2015 Round Up

Clinical Playground, LLC founder visits the White House

White House Meeting 11-2015Clinical Playground’s founder Dr. Eric B. Bauman was recently invited to the White House to begin a discussion with various other scholars from around the country about role that computer science and programming could and should play in K12 and K16 education. Having this discussion on the national level is imperative and significant.

Most jobs and certainly many well-paying jobs require a level of computer and media literacy. Further, computer literacy and computer sciences curricula foster the type of problem solving skills that engage students in ways often not afforded with traditional skill and drill education. Thought leading scholars and educators have come to appreciate and understand that applied problem solving skills situated within the technology that learners will encounter in higher education and the workplace must be introduced, nurtured, and scaffolded early within the traditional educational paradigm.

Traditional K12 and K16 education recognizes the importance and depth that foreign language coursework brings to the educational experience and in the making of well rounded graduates.  Yet, computer science and language courses, as well as related media literacy skills are often relegated to electives coursework, if available at all in many school systems. It is ironic that many icons of the the technology sector left their traditional academic environments to forge ahead on their own or with others who just did not feel engaged and invested in the curricula available to them. Perhaps the way forward, the way to engage students in ways that keep them engaged, enrolled, graduating, and moving into  college studies and real world career paths is by embracing technology and the computer sciences as early as we embrace traditional language arts? Maybe situating math and science lessons within the context or in collaboration with computer sciences and rich media environments will better prepare youth for higher education and meaningful careers.

Bauman Keynotes Nursing Practice: A Rainbow of Opportunities at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Conference

Bauman PonderingDr. Eric B. Bauman recently gave a keynote presentation titled  Innovation through Simulation: Paradigm for Patient Safety the 2015 Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin nursing education conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition, Bauman presented a workshop on the importance of debriefing as part of the the simulation-based education process.