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Time Out (Mac): In response to Ethan’s post on his five applications he can’t live without, micahvandegrift mentioned how much he loves Time Out: “Simply, it is a timer that reminds me to take breaks throughout the day. It can be set to whatever interval you choose, and has micro-breaks and regular breaks.” I followed his advice and downloaded this Mac-only application, and I’m really enjoying it. I use the micro breaks for some deep breathing and focusing my eyes on something besides the screen. I’ve been using the longer breaks to move away from my desk and to go talk to a colleague rather than sending an email. In some ways, this application might not belong on the list since it prevents you from doing anything on your computer while it’s running. But I’ve found even in a short amount of time that it helps me stay focused on what’s at hand since I have regular, scheduled breaks. And since these breaks cannot be with email or Twitter, I’m that much more likely to get back to work after its over.

The study is to be published in February in Academic Medicine, the journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, but it is available online now (it can be downloaded using the “Article as PDF” tool). It reports on the 2011 and 2012 versions of a first-year course for graduate students, “Basic Pharmaceutics II.”

Flexible environment (Students are allowed a variety of modes of learning and means of assessment) Learning culture (Student-centered communities of inquiry rather than instructor-centered lecture) Intentional content (Basically this means placing content in the most appropriate context – direct instruction prior to class for individual use, video that’s accessible to all students, etc.) Professional educator (Being a reflective, accessible instructor who collaborates with other educators and takes responsibility for perfecting one’s craft)