Perceptions vs Reality Can Mean Life or Death!

Researchers have discovered that there are several variables that can have a statistical effect of patient survival, yet many "...surgeons placed less importance on sex, type of anesthesia, and ASA score [level of anemia]...."
This new information could decrease the high number of deaths, up to 22%, from hip fractures and resulting surgery.
For teachers or others involved with professional development and meta-analysis types of research, this article explains, in detail, the research procedures which would be a great help for many.

clipped from www.orthosupersite.com Evidence Versus Beliefs About Predictors of Outcome by Michael Zlowodzki, MD; Paul Tornetta III, MD; George Haidukewych, MD; Beate P. Hanson, MD, MPH; Brad Petrisor, MD, MSc; Marc F. Swiontkowski, MD; Emil H. Schemitsch, MD; Peter V. Giannoudis, MD; Mohit Bhandari, MD, MSc, FRCSC Knowledge of predictors of outcome can and should influence treatment decisions and can subsequently improve outcomes Hip fractures have devastating consequences for patients and their families, including a 22% mortality rate within 1 year postoperatively3 and substantial impairment of independence and quality of life.4 Hip fractures also account for more hospital days than any other musculoskeletal injury and represent more than two-thirds of all hospital days due to fractures.5 Figure: The responses of American surgeons vs European surgeons regarding predictors of outcome after operative treatment of femoral neck fractures. greatest discrepancy between survey and current evidence related to the type of anesthesia

Saturday Specifics: Brainology

Daydreamer by h.koppdelaney
Attribution-NoDerivs License

When life and learning seemed overwhelming, I can still hear my parents saying such things as, "Can't never did anything!" "You can find a way!" "If at first you don't succeed, Try, Try again!" and "Tell yourself: 'I think I can!' and you can."
What my mother and father were telling me, "To Try is part of To Do", is the profound philosophy of the motivational aspect of learning in my family.  It's the real world manifestation of the plasticity of the brain. What education researchers, like Carol Dweck and her colleague Lisa Sorich, are now calling "The Growth Mind-Set". Dr. Dweck created an online web application called Brainology to "gain confidence and motivation to learn by teaching them about the brain, how to strengthen it, and how to apply brain-friendly study skills."

The basic idea of her research and other similar research is that there are two mind sets about the brain and learning. One is that the brain is static that there is very little chance for changing what people think of as potential. The other mind set is based on the idea that people BELIEVE the potential of the mind is always changing, growing.

To explain the practical applications of her research, Dr. Dweck wrote the book, Mind Set. The website that describes the book, the research and their implications also has a mind set test. Try it, then share it with everyone you know!

What the research is showing that each of these mind sets can affect resilience, the ability to reach for more, to try more and achieve more. Only the growth mind set affects resilience in a positive way. This recent research has been around for almost a decade now, and it looks like it may be gaining ground among school leaders. It's about time.

Better Schools and Classrooms

We all admire Better Schools and Classrooms. Why? For inspiration, confirmation and professional development because each of us wants a better school and classroom. We're teachers! We're achievers!

In pursuit of this excellent achievement, there is one book, Classroom Instruction that Works, that you can use and make Better Schools and Classrooms. Read it one day and use the ideas in your class with great success the very next day. Many of the ideas may be familiar, yet even the most experienced teacher should find this meta-analysis helpful for improved practice....for Better Schools and Classrooms.

Research in education has been vastly under reported in our American media, even the educational media. To remedy that, many educational research leaders began to perform a particular type of research called meta-analysis. While some research can summarize a single researcher's lifetime of accomplishments, such as Vygotsky, Art Costa or Howard Gardner, meta-analysis is compilation of combined research of many people on ONE TOPIC like the research that encompasses theEffective Schools Research or Classroom Instruction that Works.

While the Effective Schools meta-analyses is more of an umbrella covering a multitude of effective educational methods, categorized within the Seven Correlates of Effective Schools, Classroom Instruction that Works may be considered by some to be a specific category within the Effective Schools movement.

No matter the case, Robert Marzano et al picked an excellent topic and performed a very extensive meta-analysis of educational research that relates to this topic of Classroom Instruction that Works. One of the most appealing qualities of this meta-analysis is that one teacher doesn't have to practice all the instructional strategies to improve their classroom instruction. Each teacher can pick one or more of instructional methodologies that fit in their own toolbox.

Any teacher can improve their own skills by reading this research summary. Entire schools, districts or states can definitely increase student achievement by improving their skills in the practice of the tenets driven by the meta-analytic research of Classroom Instruction that Works.