Hillary Gardner
Center for Immigrant Education and Training (CIET)
La Guardia Community College
Long Island City, NY
E-mail: hgardner@lagcc.cuny.edu
The intermediate EL/Civics class will use the website to identify different sources for health care information and advice (friends and family/word of mouth, doctors and nurses/health care providers, and national health organizations). Students will learn to recognize different sources of health information and share how they learn from each. Time: 48 hours
The students who participated in this project are members of the advanced class of the EL/Civics program at the Center for Immigrant Education and Training (CIET) in the Division of Adult and Continuing Education at La Guardia Community College in Long Island City, New York. They range in ages from early-twenties to mid-sixties and come from diverse countries around the world, although the class is primarily Hispanic. They all scored an NRS level of 4 or 5 on the Oral BEST (short form) and NRS level 2 to 5 on the Literacy BEST. Their familiarity with computers varies from none to proficient. Some have spent just a few months in the United States; others have lived here many years.
The purpose of this assignment is for students (1) to recognize different sources of health care information, (2) to collect different examples of health care advice using the resources available at the Health Literacy Special Collection Website, and (3) to share their findings in a final presentation for the class.
Handouts (in Word 97):
#1 Healthcare in the U.S.
#2 You and Your Health
#3 Finding Health Advice Online
#4 Talking about Health
#5 Talking about Health Evaluation
#6 Sources of Health Information
#7 sources of Health Information (Table)
The teacher posted a sign on the classroom wall reading "Health Care in the U.S."; to the left of this sign, a sign reading "What We Know"; to the right a sign reading "Questions We Have."
Each student received two sticky notes. Students wrote one thing they know about health care on one note and a question they have about health care on another note. When they finished writing, students posted their notes under the corresponding sign. Students browsed the notes on the wall at the end of class.
For the next class, the teacher typed up student comments (handout #1: "Healthcare in the U.S."). Students read them as a group and discussed ways to find the answers as a class.
During computer lab, students visited the online health literacy collection at: http://www.worlded.org/us/health/lincs/ and completed a handout about what they found (handout #2: "You and Your Health: Finding Advice Online").
Students were able to print resources that interested them. Students continued their research using handout #3: "Health Information Online". Many students also used a keyword search at http://www.google.com to locate information about their topic of choice.
Step 1: Students received the following project definition.
YOU AND YOUR HEALTH: GETTING GOOD ADVICE
The purpose of this project is for you to choose a topic related to health that interests you and to give a brief presentation (5-10 minutes) to the class about what you learn.
DUE DATE:
The presentation is due ____________________________.
FORMAT:
Please be prepared to speak for 5-10 minutes and share information with your
classmates. If you would like to make a poster or distribute photocopies,
please let me know.
Here are some possible topics:
Step 2: Students signed up for a topic. The teacher assigned those with related topics to small groups. Each group had a name such as: "The Head," "The Digestive System," "Staying Healthy," "Our Personal Experiences," and "Common Diseases." Students also visited an on campus health fair for print information.
Step 3: Students practiced skimming for information. On the board the teacher wrote the following definitions and students and teacher brainstormed examples:
| Skimming:when you read quickly for information that interests you and you don't need to understand every new word | Reading for comprehension: when it's important for you to understand the details of what you read |
| Examples: reading the newspaper for health headlines, looking at the TV guide for programs that interest you, schedules, catalogs, etc. | Examples: taking a test, reading a prescription label, filling out a job application, signing a form, etc. |
Students practiced skimming "USA Today" for health headlines. Students wrote the headline and page number of each health article they found. Afterward, students chose one article to read as a group. Each group summarized the main idea and a few key details in their own words.
Step 4: Students worked in groups to summarize their research.
To help students simplify the information they read about their topic, the teacher distributed handout #4: "Talking about Health". Students completed this form in small groups. Students met in groups to share information, make suggestions, and practice their presentations.
For most students, the most difficult part of the research project
was explaining what they read in their own words. Following the group sessions,
the teacher wrote the following sentences on the board:
Introduce your topic
I am going to talk about ____________________.
Define your topic
__________________ is ___________________.
Explain why it interests you
This topic interests me because ____________.
Explain some common symptoms
People with _________________ often get/feel ________________________________.
Explain what you can do to prevent it
You can prevent it by ________________________.
Explain where you can find more information
You can find more information at ____________________.
Ask if there are questions.
Are there any questions?
The teacher gave this example:
I am going to talk about giardia. Giardia is an intestinal parasite. You get it from contaminated drinking water or dirty food. This topic interests me because I had it two years ago. I was very sick and lost about 15 pounds. People with giardia often get diarrhea. Most of the time it goes away by itself. In my case, it didn't go away. Every couple of weeks I got very sick. I would wake up in the middle of the night vomiting and shaking. You can prevent it by drinking treated water and washing your food well. Visit your doctor if you have stomach problems that do not go away. Giardia is not very common in the United States, but if you want to learn more, you can visit http://www.cdc.gov Are there any questions?
Students then practiced their presentations again in their small groups using this simplified model.
Step 5: Presentations and Evaluations
See sample PowerPoint presentations:
Students evaluated one another's presentations using handout #5: "Talking about Health (Evaluation)". Students handed in their materials and preparation, including handout #4 "Talking about Health." Students will receive teacher feedback and the average score from their classmates' evaluations.
Objective: Students will identify different sources of health care information and evaluate their role in providing health care advice.
Step 1: Discussion
Teacher will post the definition of "advice" on the board or wall:
advice (n.) 1. Opinion about what could or should be done about a situation or problem 2. Information communicated.
Synonyms: counsel, recommendation, suggestion.
Students will form small groups to discuss the following questions.
1. When you have a problem, where do you go for advice?
2. How do you know if someone's opinion is a good one?
3. Where do you usually get health care advice?
4. Have you ever gotten bad health care advice? If so, what did you do?
5. What changes have you made in your diet or lifestyle in the last five years and why? Where did you get this advice?
Students will write a short summary of their discussion when they are done.
Step 2: Acronyms of sources of health care information.
Students will work in pairs to complete handout #6: "Sources of Health Care Information". Review as a class when done.
Step 3: Wrap-up discussion.
We have looked at four sources of health care information:
Working in groups, see if you can identify some of the advantages of the kind of information you get from these sources. Keep in mind that each sources has a different purpose. Does that purpose affect the kind of information you receive?
Teacher will distribute handout #7: "Sources of Health Care Information" (table) and post the following questions on the board:
Questions to consider:
1. What kind of information can you get from each source?
2. How is this information different from other sources?
3. What are the advantages of this information?
Review as a class when done.
For more information, have students print out information on asthma from "Email projects" at http://www.otan.us/webfarm/emailproject/asthma.htm and information on asthma from http://www.familydoctor.org/. Have them examine how the information is presented as they discuss these questions.
Possible answers below:
Source
Family and friends
Purpose:
to share personal experiences
Advantages:
Your friends can help you find resources in your area. They can explain home
remedies and how something feels.
Keep in mind:
Your friends may not have current information. Health care information changes.
Your own experience may be different.
Source
Medical Professionals
Purpose:
to evaluate and improve your health
to treat and cure you
Advantages:
Doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals have access to specialized
training and equipment for diagnosis, as well as knowledge of your personal
health history.
Keep in mind:
Communicating with your doctor can be difficult. Make sure you understand
your rights as a patient. Find your state's patient bill of rights, learn
how to ask for a medical interpreter, and make a list of the kinds of questions
you want to ask your doctor before your next visit.
Source
National and Government Health Organizations
Purpose:
to educate the public and conduct research
Advantages:
National and government health care organizations provide up-to-date information
in easy-to-read or bilingual publications.
Keep in mind:
Research written for everybody may not apply to your situation.
Source
The Media
Purpose:
to report on health care developments
Advantages:
You can find many different kinds of information in the media including statistics,
illustrations, personal experiences, and reports on new diseases or developments
in your area.
Keep in mind:
A health report in the news may include only the latest information and not
a complete picture of a condition. Some media reports try to shock or scare
you.
SOURCES OF HEALTH CARE INFORMATION ON LINCS
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
When we have a health problem, we often turn to friends or family to give us suggestions and advice for good doctors, home remedies, and suggestions for resources. You can learn a lot from the people around you. This kind of advice is often called "word of mouth".
Titles available on LINCS:
Breast Cancer As I Lived It - STUDENT WRITING
http://www.worlded.org/us/health/docs/MScanlon/index.htm
Email Projects
http://www.otan.us/webfarm/emailproject/site.htm
My Life Story with Cancer - STUDENT WRITING
http://www.worlded.org/us/health/docs/Mary/introduction.html
What A Friend Can Do For You - STUDENT WRITING
http://www.worlded.org/us/health/heal/friends/index.html
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
Your health care provider has the most up-to-date information on your personal condition and health history. A health care provider can give you good advice on what to do in an emergency. It's important to learn how to communicate with your doctor and follow your doctor's recommendations.
Titles available on LINCS:
Visiting the Doctor: Lessons in Language and Culture
http://literacynet.org/vtd/
Familydoctor.org: Health information for the whole family from the American
Academy of Family Physicians
http://www.familydoctor.org/
PROFESSIONAL AND GOVERMENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS
At the state and local level, there are many organizations that conduct health research. These government organizations often publish free information in easy-to-read and/or bilingual formats.
Titles available on LINCS:
U.S. FDA Easy-to-Read Publications
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/7lowlit.html
NIH Consumer Health Publications (Almost All Health Topics/Medium to High
Reading Level)
http://health.nih.gov/
Diabetes, Hepatitis, & Kidney Diseases: Easy-to-Read Info
Heart, Lung and Blood Diseases / Heart Health
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/eztoread.htm
How to adapt the lesson for lower skill levels.
It would be difficult to adapt this lesson for lower skill levels. Some exercises
that we did to prepare students for the difficulties of pronouncing health
words were:
Gesture & Repeat: Students stand in a circle. Ask students to introduce themselves with their name and a gesture. All students should repeat the name and the same gesture. Complete the circle. For round 2, students point to a body part and say its name. Teacher corrects if necessary.
Students repeat the gesture and the name. For round 3, try asking students to say the name of a common health problem and give a gesture. For example, "earache" (holding one's ear). Students repeat. Write the problem on the board and complete the circle. Students can copy the new words at the conclusion of the exercise.Syllable Stretch: Using words from students' presentations, ask students to stand during the long syllable of the word. For example, "relaxAtion"; students would sit, stand during the "A", then sit again.
After this project, students felt more confident about their ability to speak English in general and to talk about health in particular. Many said "I lost my fear" and "I'm not shy anymore". But many still expressed interest in learning more about health given the complicated vocabulary and changing information.