The Bloodmobile

Sometimes catchy little songs can help us learn even very complex concepts.

My friend Ellen recently sent along this video with the snappy tune Bloodmobile.  This song from They Might Be Giants summarizes the main functions of the blood . . . a very timely topic for those of you at the beginning of your A&P 2 course.



While we're on a cardiovascular theme, you may recall seeing my previous post Pump Your Blood that features the classic song of the same name that has been used by countless A&P students to learn the path of blood through the heart.

Have any more?  Why not share them?

Learn your anatomical directions!

As you begin studying the structure and function of the human body, you'll find that you need to be thoroughly familiar with the terminology used in anatomy to describe directions and orientation.

It may seem overwhelming at first, but it's a necessary step in learning everything else in anatomy.  It's like knowing north from south and east from west when beginning a course in geography.

Extra time and effort spent to learn anatomical directions and orientation at the beginning of the course will make most of the next semester or two . . . and beyond into other courses and your career . . . go way more smoothly.  Really.  It's hard to see that now, I know.  But trust me!

Besides your learning in the lab and lecture course, and working through your textbook and lab manual, you may find this FREE mini-course to be helpful.  It's called simply Anatomical Directions and it's provided as a free service from Insight Medical Academy. It requires a free registration to use the course, so be sure to register before trying to access the course.  Here's a brief video explaining how the free course works.

Sleeping through A&P

Research confirms it . . . sleeping helps you learn A&P! 

OK, I'm not talking about sleeping during your A&P class.  That kind of sleeping hurts your ability to learn A&P.

Although we've known about this for a long time, recent research in mice adds to the evidence that a session of uninterrupted sleep helps you learn things.  Here's a link to a brief, easy-to-understand explanation of the research: my-ap.us/ne2WaP

What this means is that you should make great effort to get a good night's sleep every day that you study A&P.  That means sleeping well on nights that follow your lectures, labs, and study sessions. Or even better: getting a good night's sleep every night!


Yeah, I know . . . there are all kinds of things that interrupt your sleep.  What I'm saying is that it's important to reduce those interruptions as much as possible.  It may mean that you need to get others in your life "on board" with your learning goals, as I explained in a recent post. It may mean changing your schedule around a bit. 

A lot of folks don't really have good sleep habits . . . at that prevents them from sleeping well.  Which prevents them from learning well.  There are a lot of resources for learning good sleep habits, so if you have trouble sleeping well you should do a bit of research or find some professional help.

Besides helping you learn, good sleep habits also help you stay awake during class . . . no matter how boring your professor is!  Regular, uninterrupted sleep also helps you stay healthy and live a longer, happier life!

My A&P students are always looking for ways to help them remember things.  So here's something that's easy: just make sure you get a good night's sleep!

Here's a short video on good sleep hygiene using tips from the CDC and acted out by students at Miami University.

The art of listening

I just ran across a short video in which "listening expert' Julian Treasuresummarizes five easy ways to become a better listener. 

He also points out why listening is important and why it's a skill that, as a culture, we are losing.  And perhaps more importantly for our quest for success in our anatomy & physiology course, he mentions why good listening skills are important for students.

I see so many students "out of focus" and "out of tune" with what is happening in the A&P lecture and lab.  So I know that good listening skills are not common in today's students.  This video will help make you a better student!

Mr. Treasure also talks about having the"listening position" appropriate to the kind of listening in which we are engaged.

He sums up with a quick acronym, RASA, that helps us remember some key points in listening effectively:

Receive

Appreciate

Summarize

Ask

Check out the video! (and listen carefully) 

Click image to view video