HEALTH and WELLNESS
Back to Table of Contents for the On Course I Workshop
1.Strategy: The Jigsaw
Application: Personal Health Class or Student Success
Educator: Luke Lara, Counselor, MiraCosta College, CA
Implementation: On Day 1, create Home Groups of four and have students choose to become experts on one of the following four topics:
1) Eating disorders and nutrition
2) Depression and mental wellbeing
3) Sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy
4) Drugs and alcohol.
Experts in each group research concerns, data, facts, and resources for help (on-campus and off). On Day 2, experts meet to share what they have learned and plan how they will present to their Home Groups. On Day 3, experts return to their Home Groups and make presentations. Afterwards, hold a whole class discussion, asking questions such as What information did you find most valuable? What behaviors will you change as a result of what you have learned? What did you learn about your level of confidence and competency from the beginning to the end of the activity?
2.Strategy: Wise Choice Process
Application: Behavioral Health Science Program
Educator: Tom Kirsch, Faculty, South Mountain Community College, AZ
Implementation: In Behavioral Health Sciences Program, teach students the steps and application of the Wise Choice Process. Provide background using the “Responsibility Model.” Model the steps of how to guide the Wise Choice Process. Then have students practice the Wise Choice Process in a solo journaling exercise applying it to a personal situation. Next, provide students with common social service client scenarios and have students practice (in dyads) guiding a “client” through the Wise Choice Process. After this role play, lead a class discussion to offer students an opportunity to reflect, comment, and share observations and reactions to the Wise Choice Process.
3. Strategy: Silent Socratic Dialogue
Educator: Olga Labaj, Durham College, Fitness & Health Promotion, CN
Implementation: Use the ‘Silent Socratic Dialogue’ to create an opportunity for program team members (PTMs) to reflect on their contributions to the program. Ask each PTM to email 3–4 quotations about teamwork that evoke a response for them (love it or get irked by it). The program coordinator (PC) compiles and reproduces a page that randomly lists all quotations. At a subsequent meeting, implement the Silent Socratic Dialogue. The program coordinator decides, based on behaviors exhibited during the task and an intuitive feeling, what would best serve the PTMs at that moment in time. The PC could decide to leave the activity at that end. The PC could decide to have each PTM develop an affirmation about their role as a PTM. The PC could decide to have the PTMs develop a Program Team constitution.
4. Strategy: The Puzzle
Application: Stress Management
Educator: Connie Tresedder, Faculty (Adjunct), Bay College, MI
Implementation: After completing the puzzle activity in a large group, have students write reflection journals on some or all of the following questions: 1) What was your experience and how stressful was it for you? 2) What did you learn or relearn about yourself in a group? 3) What did you observe about others and the group as a whole? 4) How did group roles get formed? 5) Did you find yourself being judgmental about the role that someone else adopted? 6) If you were offended, why? 7) Were you concerned that people were judging you and your role? 8) Was there competition with other groups? 9) What did you learn or relearn about what causes stress for you in group situations? Now lead a class discussion about the questions, guiding students to discover their personal stress triggers in a group situation.
