Cake, Toast, and Exponential Change

This week’s Google alerts were a bit skimpy on the ESL side but contained worthwhile teaching and training news. Check out a few other good reads that did not make it to a full paragraph below: technology and nursing, learning English as a refugee in UK, and Sherri McKeever’s experience teaching online.

My favorite article this week comes from Erik Shelton, Director of Operations at ONEIL. Shelton writes about the challenges the manufacturing industry is facing as a result of baby boomer retirements. I’m especially interested in this topic since I have done so much training about generational differences in the workplace.

Shelton shares the staggering statistic that every day 10,000 baby boomers turn 65. This retirement boom is “changing the face of industry and creating critical labor challenges.”  I would agree that all industries are facing losses of tenured employees. In February, I joined a new training team at Penn State Health and since that time nearly 12% of our floor has retired. Don’t get me wrong, the cake and celebrations have been wonderful but losing that kind of long-standing knowledge in a department takes a toll. Losing valuable experience due to retirement is hitting the manufacturing industry especially hard as that sector tends to have the highest record of tenured employees.

Manufacturing is turning to technology and training to prepare for the future and a new workforce. The next two generations (Millennials and Gen Z) heading to the workforce have seen more screen time than any generation in the past and they crave that avenue to learn and socialize. Learning management systems will play a key role in allowing upcoming employees to train on the go and be engaged with their learning. Shelton describes the new workforce as being motivated by tech but also empowered by it.

Nikki Gilliland also writes this week in, “Four learning & development trends in the digital age,” about strategies needed to recruit and retain talent, motivate and engage employees, and create a values based culture. Again, technology is key with professionals who seek a flexible, creative, and collaborative work environment. By 2020, (that’s next year, folks!) millennials will make up more than 1/3 of the workforce and they are looking for customized learning experiences and an anywhere, anytime, any device capability when it comes to their training.

When I read all of this, I am more excited than ever to be in the field of Instructional Technology. Not only are schools and other institutions searching for talent to create robust digital learning, it is essential for organizations to survive. This fact is best summed up this week by Laurent Corneille in, “We live in an uncertain world.” Corneille writes, “Pleading technological ignorance in a world that requires technology to function is no longer an excuse.” Corneille goes on to discuss how quickly the world is changing and that technology is changing exponentially.

To understand this exponential change Corneille gives the following example (which made me giggle): “The Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC), that helped guide man to the moon in 1969 […] had less computing power than today’s modern toaster.”

I’ll never look at a piece of toast the same way…

Strokes, AI, and My Son Said...

There were a ton of articles from Google Alerts this week. Unfortunately, not all were relevant to our ESL topic but many were oh, so interesting!

My favorite article this week comes from Australia where Rebecca Vukovic writing for Teacher featured comments from Professor Neil Selwyn, (Faculty of Education at Monash University) an expert on digital education. In the article, “How Will Schooling Change Over the Next Ten Years?” Professor Selwyn points out that the issues facing schools mirror those that will be faced by the nation. Climate change, dealing with changing demographics, and developing schooling to fit the needs of Indigenous and migrant populations are some of the obvious issues schools will need to address.

Selwyn also believes new challenges may come from changes in the economy and the workplace. Selwyn questions, “if schools are not necessarily a route straight into jobs, then there’s not this really strong link between schools and the work that you do – what would “school” mean?” An interesting question for all of us to ponder! Would school provide a “well-rounded” basic education for all with on-the-job training molding workers into what a company needs?

Selwyn describes the classroom of the future to be based around sensors, technology, and data driven. Data from artificial intelligence (AI) may even learn to “read” students so that more personalized learning environments may be created instantly. AI will be used to look for patterns in masses of data, make predictions, and suggest courses of action. Selwyn also believes learning will become more mobile with kids on the move, learning at coffee shops, bus stops, and malls. This mobile learning may need to happen in contrast to what we see now with 1:1 device initiatives. Climate crisis may impact the availability of materials and energy to fuel 1:1.

Australia or the United States, I found Selwyn’s comments to be relevant for all, addressing global needs and trends that need global solutions.

Sure, we are all thinking about ESL and techniques to assist those learners but have you ever thought about ESL classes to help stroke victims?! Ted W. Baxter, (retired global financial executive) suffered a stroke in 2015 and enrolled himself in ESL classes to help regain communication skills. In Every Day Health, “How Speech Therapy Can Help People With Aphasia Regain Communication Skills,” the process is equated to learning a foreign language. Intense repetition and one-on-one work with therapists helps patients see the most results. Also, similar to ESL strategies, pictures and one-word associations can start the re-learning process for those who suffer from aphasia.

Finally, nothing I needed to read in an article. My son (21 yr.) is teaching himself Hindi this summer before he begins his PhD studies in Physics at the University of Delaware. (Yes, a little mom bragging there!) Yesterday he and I had the most interesting conversation via Google Translate. He spoke in Hindi, I read the translation, and replied in English. We both had a great time laughing and being amazed at the technology. I’m impressed how well his pronunciations are, as Google had little trouble translating his needs. Although some of the dialogue was rather predictable – he was hungry and wanted food – what else is new? The whole process reminded me of how mobile technology can play a huge role in assisting L2s.

Two Translations and 13 Applications!

Things are quiet this week on the healthcare/language front. Two stories worth noting both seek to help non-English speaking patients communicate with their healthcare providers.

A new telemedicine web platform which records mental health patients being interviewed in their native language has been approved for testing with live patients. The project is testing the efficiency of machine translation, enabling English speaking doctors to understand and diagnose the mental health of non-English speaking patients. The patients are interviewed by trained healthcare professionals in their native language. The videos are uploaded for English speaking doctors and contain subtitles translated by several cloud-based technology providers. If the project is successful, it could be the beginning of a sophisticated telemedicine platform that breaks down language and geographical barriers.

Also this week, a pharmacy tech was recognized with an award. Luke Shockley is a pharmacy tech at Owensboro Family Pharmacy. In May, he was named Kentucky Pharmacy Technician of the Year. What inspired me most about Luke’s story is his work with ESL children. Luke frequently translates medication dosages and dispensing instructions for his non-English speaking customers. Luke recognized this need in his community and now helps patients find cheaper drug alternatives that will be covered by their insurance. With a co-worker, he also put together medication bags for patients who could not afford their prescriptions. The two plan to continue working together and incorporating this philanthropy into their business model.

If you remember, another one of my Google alerts focuses on training with technology. An interesting item popped up this week under this alert. 13 EdTech Applications That Are Transforming Teaching and Learning highlights 13 tools teachers and students of all ages can use to spur creativity and critical thinking. This is a must read for every middle-school, high school, and college teacher!

The applications are worldwide and one of the most interesting is No Isolation out of Oslo, Norway. No Isolation is a robot avatar for chronically ill students. The avatar sees, hears, and even speaks for children who are not able to be in class because of illness. EDX is another application, managed by Harvard and MIT, that offers online courses from 140 institutions. Many of the courses are MOOCs, but, hey, who wouldn’t want a Quantum Mechanics course from Berkley on their transcript?! Other applications to check out include: Labster, Dreambox Learning, and Newsela, which contains readings for English language learners.

Thanks for tuning in, again, and best wishes for a happy, successful, language filled week!

Hip, Hip, Hooray! Three big wins for ESL and healthcare around the nation this week.

Greetings from the sunny Outer Banks of North Carolina! The weather is great, the beach amazing, and the sharks are real. We’ve seen dolphins every day and Saturday surprised us with two smaller (?) sharks much too close to shore for me.

Since we are in NC, let’s start off with some encouraging healthcare news from the Tar Heel State. Jenny Callison writes in, Piecing Together Health Care’s Puzzle, that community health centers, specifically FQHCs (federally qualified health centers) provide much needed health care in rural and under-served urban communities. FQHCs can reduce emergency room visits by as much as 30%, saving thousands of dollars that hospitals in these areas usually must absorb because patients are uninsured and live in poverty. An FQHC works by giving the community centers a set amount of federal aid. Centers can apply for more grants to help fund costs. Most centers charge patients on a sliding scale based on their income.

Are you waiting for the exciting ESL news about FQHCs? Here it is! FQHCs are required to serve patients in the language of the patient’s choice. Yes, read it again. FQHCs are required to serve patients in the language of the patient’s choice. The centers boast full-time interpreters with some FQHCs employing a staff in which more than half are bilingual. If a translator is not available, the FQHCs work with a company that provides real-time video interpretation services.

Speaking of video conferencing, IVCi (a video conferencing service provider) published a press release this week citing benefits their technology offers medical centers including expanding patient reach, improving research and training programs, increasing communication across organizations, and offering a competitive advantage. I have to admit I was surprised that reducing language barriers did not make the top five reasons why medical centers should invest in video conferencing options.

Other healthcare/language wins around the country this week include how Hispanic nurses rise above language barriers to reclaim careers and How ESL training can benefit non-native speakers and boost business. Let’s take a closer look at both stories…

In La Villa Hispana, Mark Oprea shares how nurses from Puerto Rico, now residing in Ohio, are able to take a free 12-week course to help pass the NCLEX (the national test for nursing licensing). The five to six hour exam is a competency based test of 256 questions ranging from topics such as medication dosage and hospital safety. The test is considerably harder with limited English proficiency. That is why the course also comes with interpreters who translate lectures and provide other services for ESLs.

With a national nurse shortage, demand is high once these professionals obtain their licenses. A license isn’t the only thing the nurses gain upon completion. The course boosts wages and self-esteem as many learn to master the basics of English for the first time. Truly a worthwhile and much needed service! Felicidades!

Finally, this week’s article by Riia O’Donnell (How ESL training can benefit non-native speakers and boost business) outlines reasons why ESL training should take priority in the workplace. Many organizations have found that ESL training improves the overall culture, team building, and productivity. Other benefits of language development include the ability for a company to promote from within and attract and maintain employees.

Companies that make a commitment to help their employees acquire a new language see stronger connections in their workplace and communities (Hmm…didn’t we discuss this as a benefit of digital storytelling?). Workplace settings also help to put language in context, making it easier to understand.

Overall, this week’s readings prove to be ones that adequately address the disparities of English language learners and provide hope and opportunity to level the language playing field.

Technology and Learning Key in Healthcare and Education Industries

Hi, Friends,

Thanks for tuning in to my second blog post. Last week we contemplated difficulties that arise when patients and their healthcare professionals do not speak the same language. Leslie made a great comment to my blog last week about young children who must translate for their parents, even at the doctor’s office. Leslie wasn’t the only one thinking about this. This week Jennifer Colton writing in, “When Children Have to Translate for Their Parents,” talks about the positive sense of empowerment children feel in these situations but also the burden forced on children who are not developmentally or language ready for this kind of translation. 

Behavior science refers to these children as “language brokers.” For children, the job of translating can increase their confidence and make them proud of their abilities. The task can also leave children feeling confused and unsure when they must translate words and information they don’t understand.

Also on the translation theme, did anyone else see this week’s article by Alex Zimmerman on Chalkbeat? I know we’re deviating from our healthcare theme here but follow me on this…it’s too important to pass over this piece of news. In the article, Zimmerman goes on to explain the civil rights lawsuit filed this week against the New York City Department of Education. The suit alleges that the DOE failed “to provide interpretation, including for communication about special education services, lead contamination in schools, bullying, and even serious medical conditions” (Zimmerman, 2019).

Clearly, the example from the New York City Department of Education shows that non-English speakers are at a disadvantage when it comes to advocating for their children at school. Another similar example that came to light in the world of healthcare this week involves minorities and transplants. Camilla Nonterah from the University of Richmond shared her findings in, “Minorities face more obstacles to a lifesaving organ transplant.” Nonterah identifies several causes of this healthcare disparity. Poverty, literacy, and implicit bias from healthcare providers all contribute to the low transplant rates for L2 and minorities.

I believe the easiest way to fix this national dilemma in all industries involves the use of technology and education. Mobile translation devices used in the healthcare industry would have value for L2 parents at teacher conferences and for other school related matters. Educating not just the L2 but all teachers, school administrators, and healthcare workers is a large, expensive task but one worth investing in. The cost for schools and hospitals may seem high but it’s a small price to pay for helping others and furthering society.

How Will Doctors and Patients Get on the Same Page - in the Same Language?

Greetings, Readers! I’m excited for you to join me on a 6-week adventure exploring the topic of English as a second language in the healthcare industry. I’m receiving Google alerts on the following:

·English as a Second Language healthcare providers

·ESL in the workplace

·Face-to-face technology training

·Technology training ESL

This week the majority of news has come from English as a Second Language healthcare providers and face-to-face technology training. Let me tell you what has been most interesting in this week’s compilations…

Nadya Agrawal writes in How the Healthcare System Fails People Who Don’t Speak English, that patients are at risk when they do not speak the same language as their healthcare providers. The statement seems like common sense but the examples are frightening. "A 2010 study from UC Berkeley's School of Public Health and National Health Law Program found that 35 of 1,373 malpractice claims were connected to lack of adequate language access" (Agrawal, 2019). Five of the cases resulted in patient death.

The United States is not alone in the patient/caregiver communication dilemma. Several years ago, Great Britain’s Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, set out to ensure healthcare providers have more than just rudimentary English skills. The need came as Great Britain saw a large influx of healthcare workers, which account for nearly 1/3 of all providers in the country. Lansley called the lack of English in hospitals “lethal.” Read more about why this issue was brought to national attention here.

Most of the other articles I read this week focused on patients who do not speak English. While the articles were interesting, not many addressed my question, and quest really, about what English speaking patients do when their healthcare providers have limited English proficiency. Doctors and hospitals that receive federal funding (and this includes Medicare payments) must provide translators for non-English speaking patients but is it reasonable to assume an English-speaking patient could request a translator if their doctor does not speak English? There are no formal policies around this but it is common practice for nurses and other clinicians to help “interpret” the doctor’s words for patients.

Another article delivered to my inbox this week that really got me thinking was from Moaz Nair, Language Requirements Just Good Business for the Private Sector. Language requirements do make good business sense and let’s face it, healthcare is a business – not just a big business, a huge business. But what requirements do we enforce? Should all doctors be only English speaking? Of course not! Nearly 20% of our population does not speak English so multilingual care is needed not only from doctors but all healthcare providers. Nair writes, “It’s solely for business reasons that companies require employees to be able to speak a language that can help them deal with potential clients.” It seems logical that healthcare must require clinicians to speak a language that can help them deal with potential patients.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog for ESL509. I will be studying topics related to technology training in healthcare and working with adults who do not use English as their primary language.