Welcome!

This blog is an assignment for a course in the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program at Vancouver Community College.  As a Registered Veterinary Technologist, my continued goal is to "get the word out" to the public about what exactly that is and why you should make sure your veterinary clinic employs one.  As an educator of Veterinary Technologists, my goal is to encourage my students to think outside the box in their education and aspire to be life-long learners.  There are massive amounts of Continuing Education modules, articles and quizzes out there and there is always something new to learn.  I hope this blog will provide some resources that my students will find helpful to their learning and inspire them to be an advocate for their patients and their profession.

Did you know that there is no legislation that requires education or regulation of those who perform tasks such as anesthesia and dental cleaning in animals?  Currently, a veterinary clinic owner may hire anyone off the street and permit them to perform these tasks.  Tasks that, for people, would only be permitted to be performed by someone who has the skill, knowledge, and qualifications required to do so competently and safely.  Currently in BC, under the law, it is permissible for a high school student to be 'trained' (even by other staff) to do such tasks.  Now many would say that dogs and cats are not people.  But today, many people consider their pets family.  Furry and four-legged, but family nonetheless.  I don't want someone unqualified anesthetizing my family; do you?  

Each year, my program graduates 25 to 30 Veterinary Technologists and the program at TRU in Kamloops graduates about as many.  There is also a distance education program that graduates upwards of 50 per year.  So why is there not at least one in every clinic or hospital?  Part of the reason is wages: we certainly don't get into this profession for the money.  But I think that is part of the bigger problem: we aren't paid what we are worth because a clinic can hire someone at minimum wage to do the job.  So, many RVTs don't stay in the profession for very long.  We may graduate close to 100 VTs in the province every year, but if less than half of them stick around, we are fighting a losing battle.  We must educate pet owners on who is working "in the back" when the vet takes them out of the exam room.  Ask your vet to promote the fact that you have your credential to clients.  Have your vet say "My RVT, Kirsten, will collect some blood from Fluffy and bring her right back to you".  Use your title when you are introducing yourself to clients (not "tech" or "vet tech"; Registered Veterinary Technologist).  When someone asks what you do, don't say "I am a nurse for animals" (not that it isn't part of the job); take them through a day in the life!  I anesthetize, collect blood, run fecal samples, hold clients hands, answer phone calls, clean kennels, take x-rays....  Be proud of your skills, your knowledge and your credential: you have earned it! 

Autobiography

I was born and raised in the Lower Mainland with brief stays in Kamloops (school--Animal Health/Veterinary Technology program) and Sechelt (first job after school).  Currently back in the Lower Mainland.

I have always loved animals and wanted to be a veterinarian when I was young.  When I found out how much schooling was required I decided that it wasn't for me.  I went to SFU right out of high school, but after a couple years decided I still didn't really know what I wanted to do, so I quit and went to work full time.  After a few years, I got brave and decided to go back to school to become a Veterinary Technologist.  After graduation, I worked in small animal clinics for 10 years and then started looking for a new challenge.  That led me to teaching in the Veterinary Technology program at Douglas College.

In 2009 I decided it was time to finish my BSc started so many years ago.  I am a scientist at heart and the first course I decide to take is Humanities....It was a tough course for me but I got through it.  I continue to take courses and hope I will finish my degree some day!

I started taking PID courses when I started teaching in 2010.  I signed up for several of the courses over the past couple of years that were canceled for low registration.  Time passed as it does and all of a sudden I was beyond the 5 year limit and had to apply for an extension.  I have taken two courses in the past year; this is my last course before completing plus the capstone.

In my spare time, I train for triathlons.  I have completed two Ironman races, in Whistler and Copenhagen, Denmark.  My partner and I have three dogs and two cats.  We have no kids of our own but two nephews and a niece that help keep us in the 'young people loop'.

For those wondering, "determined Bos primigenius" is an expansion of my nickname.

A Little Birdie Told Me....

StFX Adult Education
Adult Learning UK
Continuing & Adult Education
Learning and Work

Links I Like

 Center for the Study of Education and Work
Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education
Adult Learning Trends in Canada

On my Reading List

Women, Adult Education, and Leadership in Canada
Descartes Error
Toward an Adult Education and Training Strategy for Canada
The Student EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence and Your Academic and Personal Success
Philosophy, Role of Adult Educators and Learning

Touchstones of Good Teaching

I like this infographic.  "Peel back the curtain and make performance expectations clear" really hit home for me.  In the past couple of years we have had our students submit videos of themselves performing essential skills so that we can assess them.  We weren't clear the first year with our expectations, so last semester we gave out what we felt were clear guidelines on the evaluation process for video submissions.  We still had some students who did poorly and felt that they did not understand what we were looking for.  Other students were successful and received 100%.  Does that mean that we weren't clear?  That some students understood the instructions better than others?  Or does it mean that some students expect to be given step-by-step instructions to a perfect grade but don't want to think for themselves?  And if we give them that, are we helping them to mastery, or are we handicapping them from being able to think critically?

Instructional Process/Strategies

I read with interest this page on holding students' attention.  I used some of the techniques listed today in my Surgical Assistance class; I demonstrated a skill/task or two, then had the students practice themselves.  I would then demonstrate one or two more and then have the students practice.  I also used #14: Stressing Relevance.  Once all tasks had been practiced, I demonstrated how each of the tasks would fit together and flow once we begin surgery labs. I am going to incorporate more change and surprise (#13) and also take some time at the beginning of any student practice time to "Establish the routine, task and time limit" (#9) to help avoid waning attention.