Controlled Chaos
Hello Gary;
I like to create a somewhat chaotic envornment for the student when they have in class production projects so they begin learn to prioritize, problem solve, deal with stress, take iniative learn to both lead and follow. It usually takes a few times before they realize there is a "method to the madness". Does this approach make an instructor look unorganized in the long run?
I love this concept! I enjoy mixing things up and making the students 'problem solve'. I think that as long as the result is what you needed it to be, you are doing great! I might even use this in class this week!
Hi Dawn,
I am a new MA instructor, teaching an intro pt care class and front office skills. I'm curious what medical emergency did you fake, and how did your students respond? I know that I would need to alert my program director, dean of faculty, and any instructors of nearby classes ahead of time to prevent panic, but how do you prevent your students from whipping out cell phones and calling 911? -Jeanne
Controlled chaos teaches students how to respond quickly and think critically. It also teaches the instructor the importance of classroom control. If the instructor loses control of the class during a "controlled chaos" session the students quickly lose confidence in the instructor and the instructor loses control of his/her classroom and the ensuing chaos may be uncontrollable. Make sure you are a strong leader when attempting a "controlled chaos" lesson in the classroom.
Hi Pat,
I am sure these sessions are great learning opportunities for students. They get to see how the real world operates as well as seeing how they cope with such chaos. Lets them know if they are going to be able to hack it or not when they graduate.
Gary
I like this topic.."Controlled Chaos". I think you can run with this topic in many respects. I like to challenge my students with an mock emergency situation in my Medical Assisting class. It makes them think fast!
Our department gets comments from employers re: students ability to work effectively in office chaos. We do point this out in class activities (after we run them through a frantic session or two ;-0 ). Pat J
Hi Adam,
Good question because in education we talk all the time about planning and organization. The answer to the question is based upon how close this simulates the work environment the students will encounter in the real world. If where they will work is going to be chaotic and require that they move quickly then you are doing them a real service when have them train in such a setting. Once they have completed the assignments then you can have a debrief session where you talk about what has just happened and how it affected the students. This is where the real value of what they have just experienced will be realized. They won't think you are disorganized because they will see what you have done as a training method.
Gary
