Biblical Worldview On Nehemiah

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EDUC 741

Biblical Worldview on Nehemiah Instructions

You will write 6 leadership journal entries discussing the various prompts below. While reflecting on the writing prompt, focus on the following main areas. First, write clearly your thoughts as related to the topic. Second, write clearly your reflections on the topic as related to your individual growth as leaders. Use the headings Summary and Reflection to indicate the two areas.

 

Each journal entry must be 300-450 words. You can write your entries any time throughout the course, but they must all be submitted in one document at the end of the course with a title page and a reference page.

 

Leadership Journal 1 (Module 2):

Discuss how Nehemiah, as a leader, clarified values for the people and set an example. Based upon this reading as well as literature on the topic of Christian philosophy of education, convey a basic understanding of the elements of an educational philosophy that is based distinctively on a perspective drawn from Judeo-Christian scriptures. Address axiological issues.

 

Leadership Journal 2 (Module 3):

Analyze the specific leadership actions Nehemiah took to protect his enlisted workers who had bought in to the vision. Draw from this text practical applications to leadership within the field of education.

 

Leadership Journal 3 (Module 4):

Identify the leadership strategies that Nehemiah used to remove barriers and make things happen. Discuss the implications of a biblical worldview of leadership; include practical applications to the overall field of education

 

Leadership Journal 4 (Module 6):

Discuss how the teaching of the law by Ezra fostered shared knowledge, built community, and strengthened others. Draw from this text practical applications to leadership within the field of education.

 

Leadership Journal 5 (Module 7):

Discuss the importance of personal contribution and celebration in the life of organizations.

 

Leadership Journal 6 (Module 8):

Discuss specific leadership dangers that you face. Identify specific action steps to deal with these dangers/pitfalls. Clearly state how these actions support you as an educational leader.

 

 

Submit your completed Leadership Journal by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday of Module/Week 8.

Benchmark SPD 570- Algebra Unit Plan

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Read the case study to inform the assignment.

Case Study:  Maria

Grade:  9th

Age:  14

It is the beginning of the second semester, and Maria is having a great deal of difficulty in her algebra class. She has an understanding of the basic concepts of algebra, but has not mastered the skills needed to move to the higher-level concepts her class is now working on. Currently, her math performance level is two years below grade level and her reading performance level is one year below grade level. Maria’s teacher has spoken with her parents about the possible need for additional support, and her parents have agreed to help at home.

They have identified the following goals for Maria:

  1. Simplify addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division equations (e.g., (2x + 6) (4x + 7) = 6x + 13).
  2. Solve expressions with variables (e.g., 3x = -24).
  3. Write and solve the algebra equation in a real-life word problem.

Part One: Strategies

Research instructional strategies applicable to meeting Maria’s needs established through her identified goals.

Instructional strategies should include:

  • Explicitly teaching vocabulary
  • Concrete-representational-abstract method
  • Graphic organizers
  • Mnemonic devices
  • The use of assistive technology

In 250-500 words, summarize the recommended instructional strategies, rationalizing the appropriateness to Maria’s goals, appropriateness in motivating Maria to meet her goals, and specific tips for implementation.

Part Two: Unit Plan

Design a comprehensive unit plan based on the goals identified for Maria. Complete three lesson plans, using applicable sections of the COE Lesson Plan Template.

Your unit plan must include:

  • Sequencing of academic goals and learning progressions.
  • Instructional strategies identified in Part One.
  • Appropriate augmentative and alternative communication systems and assistive technology.
  • Integration of both formative and summative assessment.
  • Integration of an appropriate ELA writing standard related to Maria’s third identified goal.

Part Three: Home Connection

In 250-300 words, summarize and explain how you plan to involve Maria’s parents in meeting her goals. Include a specific at-home activity to help in her continued success.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

Submit this assignment to your instructor in LoudCloud.

Section 1: Lesson Preparation

Teacher Candidate Name: 

Grade Level:

Date:

Unit/Subject:

Instructional Plan Title:

Lesson Summary and Focus:

In 2-3 sentences, summarize the lesson, identifying the central focus based on the content and skills you are teaching. 

Classroom and Student Factors/Grouping:

Describe the important classroom factors (demographics and environment) and student factors (IEPs, 504s, ELLs, students with behavior concerns, gifted learners), and the effect of those factors on planning, teaching, and assessing students to facilitate learning for all students. This should be limited to 2-3 sentences and the information should inform the differentiation components of the lesson.

National/State Learning Standards:

Review national and state standards to become familiar with the standards you will be working with in the classroom environment. 

Your goal in this section is to identify the standards that are the focus of the lesson being presented. Standards must address learning initiatives from one or more content areas, as well as align with the lesson’s learning targets/objectives and assessments.

Include the standards with the performance indicators and the standard language in its entirety. 

Specific Learning Target(s)/Objectives:

Learning objectives are designed to identify what the teacher intends to measure in learning. These must be aligned with the standards. When creating objectives, a learner must consider the following: 

  • Who is the audience
  • What action verb will be measured during instruction/assessment
  • What tools or conditions are being used to meet the learning

What is being assessed in the lesson must align directly to the objective created. This should not be a summary of the lesson, but a measurable statement demonstrating what the student will be assessed on at the completion of the lesson. For instance, “understand” is not measureable, but “describe” and “identify” are.

For example:

Given an unlabeled map outlining the 50 states, students will accurately label all state names. 

Academic Language

In this section, include a bulleted list of the general academic vocabulary and content-specific vocabulary you need to teach. In a few sentences, describe how you will teach students those terms in the lesson.

Resources, Materials, Equipment, and Technology:

List all resources, materials, equipment, and technology you and the students will use during the lesson. As required by your instructor, add or attach copies of ALL printed and online materials at the end of this template. Include links needed for online resources. 

Section 2: Instructional Planning

Anticipatory Set

Your goal in this section is to open the lesson by activating students’ prior knowledge, linking previous learning with what they will be learning in this lesson and gaining student interest for the lesson. Consider various learning preferences (movement, music, visuals) as a tool to engage interest and motivate learners for the lesson.

In a bulleted list, describe the materials and activities you will use to open the lesson. Bold any materials you will need to prepare for the lesson.

For example:

  • I will use a visual of the planet Earth and ask students to describe what Earth looks like.
  • I will record their ideas on the white board and ask more questions about the amount of water they think is on planet Earth and where the water is located. 

Time Needed

Multiple Means of Representation

Learners perceive and comprehend information differently. Your goal in this section is to explain how you would present content in various ways to meet the needs of different learners. For example, you may present the material using guided notes, graphic organizers, video or other visual media, annotation tools, anchor charts, hands-on manipulatives, adaptive technologies, etc. 

In a bulleted list, describe the materials you will use to differentiate instruction and how you will use these materials throughout the lesson to support learning. Bold any materials you will need to prepare for the lesson.

For example:

  • I will use a Venn diagram graphic organizer to teach students how to compare and contrast the two main characters in the read-aloud story. 
  • I will model one example on the white board before allowing students to work on the Venn diagram graphic organizer with their elbow partner.

Explain how you will differentiate materials for each of the following groups: 

  • English language learners (ELL):
  • Students with special needs:
  • Students with gifted abilities:
  • Early finishers (those students who finish early and may need additional resources/support):

Time Needed

Multiple Means of Engagement

Your goal for this section is to outline how you will engage students in interacting with the content and academic language. How will students explore, practice, and apply the content? For example, you may engage students through collaborative group work, Kagan cooperative learning structures, hands-on activities, structured discussions, reading and writing activities, experiments, problem solving, etc.

In a bulleted list, describe the activities you will engage students in to allow them to explore, practice, and apply the content and academic language. Bold any activities you will use in the lesson. Also, include formative questioning strategies and higher order thinking questions you might pose. 

For example:

  • I will use a matching card activity where students will need to find a partner with a card that has an answer that matches their number sentence.  
  • I will model one example of solving a number sentence on the white board before having students search for the matching card. 
  • I will then have the partner who has the number sentence explain to their partner how they got the answer. 

Explain how you will differentiate activities for each of the following groups: 

  • English language learners (ELL):
  • Students with special needs:
  • Students with gifted abilities:
  • Early finishers (those students who finish early and may need additional resources/support):

Time Needed

Multiple Means of Expression

Learners differ in the ways they navigate a learning environment and express what they know. Your goal in this section is to explain the various ways in which your students will demonstrate what they have learned. Explain how you will provide alternative means for response, selection, and composition to accommodate all learners. Will you tier any of these products? Will you offer students choices to demonstrate mastery? This section is essentially differentiated assessment.

In a bulleted list, explain the options you will provide for your students to express their knowledge about the topic. For example, students may demonstrate their knowledge in more summative ways through a short answer or multiple-choice test, multimedia presentation, video, speech to text, website, written sentence, paragraph, essay, poster, portfolio, hands-on project, experiment, reflection, blog post, or skit. Bold the names of any summative assessments. 

Students may also demonstrate their knowledge in ways that are more formative. For example, students may take part in thumbs up-thumbs middle-thumbs down, a short essay or drawing, an entrance slip or exit ticket, mini-whiteboard answers, fist to five, electronic quiz games, running records, four corners, or hand raising. Underline the names of any formative assessments.

For example:

Students will complete a one-paragraph reflection on the in-class simulation they experienced. They will be expected to write the reflection using complete sentences, proper capitalization and punctuation, and utilize an example from the simulation to demonstrate their understanding. Students will also take part in formative assessments throughout the lesson, such as thumbs up-thumbs middle-thumbs down and pair-share discussions, where you will determine if you need to re-teach or re-direct learning.

Explain if you will differentiate assessments for each of the following groups: 

  • English language learners (ELL):
  • Students with special needs:
  • Students with gifted abilities:
  • Early finishers (those students who finish early and may need additional resources/support):

Time Needed

Extension Activity and/or Homework

Identify and describe any extension activities or homework tasks as appropriate. Explain how the extension activity or homework assignment supports the learning targets/objectives. As required by your instructor, attach any copies of homework at the end of this template.

Time Needed

Rationale/Reflection

After writing your complete lesson plan, explain three instructional strategies you included in your lesson and why. How do these strategies promote collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity? Bold the name of the strategy.

For example:

.

  • Think-Pair-Share promotes engagement, communication, and collaboration because all students get a chance to share their ideas or answers. This is beneficial to students because they get to put their ideas into words, and hear and discuss the perspectives of others.  GCU College of Education

    LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

    03/2014

    Teacher Candidate:

    Grade Level:

    Date:

    Unit/Subject:

    Instructional Plan Title

    		  
    I. Planning
    Lesson summary and focus: In a few sentences, summarize this lesson, identifying the central focus based on the content/skills you are teaching.

     
    Classroom and student factors: Describe the important classroom factors (demographics and environment) and student factors (IEPs, 504s, ELLs, non-labeled challenged students), and the impact of those factors on planning, teaching and assessing students to facilitate learning for all students.

     
    National / State Learning Standards: Identify the relevant grade level standard(s), including the strand, cluster, and standard(s) by number and its text.
    Specific learning target(s) / objectives:

    Specify exactly what the students will be able to do after the standards-based lesson.

     

    		 Teaching notes:

    Clarify where this lesson falls within a unit of study.
    Agenda:

    Identify the (1) opening of the lesson; (2) learning and teaching activities; and (3) closure that you can post as an agenda for the students that includes the approximate time for each segment.

    		 Formative assessment:

    Identify the process and how you will measure the progress toward mastery of learning target(s).
    Academic Language: Key vocabulary:

    Include the content-specific terms you need to teach and how you will teach students that vocabulary in the lesson.

     

    		 Function:

    Clarify the purpose the language is intended to achieve within each subject area. Functions often consist of the verbs found in the standards and learning goal statements. How will your students demonstrate their understanding?

    		 Form:

    Describe the structures or ways of organizing language to serve a particular function within each subject area. What kinds of structures will you implement so that your students might demonstrate their depth of understanding?

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Instructional Materials, Equipment and Technology: List ALL materials, equipment and technology the teacher and students will use during the lesson. Add or attach copies of ALL printed and online materials at the end of this template. Be sure to address how you will teach the students to use the technology in Section II. INSTRUCTION.
    Grouping: Identify grouping strategies that will support your students’ learning needs.

     

     

     

    II. Instruction
    A. Opening
    Prior knowledge connection: Identify how this lesson connects to previous lessons / learning (prior knowledge of students) and students’ lives.
    Anticipatory set: Identify how this lesson is meaningful to the students and connects to their lives.
    B. Learning and Teaching Activities (Teaching and Guided Practice):
    I Do Students Do Differentiation
    Your “I Do” instructional procedures should include:

    The teaching strategy you will use to teach each step that includes modeling and formative assessment;

    transition statements you will make throughout your lesson and essential questions you will ask; and academic language of vocabulary, function, and form.

    Script detailed, step-by-step instructions on how you will implement the instructional plan.

    Use a numbered list of each step;

    bold every example of modeling;

    italicize every formative assessment.

    		 Your “Students Do” procedures should describe exactly what students will do during the lesson that corresponds to each step of the “I Do.”

     

    Please use a corresponding numbered list.

    		 Describe methods of differentiation, including accommodation or differentiation strategies for academically, behaviorally and motivationally challenged students.

     

    Please use a corresponding numbered list.

     

    Also include extension activities: What will students who finish early do?

     

     

    III. ASSESSMENT
    Summative Assessment: Include details of any summative assessment as applicable and attach a copy with an answer key. Explain how the summative assessment measures the learning target(s)/objectives. If you do not include a summative assessment, identify how you will measure students’ mastery of the learning target(s)/objectives. Differentiation:

    Describe methods of differentiation for your summative assessment, including accommodation or differentiation strategies for academically, behaviorally and motivationally challenged students.
    Closure:

     

    		 Explain how students will share what they have learned in the lesson. Identify questions that you can ask students to begin the closure conversation. Identify how students will confirm transfer of the learning target(s)/ objectives to application outside the classroom.
    Homework: Clearly identify any homework tasks as appropriate. Elaborate whether the homework is drill- or skill-practice-based and explain how the homework assignment supports the learning targets / objectives. Attach any copies of homework.

Discussion 1 Professional And Ethical Reflection

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Review the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Special Education Professional Ethics Principles and National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) Code of Ethics.  Then visit Voicethread: Ethics and Responsibilities (Links to an external site.).  If you are unable to see the video in VoiceThread, or require closed caption, please view it in YouTube: Student Privacy 101: FERPA for Parents and Students (Links to an external site.).

Initial Post: After watching the video, you will create an initial response that responds to the two posted discussion board prompts below directly on VoiceThread.  You are able to access this by hovering your mouse in the center of the green ‘play’ bar until, where you will click on the “+” sign.  For each question you will state, specifically using support from the readings and Instructor Guidance from Week Six, your answers to the following:

  • How      does FERPA relate directly to the CEC and NASET standard of ethics for      special educators?
  • What      characteristics and behaviors will make you stand out as an ethical      teacher?

*Please be sure to create an original post on the discussion board with your name in the subject line and the words “See VoiceThread” in the comments section.*

Guided Response: Review the posts of your classmates made in VoiceThread, reply in the discussion board under their initial post.  Choose two peers to endorse, question, or refute each viewpoint, citing the CEC or NASET Code of Ethics.

Though two replies are the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and application of the material, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions others have made (including your Instructor) before the last day of the discussion period.  This will extend the conversation while providing opportunities to demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real work experiences with this topic. See attached document for full work instructions

Week 6 Discussion 1 Professional and ethical Reflection

Review the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Special Education Professional Ethics Principles and National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) Code of Ethics.  Then visit Voicethread: Ethics and Responsibilities (Links to an external site.) .  If you are unable to see the video in VoiceThread, or require closed caption, please view it in YouTube: Student Privacy 101: FERPA for Parents and Students (Links to an external site.) .

Initial Post: After watching the video, you will create an initial response that responds to the two posted discussion board prompts below directly on VoiceThread.  You are able to access this by hovering your mouse in the center of the green ‘play’ bar until, where you will click on the “+” sign.  For each question you will state, specifically using support from the readings and Instructor Guidance from Week Six, your answers to the following:

· How does FERPA relate directly to the CEC and NASET standard of ethics for special educators?

· What characteristics and behaviors will make you stand out as an ethical teacher?

*Please be sure to create an original post on the discussion board with your name in the subject line and the words “See VoiceThread” in the comments section.*

Guided Response: Review the posts of your classmates made in VoiceThread, reply in the discussion board under their initial post.  Choose two peers to endorse, question, or refute each viewpoint, citing the CEC or NASET Code of Ethics.

Though two replies are the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and application of the material, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions others have made (including your Instructor) before the last day of the discussion period.  This will extend the conversation while providing opportunities to demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real work experiences with this topic.

 

 

Instructor Guidance

Week Six

Introduction

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), comprised of international education professionals, is a like-minded community who share the common goal of improving educational practices for students with disabilities. The video  Celebrate Exceptional  (Links to an external site.) explains how this organization celebrates exceptionality, diversity, and individuality.

The Council for Exceptional Children is a premier education organization, internationally renowned for its expertise and leadership, working collaboratively with strategic partners to ensure that children and youth with exceptionalities are valued and full participating members of society. As a diverse and vibrant professional community, CEC is a trusted voice in shaping education practice and policy. (CEC, vision, 2015).

The CEC standardized a guide of ethical principles and practices for special educators to meet the needs of students with disabilities, respect the rights of the families they support, create a learning environment founded on respect and acceptance and commit to lifelong learning and professional growth. In addition to professional and ethical safeguards outlined by the CEC, the federal law, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), was designed to ensure that the privacy of student records (FERPA, n.d.). For students with a disability covered under IDEA, there are additional provisions provided to children and their families that include education records, personal identifying information and dispute resolution outcome (IDEA and FERPA, 2014). The Law of Student Records or…FERPA Guy Explains It All to You!  (Links to an external site.)  provides an authentic example of how teachers may unintentionally violate a student’s right to privacy.

 

In Practice

Along with Henry, you have six other students identified as having specialized academic and behavioral needs. Some of these students may be falling behind in their academics. Others may not appear engaged in the classwork or homework activities. Yet others may appear to have a negative attitude. You work hard to focus on creating a proactive positive classroom environment, where every student feels safe and embraced for their unique characteristics. During your lunch break, you go to the teacher’s lounge where you overhear some teachers talking about some of the other students with disabilities in your class. One of the teachers is warning the next grade’s successor of future students, their behavior problems, IEP goals, and issues with the families during team meetings. Being a new teacher, you tend to avoid conflict; but, in this instance, you know that the student’s privacy rights are being violated, and that if a visiting parent overheard this conversation the school could be held liable for violating FERPA laws.

 

Week Six Discussion

Children with disabilities are protected by various laws, agencies, and organizations that are all aligned with the common goal of respecting the rights and privacy of students and their families. FERPA, CEC Ethical Principles and Professional Standards, and the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) Code of Ethics are recognized as the national guideline standards. During the Week Six discussion board, you will explain how FERPA relates directly to the CEC and NASET standard of ethics for special educators and what characteristics and behaviors will make you stand out as an ethical teacher. First, you will review the Code of Ethics published by the CEC and by the NASET in the weekly required reading. Then you will watch the Voicethread video posted in the discussion board prompt. After watching the video, you will create an initial response that answers how FERPA relate directly to the CEC and NASET standard of ethics for special educators and what characteristics and behaviors will make you stand out as an ethical teacher? For the second discussion board post this week you will watch the video Creating Your Teacher Interview Portfolio  (Links to an external site.) and then reflect on how this course has helped you determine your professional interests in the field of special education. Think about how an online portfolio will give you a competitive edge in the 21st-century job market. Consider new ideas and topics you would like to learn more about and why. For each discussion board post, make sure to use the Grading Rubric as a self-checklist before submitting the final copy of your assignment to confirm you have met or exceeded each required expectation. The highest level of achievement on the rubric is distinguished, which is only earned through exceeding posted expectations at the proficiency level. Please remember you are in a masters-level program. Therefore, your writing, research, and content are held to graduate-level expectations.

 

Week Six Final Paper Guidance

As you complete your first year of teaching, you think about the process of creating a partnership of respect, mutual understanding, and professional comradery. You decide to end the school year by creating a user-friendly guide with relevant resources, special education terms and definitions, real-world examples, and family-based privacy information specific to students with disabilities for Mr. Franklin and other general educators. For the final summative assignment, you will design a resource manual of up-to-date information in the field of special education. It can also be a rich source of documentation of your work in this program as you consider entering the field of special education and in preparation for the Capstone course, the final class required to complete the Masters of Arts in Special Education program. The MASE program provides the opportunity to create an online portfolio that can be used in your professional practice and also in the final Capstone course, ESE699. You may select this assignment and subsequent coursework to include as artifacts. Therefore, it is strongly encouraged that you save your coursework on a flash-drive (e.g., a USB removable drive) or store in a cloud-based option such as Dropbox, GoogleDrive, or other similar applications.

 

References

CEC. (2014). Mission & vision (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://www.cec.sped.org/About-Us/Mission-and-Vision

Classroom Caboodle. (2014, September 4). Creating your teacher interview portfolio  (Links to an external site.)  (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/5GRQlfYACkY

Council for Exceptional Children. (2014, July 20).  Celebrate exceptional (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/0f4o5KNO6-4

legaldigest. (2010, June 4).  The law of student records or … FERPA guy explains it all to you! (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/2HdyItsQK-Q

Surprenant, K., Miller, F., & Pasternak, S. (2014, June). IDEA and FERPA confidentiality provisions (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/ptac/pdf/idea-ferpa.pdf

U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Family educational rights and privacy act (FERPA) (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

 

Required Resources

Text

Henley, M., Ramsey, R. S., & Algozzine, R. (2009). Characteristics of and strategies for teaching students with mild disabilities . Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson

· Chapter 11: Building Family Partnerships

Multimedia

Classroom Caboodle. (2013, September 4). Creating Your Teacher Interview Portfolio  (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GRQlfYACkY

· This brief video outlines the importance and usefulness of creating an online teacher interview portfolio. Included is information on choosing appropriate artifacts and documents. Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.)   Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)

Phillips, M. (2014, December 4). Ethics and Responsibilities (Links to an external site.) [Presentation]. Retrieved from https://voicethread.com/new/myvoice/#thread/6362620/32875161

· This is the prompt for the web-based application required for the this week’s discussion board. Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.)   Privacy Policy

Websites

National Association of Special Education Teachers: Code of ethics (Links to an external site.) . (2007). Retrieved from https://www.naset.org/2444.0.html

· Then National Association of Special Educators (NASET) has published a code of ethics for all special educators to establish a level of professional excellence. Accessibility Statement does not exist. Privacy Policy

Special education professional ethical principles and practice standards (Links to an external site.) . (2014). Retrieved from http://www.cec.sped.org/Standards/Ethical-Principles-and-Practice-Standards

· Special education teachers use the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) as the ‘gold star’ standard for ethical principles and practices standards. The Special Education Professional Ethical Principals outline the commitment to children and their families required by all special educators. Accessibility Statement does not exist. Privacy Policy 

Recommended Resource

Multimedia

Usedgov. (2013, November 7). Student Privacy 101: FERPA for Parents and Students  (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhlDkS8hvMU

· This is the video used in Voicethread which includes closed captions for those who require additional supports. Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.)   Privacy Policy

Study On Planning Organizational Change Using The Four-Step Change Process.

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CASE STUDY: RIVERBEND

Preparation

Review the following case, which focuses on the experience of Riverbend City Medical Center, an organization facing a cultural conflict. You can supplement your experience by reading the transcript.

· Planning Organizational Change Using the Four-Step Change Process. –BELOW CONVERSATIONS

Instructions

Write an analysis of the Riverbend case study, Planning Organizational Change Using the Four-Step Change Process. Include the following components:

Welcome to Riverbend City

Ongoing communication problems between the Hmong community and Riverbend City Medical Center (RCMC) were punctuated painfully during the train derailment—especially through the altercation with the Vang family. An embarrassing article about the altercation in the Free Press prompts hospital CEO Eugene Pittman to investigate a successful Merced, California program. In Merced, the medical community has been teaching principles of Western medicine to Hmong shamans (traditional spiritual healers). The shamans act as a bridge between medical professionals and the Hmong community. When consulting with Hmong patients, the shamans instruct the patients in Western medicine and also perform traditional rituals.

Instructions

It is important for nurses to consider the cultural norms and needs of the people they serve. It also sometimes becomes necessary to “think outside the box” and consider ideas that may seem unorthodox. As you read about the strategies being considered by RCMC leadership, consider the degree to which you feel the program will be effective. What steps should the hospital take to maximize the effectiveness of this program?

RIVERBEND CITY MEDICAL CENTER

CEO’s Office

Eugene Pittman invites Beatriz Garcia-Chavez, CNO, and Shannon Moe, Nurse Training Manager, to discuss the proposed Hmong shaman training program.

CONVERSation #1 Eugene explains his idea to improve understanding between his staff and the Hmong community.

01:20

HIDE TRANSCRIPT

EUGENE PITTMAN: This disaster really brought to light how poor our relationship is the Hmong community. It is a situation that must change.

BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ: The nurses are frustrated too, Eugene. Everyone was very upset when that Free Press article came out last week. We felt like we did everything we could during the disaster to accommodate the diverse needs of our patients-especially considering how short staffed we were. But that article made us look like we weren’t even trying.

EUGENE PITTMAN: I know that’s not the case, Beatriz. [Sighs] But yes, that article needs to be a wakeup call for the hospital. Clearly we’re not meeting the needs of our Hmong patients, and we need to try something new.

SHANNON MOE: I’m so glad you brought the Merced shaman liaison program to our attention, Eugene. It looks promising. I’m wondering what we would need to do to make the program work here?

EUGENE PITTMAN: I don’t know, Shannon. That’s what I want you and Beatriz to help me figure out. What I do know is that this hospital failed to communicate properly with the Hmong population during a crisis, and now the press is at our throats. We have to do something, and the Merced program has seen a lot of success

BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ: The Merced program is pretty unorthodox. Are you comfortable with that?

EUGENE PITTMAN: Laughs] Not entirely! You know I tend to be conservative when it comes to experiments like this. But in this case, we may just need to think outside the box.

Conversation #2 Beatriz brings up concerns about the proposed Hmong shaman program.

01:20

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BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ: I’m definitely intrigued by the idea a Hmong shaman program, and so are the nurses. But I have to say that the nurses do have some concerns.

EUGENE PITTMAN: What are their concerns, Beatriz?

BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ: Well, everyone seems fine with the idea of training shamans about germ theory and other Western medicine concepts. It’s been a struggle to get some of our older Hmong patients to agree to the most basic procedures, like getting their blood drawn. So we’d all like to learn more about how shamans can act as liaisons. However, the nurses are concerned about letting the shamans perform rituals in the hospital.

SHANNON MOE: Rituals? What kinds of rituals?

BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ: To tell you the truth, I don’t know what’s accurate and what’s hearsay. I’ve heard that shamans do everything from burning incense to letting hens walk on their patients’ chests.

SHANNON MOE: Eww! Why would they do that?

EUGENE PITTMAN: This is clearly something we need to investigate. My limited understanding of the Merced program is that the shamans do perform some rituals as part of the spiritual counseling of patients. We would certainly need to investigate what these rituals are, and whether there are some rituals that aren’t appropriate at this hospital.

BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ: The nurses would really appreciate that information.

EUGENE PITTMAN: Beatriz, I’d like to hear more about the nurses’ concerns. I’d also like to hear about their experiences working with the Hmong community. Let’s organize some focus group sessions with our nurses.

RIVERBEND CITY MEDICAL CENTER

Hospital Meeting Room

Beatriz Garcia-Chavez interviews RCMC nurses about the proposed shaman training program and about their experiences with Hmong patients.

Conversation #3

Beatriz turns to the nurse managers for their thoughts.

01:33

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BEATRIZ: I’d like to hear more about your experiences working with the Hmong community.

RACHAEL: Well, usually things go just fine. It’s not like we see the Hmong people as problem patients. But sometimes there are conflicts, especially with older patients who haven’t been in this country for long. And I’ve noticed there are conflicts sometimes when we have to do surgery.

BEATRIZ: Can you give an example?

RACHAEL: Well…just last month, we had a young Hmong woman in here that needed a kidney. One became available, and she had to go against the wishes of her family members to get it. There was this gathering of family members in the room discussing options. And they were just kind of ignoring her. It was so odd. It doesn’t seem like women are treated very well in their culture.

CHRISTINE: Actually, Liz, I watched a documentary about this issue. I don’t think this is a gender thing. Caring for family members who are sick in this way is considered to be an important act of love. I think a male patient would have been treated similarly.

RACHAEL: Really?

CHRISTINE: Yeah. And the surgery issue is a culture thing too. If I’m remembering this right, the traditional Hmong belief is that there are multiple souls that live in the body. I think they believe that one of the souls can be released during surgery, and that the body might come back in the next life deformed.

RACHAEL: See, I didn’t know that. I do know that drawing blood is seen as a really big deal.

CHRISTINE: Yeah. I think some of them don’t understand that blood is renewable. That’s why I think this shaman program is such a good idea. The shamans could teach patients about procedures like blood tests. And we could learn more about the traditional Hmong ways of doing things.

SHANNON: I like the way you put that… it’s definitely going to be a two-way exchange of information.

CONVERSATION #4

Jessica expresses her dismay over the proposed shaman program.

02:32

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JESSICA: I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to bring those Hmong witch doctor people into the hospital. I mean, I don’t want to come off as being [whispers] racist, [whispers louder] but I hear these people do animal sacrifices! Can you imagine someone bringing a goat into the emergency room and cutting its head off?

CARMELA: Jessica! That’s crazy. Where did you hear that?

JESSICA: I don’t know… on the news, I think?

SAMANTHA: Jessica, you can’t believe everything you see on TV. What I’m worried about is the incense. I heard that they want to burn it for patients. I don’t want disrespect their traditions—but isn’t that going to be a problem because of oxygen and smoke detectors?

BEATRIZ: Samantha, that’s a good point. The incense question has come up before in Merced. I’m not sure how they resolved it, but we might be able to burn incense in designated areas.

JESSICA: But that’s so weird! Why would anyone want to burn incense at a hospital? You know, like I said, I don’t want to sound racist… but this is America. These people need to leave their weird voodoo practices in the jungle.

CARMELA: Jessica, that’s enough! You should be ashamed of yourself.

JESSICA: [meekly] Um…I’m sorry…

CARMELA: Your generation doesn’t know anything about the Vietnam War. The Hmong people are heroes. They fought alongside our soldiers in southeast Asia. You need to have some respect and compassion. These people are dealing with the challenge of living in a completely different culture. The least we can do is try to understand where they’re coming from.

BEATRIZ: [after a brief uncomfortable silence] That’s precisely what we hope to accomplish if we implement this shaman program. We hope the shamans can serve as a bridge between the Hmong community and the hospital.

SAMANTHA: You know… Carmela, I hate to admit it, but I do have some reservations about this as well. I’m sure no one’s going to sacrifice an animal in the ER…but I guess I just want to know what kinds of procedures they will do. It seems wrong to have people who aren’t medical professionals treating patients here. I worry about sanitation and safety issues. And I could see a shaman unintentionally hurting someone because he isn’t trained.

BEATRIZ: You raise some very legitimate concerns, Samantha. We need to work out a lot of details. But please, be assured that noone is going to be working with patients in the hospital unless they’re carefully trained. That’s what they’ve been doing in Merced. The shamans all go through a training program.

SAMANTHA: Well, that’s good to hear. I would certainly be willing to give this a try. Especially since they tried this in California and it worked. It’s all about helping people, right? Jessica? What do you think?

JESSICA: [rolls eyes] I don’t know, Sam. This sure isn’t what I learned in nursing school.

CONVERSATION # 5

ER Nurse Sheila Meeks and her manager, Carl Lauderback, share their thoughts on the shaman program.

01:38

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SHEILA MEEKS: I’m really glad you took the time to ask the nurses about this new idea. What was it you called this Hmong healer person… A shaman? [makes a disapproving noise] I don’t want to sound close-minded, but that makes me nervous.

BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ: What makes you nervous, Sheila?

SHEILA MEEKS: Well, look at what happened with that Vang boy. There must have been over a dozen cousins and aunts and uncles and distant relatives all over the emergency room. With all the chaos going on after the chemical spill, that was the last thing we needed. So now are we going to have to accommodate a shaman on top of all these other people who want to be involved in a patient’s care?

CARL LAUDERBACK: Sheila, I for one am willing to give this a try. We need to do something to show the Hmong community that that this hospital isn’t the enemy. The incident with the Vang family was a major embarrassment.

SHEILA MEEKS: I’m embarrassed about what happened with the Vang family too, Carl. I’m just worried about having another person involved in patient health care decisions.

BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ: Sheila, have you had encounters like this with other Hmong patients, where large groups of family members wanted to be involved in medical decisions?

SHEILA MEEKS: Well, not to the same extent, but yes. Every so often we have a case where family members want to take an injured person home to treat them. We’ve had to release some patients that needed our help. [sighs] I know, not all Hmong patients are this uncooperative. Mostly our interactions with them are just fine. But some of them act like Western medicine is evil. Especially those of whom haven’t been in America for long.

CARL LAUDERBACK: Sheila, I understand where you’re coming from. Believe me. What I’m hoping is that these shamans act as a bridge between us and the Hmong community. This is an urban hospital, Sheila, and we’ve got a diverse population. We need to find ways to help our patients trust us.

RIVERBEND CITY MEDICAL CENTER

Hospital Meeting Room

As RCMC looks into implementing a program to bring Hmong shamans into the hospital in some manner, Shannon works on updating the cultural competence training for RCMC nursing staff.

CONVERSATION #6

As Shannon works to put the CAM training together, she touches base with Beatriz and Mo Xiong, Riverbend City’s Diversity Liaison.

01:23

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SHANNON: Beatriz, I just wanted to touch base with you about the CAM training I am working on.

BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ (On the Phone): Sure. What’s on your mind?

SHANNON: Well, two things. One, I wanted to know if you want the focus to be exclusively on CAM as it relates to different ethnic groups or if you wanted a broader discussion. The second question is if you want me focusing on CAM that are commonly integrated into patient care plans or should I be talking about some of the things that many people in the medical community are dubious about – therapeutic touch, Reiki … that sort of thing?

BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ: Good questions – let’s start with the first one because it’s easiest. While I’d like you to address some of the traditional methods used by the Hmong, Somali and Latino communities, I want to keep the line between our discussion of complementary and alternative medicine and our focus on cultural competency as clear as possible.

SHANNON: That’s what I was thinking. Good.

BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ: So far as your other question … what are your thoughts?

SHANNON: Well … I would like to keep the focus on the question of why this is important. So … talking about how many people use CAM anyway. Making sure nurses understand that they are opening dialogues, not necessarily endorsing things that they don’t believe in.

BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ: Good point. I think you’re right on track with what we’ve been discussing.

SHANNON: Good. I’ll send you the PowerPoint deck as soon as I have it done. I’d appreciate your feedback.

BEATRIZ GARCIA-CHAVEZ: Sounds good.

SHANNON: Thanks a lot. Bye.

BEATRIZ: Bye.

Conversation #7

Mo Xiong, Riverbend City’s Diversity Liaison, returns Shannon’s call.

01:06

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MO: Hi, Shannon. This is Mo Xiong returning your call.

SHANNON: Hi … thanks.

MO: I got your message—you’re working on a training module for your nurses?

SHANNON: Yes. Basically, the reason I called is that I would like to talk to some people in the Hmong and Somali communities about traditional medicine they might use. The training I am working on deals with alternative medicine and traditional and folk remedies are a facet of that. So … someone who can help me make sure the information I get from my research is actually what people in our community do.

MO: I know just the person for you in the Hmong community—Pa Foua Lee. What’s your email? I can send you her contact information.

SHANNON: That would be great. My email is smoe@RCMC.org. Any thoughts on the Somali community?

MO: Not off the top of my head. Let me check some things out and I’ll get back to you. I have some ideas, but let me do a little digging.

SHANNON: Thanks! I appreciate your help.

MO: No problem – we “Mo”s need to stick together!

SHANNON: (Laughing) That we do. Thanks again and thanks for getting back to me so quickly.

MO: You’re welcome. Goodbye.

Shannon is designing the cultural competence training program and is trying to clarify the objectives and concerns. Beatriz and Christine both have thoughts on this issue and offer their perspectives. Help Shannon create a program that will offer the most value to the busy nursing staff at RCMC.

Decision Point

Shannon looks over her notes and thinks about what she knows about cultural competence.

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I don’t know where to start – I know this is an important issue, but it’s so broad.

Advice

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You need to decide what your goals are. If you don’t identify the key elements you’re trying to address, you could end up with a very superficial discussion.

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Remember that these nurses are busy professionals. Whatever you do, make sure it isn’t wasting their time.

Shannon Decides:

There are resources out there for other hospitals and health care providers. I’ll reach out to some of my colleagues at other hospitals and use what they have.I had training in this area when I was in college. I’ll check my textbooks and notes and use those to get started.One way to focus would be to get a better understanding of the cultural mix of the community itself.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have completed this activity.

As you watched the staff of the RCMC work through the emotions and misunderstandings that arose from the encounter with the Vang family, you had an opportunity to consider how cultural expectations on the part of all the people involved contributed to tensions, misunderstandings, and barriers to appropriate care for the injured child.