2008, at 17:20, " D.E. \(Donn\) "

<donn@...> wrote:

> Now you're percolating Rob. The single disagreement I've maintained

> with you

> through the years is epitomized in your previous message to . I

> know

> you, and understand what you're trying to say, but others often

> don't and

> take offense. Your tone is often critical and argumentative; even

> condescending. This message, on the other hand, clarifies a position

> without

> being critical, and opens the door for debate without argument. I

> appreciate

> the fact that you made the clarification. Thank you.

>

> Now, on to your points from this message. I must admit there is

> little you

> say with which I disagree. I've taught plenty of adult learners. The

> most

> frustrating part is the lack of critical thinking displayed by many.

> For

> those, the structure and discipline you mention is probably best.

> However,

> many of the younger generation were weaned on free-wheeling

> educational

> opportunities, have better critical think skills and are more

> adapted to

> self directed learning. These students often do very poorly in a

> structured

> environment. Self-paced learning and the distance ed resources you

> recommended may well prove to be a good option for , and others

> like

> him.

>

> Times are changing. We have to change with them. I'm not ready to

> retire

> yet.

>

> Donn

>

>

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From:

> [mailto: ] On Behalf Of

> rob.davis@...

> Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 8:15 AM

>

> Subject: RE: Any Idea About EMT/Paramedic

> Textbooks?

>

>

>

> On Saturday, November 22, 2008 05:14, " D.E. (Donn) "

> <donnphudpucker (DOT)

> <mailto:donn%40phudpucker.com> com> said:

>

>> ONCE AGAIN Rob minimizes the the value of self education, and once

>> again

> Rob

>> is DEAD WRONG!

>>

>> <snip> ...he again fails to understand

>> that adults learn in different ways, and some learn better

>> following a

>> self-made path. Some folks don't require Rob's regimented form of

> education

>> to achieve lofty heights in medicine.

>

> This is certainly a fair and valid point. And I did not mean to

> minimise the

> value of self-education or even distance education, both of which I

> am a

> true believer in and supporter of. Many distance learning

> institutions --

> particularly in Canada -- do an excellent job at educating new EMS

> practitioners strictly through self-study. My point -- which I

> obviously

> failed to make very specifically -- is that learning -- whether self-

> paced

> and self-directed, or in a classroom -- is ideally achieved when

> there is a

> method to it. And just picking up some books, with no idea of which

> concepts

> build upon which other concepts, and reading through them, is not an

> effective means of learning medicine.

>

> When you pick up the books and start reading them, there is an

> overwhelming

> tendency to turn right to the sexy and exciting stuff, skipping over

> the

> mundane science that is the very basis of everything we do. That

> tendency

> comes from the mistaken notion that most have of our profession,

> which is

> that it is nothing more than a collection of skills to be practised,

> and

> that " all that book learnin' " is not important. So you end up with

> people

> who know a lot of theory about intubation, cardiology, and

> pharmacology, but

> still don't know anything about respiratory or cardiac anatomy and

> function

> to put it into perspective. And if you start packing your mind with

> concepts

> that do not have a solid foundation, it is often harder to teach you

> once

> you get to school than if you had not picked up the books at all.

> Looking

> for Paramedic level textbooks when you do not yet know the basics of

> A & P is

> a sign that this is the direction our friend may be headed. It is

> simply

> easier to teach a blank slate than it is to re-educate someone who

> brings

> with them a slate full of misunderstood concepts and mistaken

> notions. Would

> you rather raise your own newborn baby, or someone else's teenager?

>

> I absolutely recognise the value of self-education. Hell, I'm the

> one who

> has long recommended that Paramedic students read the Dubin EKG book

> before

> the cardiology section of their school, because it honestly does a

> better

> job of self-educating than most Paramedic instructors I have ever

> known. And

> self-education is where most of my education has come from in the last

> thirty-five years, despite eight years of college. And I would never

> discourage anyone from seeking to further enlighten themselves

> through any

> means possible. However, at the very beginning of your education --

> where

> now finds himself -- it is extremely important to get off on

> the right

> foot by establishing an organised foundation. And with not the

> slightest

> previous exposure to medicine, he is not well equipped to determine

> what

> that foundation is composed of. He simply doesn't know what to

> study, so his

> efforts will be chaotic, and in some cases counterproductive.

>

> I will amend my original recommendation to acknowledge the clear

> value of

> self-study, and to further recommend that you find a way to organise

> and

> guide your efforts into productivity. There are distance learning

> courses

> for EMT and Paramedic education that do a fine job of this, and they

> will

> turn your efforts into results -- including a certification --

> instead of

> just time spent reading books. Books raise as many questions as they

> answer.

> And with a course guiding you through the process, you can get those

> questions answered instead of being left confused and only half

> understanding the concepts. Two such institutions are:

>

> http://www.TechProS <http://www.TechProServices.net> ervices.net

> http://www.training <http://www.trainingdivision.com/About.asp>

> division.com/About.asp

>

> There is a synergy in having your learning guided through a logical

> sequence

> that maximises the results from your efforts. My primary point here

> is that

> you should seek that synergy and not just read aimlessly without

> guidance.

> Yes, you can learn without it, but you will also waste a lot of time.

>

> An alternative suggestion for you would be to assure that, when you

> obtain

> your books for self study without the guidance of qualified

> instructors, you

> be sure to obtain the corresponding workbooks that accompany those

> texts.

> That way, you have some guidance along the way to both show you what

> key

> concepts you should be taking from the reading, and to reinforce those

> concepts for you.

>

> Thank you, Donn, for your intelligent and constructive criticism. I

> absolutely should have been clearer in my original recommendations,

> in order

> to give our new friend more insight and options, than to dismiss an

> entire

> learning concept outright.

>

> Best of luck, !

>

> Rob

>

>

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