This Issue THE

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George Alland

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RAZZLE VOLUME
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Issue
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Editor Soma D. Jurgensen Production Coordinator Nadine Bengs Production John Mindiola III Designer Pho Soumphonphakdy

Learning & Teaching

4 George Alland

Who’s Who
Get Serious
• Program: General Education
6 • Favorite food: Anything with curr y
Click
• • Hobbies: Tennis, reading, travel
7 Favorite movie:
• • Recommended reading:
Nursing & Angel Favorite television show:Anything by Steven Pinker
• Person George Admires: Albert Einstein
8 •
•
Favorite book:
Favorite TV Show: Washington Week in Review
Business Conference • Person George admires:
(a news program on Friday evenings)

Email george.alland@rasmussen.edu  Phone 4573

M
m ATH WIZ ARD
B y RRoobb WWararee
by

W ith undergraduate and

graduate studies in Math
and Statistics, and Master’s degrees
in French Literature and Library
Science, George brings considerable
knowledge and experience to the
Brooklyn Park campus.
Upon your first meeting with
George you may be surprised by
his soft demeanor. In only a few
moments of speaking with him you
will learn a lot about life and your
educational journey. He is a very wise
and witty man, approachable, friendly,
and a real treasure here at Rasmussen.

continued on next page

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This Issue Why did you become a teacher?
1 George started his career working
as a Systems Librarian at Harvard
George Alland
University. He then worked for several
3 computer companies in the Boston
Learning & Teaching area before moving to Minnesota for a
4 position with 3M Company, where he
was a manager in the IT department.
Get Serious
Although he enjoyed working with
6 computers he knew something was
Click missing. He had gotten a taste of
7
teaching while in graduate school as a
teaching fellow in math, and also as a
Nursing & Angel
trainer for two years while working for
8 a computer company.
Business Conference After some years in his computer
career, he desired a change.
Although he enjoyed his position, he
still felt a void every day. He did a lot
of soul searching, and weighing his
options. George decided that after
all is said and done he couldn’t get
his previous teaching and training
experience out of his head. He began
searching for a full time teaching
position. So his journey for fulfillment
led him to Rasmussen College.
How is life at Rasmussen?
The variety and diversity of the
courses he teaches helps keep George
motivated and keeps his job exciting.
He loves working with the students
and getting to meet new and different
people from all walks of life. George
says, “It’s a beautiful and amazing joy
to interact with others while enriching
their lives at the same time they are
enriching yours.” George reflects on
the fact that Rasmussen has such a
diverse student body with students of
all ages and educational backgrounds
that it can sometimes be a struggle
to figure out how to teach course
materials in a way that all students
can comprehend. He works diligently
“The most important thing as
a teacher is to be aware at all
times of how your students
are reacting to what is being
presented, discussed or
worked on.” (George Alland)
to come up with innovative ways to
relay the course materials.
George believes that all his
students can succeed. As long as they
keep up with their assignments, there
is no other possible outcome!
Interesting Fact:
George was born in Poland, lived in
France, and came to the U.S. with his
family when he was 12 years old. He
can speak fluent Polish, French, and
English, and has also studied Russian
and Spanish.
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This Issue
1
George Alland

3
Learning & Teaching

4
Get Serious

6
Click

7 My Teaching—My Learning
Nursing & Angel
B y B arbar a L udins , A djunc t I ns truc to r
8
Business Conference
W hat have I, a fairly new teacher,
got to say about student
learning? It seems presumptuous to
preach to the already proficient, so
I’ve decided to simply tell you what
I’ve learned in the past few years. In
no particular order, I’ve learned:
When I remember that “they don’t
know this yet, it is my job to teach
them,” I am much less judgmental
about my students’ abilities and much
more willing to tell them how to get
things right.
Prior knowledge is the foundation
upon which we are building. It is
in P s ych o lo g y
incredibly difficult to change prior
knowledge when it is inaccurate. In
teaching, as in therapy, that change
will best occur if the individual
discovers it for themselves. My task
is to ask the questions that lead
them to the correct conclusions,
with their dignity and self-esteem
intact. Then they can build upon
that knowledge to embrace a more
tolerant and accurate worldview. (I’m
thinking here about recent research
about addictions, homosexuality,
parental roles and other topics that
can bring moral judgments with them.
Discovering this new information and
correcting outdated misinformation
seems to loosen the rigidity that
accompanies some of these areas.)
Correct a paper before I look to
see who wrote it. Sometimes, it is
even helpful to mix up the papers
from the various colleges at which I
am teaching. This allows me to look
only at the content of the paper,
and its own merits. Without realizing
I was doing it, I seemed to place
expectations, based on neighborhood
of the college, the student’s oral

3
This Issue ability in class, and their attitudes
1 towards me and my subject. More
than once, I’ve been surprised after
George Alland
checking who authored an excellent
3 paper. In Psychology, we call that the
Learning & Teaching “halo effect”: if you have high esteem
4 for a person in one area, you are likely
to rate them higher in all areas. I’ve
Get Serious
got to be careful about this and use
6 rubrics to grade papers. Those rubrics
Click offer me a more objective method for
7
assessing student work.
School changes people and
Nursing & Angel
that can be difficult when we go
8 back home. While people around
Business Conference the student may say they support
their choice of advanced learning,
subtle, (and not so subtle) messages
of disapproval come through: “You
think you’re so smart because you go
to college”, “you’re always using big,
fancy words” etc. When the balance in
a relationship is threatened, parties
within the relationship will struggle to
re-establish the equilibrium of power
and roles. It can be discouraging for
the student and frightening for the
others involved with them. Students
find themselves lonely and ill-at-ease
in their home environments. I believe
that it is important to normalize this
experience, without dismissing the
emotional impact it can have on
students.
An old adage in counseling is “If
you’re working harder in therapy than
An old adage in counseling is
“If you’re working harder in
therapy than your client is,
you’re in trouble.” The same
is true in teaching.
your client is, you’re in trouble.” The
same is true in teaching. The student
needs to take ownership of the
learning process; otherwise it is my
learning not theirs. I will help anyone
who asks, but I cannot learn for them.
Nor should I try, for it deprives them
of the joy of learning.
It has been both exhilarating and
humbling, to be in this position of
“teacher.” I’m looking forward to my
continued education.
Time to Get
Serious!
B y N adine B eng s , S urgic al Techn o lo g y
P r o gr a m D ir ec to r
E ver wonder what it takes for
someone to become a Certified
Surgical Technologist (CST )? It starts
4
This Issue with a student being accepted As we ended the spring 2010 quarter not one student had to
retake their written final exam and only two students had
1 to a CAAHEP accredited Surgical
Technology Program. Rasmussen to use a second attempt on their skills test-outs. This was a
George Alland
College, Brooklyn Park campus great accomplishment for the Surgical Technology program.
3 was granted accreditation from
Learning & Teaching CAAHEP in May 2009. From there the higher. Students must successfully Technology program. By the end of

4 student needs to work hard, be self

disciplined, motivated, and pass their
Get Serious
national certification exam, just to
6 mention a few criteria.
Click The Surgical Technology program
pass their lab skills final at 90% or
higher with three attempts allowed.
Students who fail to meet the 73%
requirement on their written lecture
final will be allowed to retake the
Surgical Procedures III, the goal is
making sure students are prepared
enough to enter their externships. By
the end of their second externship
rotation, the goal is for the student to

7
at Rasmussen College wants to make
sure that they are bringing in the
Nursing & Angel
best candidates for the program and
8 that these candidates successfully
Business Conference fulfill all classroom requirements,
graduate, get a job in the field of
Surgical Technology, and pass their
national certification exam. We
want candidates who truly want to
become Surgical Technologists. As an
instructor, it breaks my heart to see
students get so far in the program
and realize they don’t like the sight
of blood, can’t stand odd odors, can’t
work early mornings, etc.
As of spring quarter 2010, the
Surgical Technology program requires
students to pass their written lecture
and lab finals with a grade of 73% or
exam a second time. I know you are
asking, “Why be allowed to take the
exam a second time?” Retaking the
exam will allow the student to prove
that they understand and grasp the
material that was presented to them
throughout the quarter. Their first
grade will still stand in the grade book
but passing on the second attempt
will allow the student to move on to
the next core class, providing all other
exams and test-outs were successfully
passed at the required percentage.
As we ended the spring 2010
quarter not one student had to retake
their written final exam and only two
students had to use a second attempt
on their skills test-outs. This was a
great accomplishment for the Surgical
pass their national certification exam.
In the past, the pass rates have been
lower than one would like to see but
we are working extra hard to make
sure the pass rates increase. Several
review sessions are offered to students
throughout the quarter. Students
are highly encouraged to attend the
review sessions as it lets them become
more and more comfortable with the
material; especially material that they
may be struggling with.
As we move forward, the standards
have been set higher for the Surgical
Technology student. Becoming a
Surgical Technologist is serious
business! No one wants to be worked
on by an individual who doesn’t care
or only cared enough to just get by.

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This Issue
Click
1 B y B r o o k s D o her t y, D e an o f F acult y
George Alland
3
Learning & Teaching
T here are those who believe
technology is dumbing the world
down. With its instant gratification,
4 reliance on hardware and software
to store information, and tendency
Get Serious
to present the world in
6 peek-a-boo snapshots, it has been
Click said, technology is preventing the
7 human brain from getting the exercise
it needs to stay charged and stealing
Nursing & Angel
volume from individual voices.
8 I do not agree.
Business Conference Twenty-first century technology is
giving our students more opportunity
to interact with one another and build
communities inside and outside the
classroom. Outside the classroom,
our students—those just out of
high school and those looking for
a career change late in life – have
built networks numbering in the
hundreds through social media,
particularly Facebook and LinkedIn.
In the classroom, Rasmussen College,
Brooklyn Park is making strides
to utilize available technology to
improve the learning and amplify
the voices of our otherwise taciturn
students.
Our faculty is currently being
trained to use the Classroom
Performance System—more commonly
known as assessment “clickers”—to
gauge student understanding. The
tool allows faculty to know and
document the answers of all students
in her/his classrooms, leaving no
student passive, preventing anyone
from slipping through cracks. Data
from James L. Ellison have shown
that such clickers are particularly
beneficial for the learning of first-
generation and minority college
students because, as Ellison puts it,
“When we use technology that allows
anonymity . . . you finally get to a
point where the responses are devoid
of the [traditional] social-interaction
factor.” In short, students are allowed
to participate and share knowledge
without risking embarrassment in
public, which is a fear for many new
students. Ellison continues, “Surveys
have shown that about 80 percent
of students agree that they are more
aware and alert in the classroom when
I use the clickers.” 1 This is technology
“Surveys have shown that
about 80 percent of students
agree that they are more
aware and alert in the
classroom when I use the
clickers.”
that is making our students stronger
in their affective and cognitive
domains—in their intellectual and
social skills.
This venture is a testament, too,
to the innovative spirit of our faculty
at Rasmussen College’s Brooklyn
Park campus. They understand that
strong learning and teaching remain
constant. It is only the tools that
change.
1. “How Interactive Technology Can Help
Minority Students Learn”. Miller,
Mary Helen. An interview with James
Ellison from chronicle.com. Retrieved
7/8/2010.
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This Issue
Nursing
1 Students,
George Alland
3 Meet Angel
Learning & Teaching D r . L eil a M c K inne y, DNP, ARNP, NP-C
4
Get Serious T raditionally, nurses are seen as
being angelic in nature as they
devote their life’s work to helping
6 others stay healthy. This summer,
Click many Rasmussen nursing students
7 were introduced to another kind of
Angel: Online Education via Angel 7.4.
Nursing & Angel
In the past, nursing students were
8 only enrolled in online courses if they
Business Conference happened to select an online English
or algebra course in lieu of coming
to the campus. More recently, Human
Biology and Anatomy & Physiology I
and II were migrated into an online
environment. But it was not until
the summer 2010 quarter began
that nursing students were given
the opportunity to take core nursing
courses online.
In the practical nursing program,
Geriatric Nursing and Nursing Seminar
are the first courses being delivered
through Angel, our online platform.
For some students, this will be their
first introduction to Angel and online
learning. In the professional nursing
program, Introduction to Professional
Nursing is now available online to
Mankato students.
This is just the beginning. The
future for nursing education at
Rasmussen College includes an online
component for every course we
currently offer in both the practical
and professional programs. While this
may seem radical to anyone steeped
in traditional education, online
nursing courses are steadily becoming
the standard for most educational
institutions.
The question is always posed
eventually. Why would we take such
hands-on subject matter and move it
out into some virtual space? That’s a
great question and I love to hear it.
First of all, we don’t move all of it into
“space”. Clinical and lab experiences
are an integral part of any excellent
nursing program and are certainly a
cornerstone of ours. We treasure this
one-on-one time with our students
and believe that the students greatly
benefit from all of the live experiences
that nursing school offers.
Why would we take such
hands-on subject matter
and move it out into some
virtual space? That’s a great
question and I love to hear it.
What we can offer online is
a glimpse into technologically-
delivered exercises and simulations
which are not available offline yet
and can relate to, and support, the
learning happening in the lab or
clinical environment.
We can reach out to students
and engage them in significant
discussions about any topic we
feel relevant, across state lines and
campus designations, all in an instant.
We can provide more readily
available feedback, documented and
stored so that students have a place
to return for additional clarification or
support.
We can leverage the cumulative
knowledge base and experiences of
our entire nursing faculty and make
it available to any student, on any
campus, in any course, at any time.
continued on next page
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 Success
This Issue We can provide online experiences

1 which challenge the students in

multiple ways simultaneously while
Engaging Employees for Success
George Alland Rasmussen Business Conference 2010
also providing student-specific
3 learning that meets the need of a
Learning & Teaching particular learning style.

4 And finally, while we are delivering SAVE THE DATE

rigorous content and stimulating Friday, August 20th, 2010

Get Serious
dialogue, we are teaching students 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
6 how to become adept at navigating
Click technology so that they can go out Admission: Free with Donation

7 into the workplace ready for the

demands of today’s employer.
for Second Harvest food banks

Nursing & Angel

Will there be struggles? You bet.
8 Will it be hard for some students
Business Conference to adapt to a more self-directed
learning? Of course. But are we
ready for the challenge and will we
Mind, Body, Spirit
help build stronger, more successful
Keynote Speakers:
students and nurses? Absolutely. Project Management for Life Michael Sunnarborg
Think on the Spot Stevie Ray
®

As leaders in the business community it is our

opportunity and our responsibility to look at the
whole employee and engage them in the vision
of the company. Don’t let a recessionary economy
lead you away from best practices that will bring
growth in the future.
Sunnarborg Ray
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