Grant writing, critical thinking key skills for dental hygienists

By Maria Perno Goldie, RDH, MSOne of the courses given at the Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL) was Grant Writing for the Novice Dental Hygiene Investigator, by Jane L. Forrest, RDH, EdD, and Ann Eshenauer Spolarich, RDH, PhD. This 3-hour course presented the fundamentals of research protocol design and identified potential funding opportunities for dental hygiene investigators. The presenters discussed various ways to ensure that you will fail at this task, giving examples. (Jakob E, Porter A, Podos J, Braun B, Johnson N, and Vessey S. How to Fail in Grant Writing. The Chronicle of Higher Education. December 5, 2010. chronicle.com/article/How-to-Fail-in-Grant-Writing/125620/.

They used the Rosie Wall Community Spirit Grant to illustrate some points. The POARE model was explained: Problems, Objectives, Actions, Resources, and Evaluation. www.adha.org/ioh/downloads/pdfs/new/2011%20Rosie%20Wall%20Application.pdf.

The 2011-2012 Research Grant Application was also discussed. www.adha.org/ioh/downloads/pdfs/new/2011%20Research%20Grant%20Application.pdf. For more information on research, visit the National Center for Dental Hygiene Research & Practice where there is further information on Grant Funding & Opportunities. www.usc.edu/hsc/dental/dhnet/

The National Center for Dental Hygiene Research & Practice is pleased to announce the 2nd North American/Global Dental Hygiene Research Conference to be held three days, October 20 through October 22, 2011, in Bethesda, Maryland, at the DoubleTree Conference Center Hotel. The conference is being held in collaboration with the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA). The theme for this year’s conference is “Inspiration, Collaboration and Translation.” For information about the 2nd North American/Global Dental Hygiene Research Conference, see the following website www.adha.org/research/research_conference.htm. Please reserve early, as the block of rooms is selling out and the early registration deadline is looming, July 15, 2011. Another course at the CLL was Fostering Critical Thinking by Adele Spencer, RDH, MS, and Maureen Capone, RDH, EdD. They discussed pedagogy and the adult learner, and Malcolm Knowles’ theory of andragogy, which allows teacher and facilitators to structure lessons which are part of a relevant learning environment for adult’s students. Marc Prensky describes new learners as “digital natives” www.marcprensky.com/. According to Prensky, “Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach. Today’s students have not just changed incrementally from those of the past, nor simply changed their slang, clothes, body adornments, or styles, as has happened between generations previously. A really big discontinuity has taken place.” www.marcprensky.com/writing/prensky%20-%20digital%20natives,%20digital%20immigrants%20-%20part1.pdf. Learning styles were discussed, and a “call to thinking” was issued. For more information on critical thinking, visit www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/acsc/97-0506.pdf.