This is (I think!) the last loose end which needs tying up. I haven't commented on the ambiance of dance yet, as I thought it had been scrapped from the assessment outline. Not so, so here goes :)
Before starting OT, when I thought of ambiance I thought of dim lights, background music, fancy restaurants and all that jazz. In part, it is, but it's bigger than this. Ambiance is defined as "a feeling or mood associated with a particular place, person, or thing". As OTs we get quite good at breaking things into parts - activity and task analysis requires us to break simple activities into the component parts. But I think it's important to understand ambiance - the feeling or atmosphere of the activity as a whole - so we don't focus so much on the piece of wood that we lose sight of the forest :-p
Dancing falls within the classification on play. Play is "often described as self-motivated or chosen, pleasurable, and important from a developmental perspective" (Christiansen & Townsend, 2010, p. 24). Play is primarily about relating to others, and how we establish ourselves in human society. I wrote a very cool essay last year on dramatic arts (poetry, performance and dancing) and how these and the notion of play fit within the umbrella of occupation and are therefore part of the essence of being human. I really enjoyed exploring what it is to be human, and how these are mediums to help fulfill this.
Dancing totally epitomizes the essence of play. When we went to the swing dance party the other week, play was a very central theme. We got dressed up, which is always a good start for a game don't you think? A group of about 7 of us went together, three in matching outfits :). While we learnt the basics, we rotated partners constantly. As friend 2 and I both knew what we were doing, we buddied up with some of the beginners. I learnt to be the lead, which was heeeeaps of fun! There was a lot of light hearted banter that went on as we introduced ourselves to new partners, apologised for our lack of skill and fumbled through the dances. Play is all about these social interactions, which were so, so important on the night. Another element of play was the anticipation and excitement of us all asking each other to dance. It's generally considered to be the man's job to ask, but because I learnt the lead and the number of follows grossly out weighed the number of leads, I felt like I played in character all night! I could be the perfect gentleman and ask the girls to dance. But when I got a bit sick of lead, I was so used to bending the rules I sought out the boys to ask them to dance. The shared experience of fun pretty much sums up play. Sweet!
Thursday 27 October 2011
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Tying up the loose ends
Here's a list of the other blogs which I've had a wee read of and commented on:
Anita and Affordances
Pip's Rambling
Kate's post on affordances
Gracie's Story
Here's a birds-eye view of the contents of the second part of the blog...
Post 1: Very quick introduction (08/09/11)
Post 2: Introduction (21/09/11)
Post 3: Affordance (21/09/11)
Post 4: Ergonomics (26/09/11)
Post 5: Aesthetics (10/10/11)
Post 6: the Need (10/10/11)
Post 7: Spirituality (12/10/11)
Post 8: Practical considerations and ergonomics (20/10/11)
Post 9: References (26/10/11)
Post 10: Comments on other blogs (26/10/11)
Post 11: Ambiance (27/10/11)
Anita and Affordances
Pip's Rambling
Kate's post on affordances
Gracie's Story
Here's a birds-eye view of the contents of the second part of the blog...
Post 1: Very quick introduction (08/09/11)
Post 2: Introduction (21/09/11)
Post 3: Affordance (21/09/11)
Post 4: Ergonomics (26/09/11)
Post 5: Aesthetics (10/10/11)
Post 6: the Need (10/10/11)
Post 7: Spirituality (12/10/11)
Post 8: Practical considerations and ergonomics (20/10/11)
Post 9: References (26/10/11)
Post 10: Comments on other blogs (26/10/11)
Post 11: Ambiance (27/10/11)
Alllllllll the references
References
(sorry I can't make the lines indent appropriately using blogger. Oops.)
A'Court, S. (2011). New Zealand School of Dance Students. Retrieved from http://www.nzschoolofdance.ac.nz/news_events/upcoming_performances/images/H2879 sml400wide.jpg
Caulton, R., & Dickson, R. (2007). What's going on? Finding an explanation for what we do. In J. Creek & A. Lawson-Porter (Eds.). Contemporary issues in occupational therapy. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Christiansen, C., & Townsend, E. (2010). Introduction to occupation: The art and science of living (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson.
These two defined affordances for me. Although in class we haven't stuck to the exact definition which talks about the actions allowed by an object, their description really helped me get my head around what it means for an object or an occupation to afford. They used examples of doors and chairs, and how elements of their design inform us as to how they should be used. This really clear cut, explainable understanding made it easier for me to analyse the affordances of something more abstract - an occupation as opposed to an object. It helped me see that you have to break down the occupation into parts to see what they lead to - for example, dancing is physical, therefore lends itself to physical health and physical conditioning. Cool.
Degas, E. (1873). Ballet rehearsal [Oil on canvas]. The Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Gavacs, M. (2009). The dance of independence. OT Practice, 14(10), 32.
This is the coolest reading: I was so excited when completely fell across it. It made me excited about being an OT again, which is always good :) When talking about spirituality and affordances, I focused a lot on my own faith. This gives the most awesome example of a different kind of spirituality - and is totally the crux of being an OT. Only a child can see independence in such a simple, pure way which encapsulates completely the essence of the word. I guess this reading also backs up how dance can be used to express emotions of joy and excitement... I'm not the only one!!
Hagedorn, R. (2000). Tools for practice in occupational therapy: A structured approach to core skills and processes. Edinburgh: Churchill-Livingstone.
Hagedorn talks about ergonomics being a dynamic balance. This triggered lots of thought processes for me - I could have written much, much more on it! It ties in well with Caulton and Dickson's assertation that OTs have to be able to make slight, invisible changes to tasks so the outcome can still be met. My experiences of dancing are full of times in which one element of the POE framework is slightly out of balance, and therefore the others have to be adapted. It was also REALLY interesting to consider how you could maintain a balance if using dance as an occupation with client's with significant deficits in one area. Interesting!
Caulton, R., & Dickson, R. (2007). What's going on? Finding an explanation for what we do. In J. Creek & A. Lawson-Porter (Eds.). Contemporary issues in occupational therapy. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Christiansen, C., & Townsend, E. (2010). Introduction to occupation: The art and science of living (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson.
These two defined affordances for me. Although in class we haven't stuck to the exact definition which talks about the actions allowed by an object, their description really helped me get my head around what it means for an object or an occupation to afford. They used examples of doors and chairs, and how elements of their design inform us as to how they should be used. This really clear cut, explainable understanding made it easier for me to analyse the affordances of something more abstract - an occupation as opposed to an object. It helped me see that you have to break down the occupation into parts to see what they lead to - for example, dancing is physical, therefore lends itself to physical health and physical conditioning. Cool.
Degas, E. (1873). Ballet rehearsal [Oil on canvas]. The Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Gavacs, M. (2009). The dance of independence. OT Practice, 14(10), 32.
This is the coolest reading: I was so excited when completely fell across it. It made me excited about being an OT again, which is always good :) When talking about spirituality and affordances, I focused a lot on my own faith. This gives the most awesome example of a different kind of spirituality - and is totally the crux of being an OT. Only a child can see independence in such a simple, pure way which encapsulates completely the essence of the word. I guess this reading also backs up how dance can be used to express emotions of joy and excitement... I'm not the only one!!
Hagedorn, R. (2000). Tools for practice in occupational therapy: A structured approach to core skills and processes. Edinburgh: Churchill-Livingstone.
Hagedorn talks about ergonomics being a dynamic balance. This triggered lots of thought processes for me - I could have written much, much more on it! It ties in well with Caulton and Dickson's assertation that OTs have to be able to make slight, invisible changes to tasks so the outcome can still be met. My experiences of dancing are full of times in which one element of the POE framework is slightly out of balance, and therefore the others have to be adapted. It was also REALLY interesting to consider how you could maintain a balance if using dance as an occupation with client's with significant deficits in one area. Interesting!
John, E., & Hall, L. (2005). Electricity. On Official cast recording: Billy Elliot the musical [CD]. London: Angel Recording Studios; Shoefactory Studios.
This is a song from the Billy Elliot musical. For a full version of the lyrics, see here. I saw the music in London, and loved this song as soon as I heard it. In my blog I've talked a bit about the paradox that dance can be: you have to be very disciplined and in control to perfect technique, but at the same time you can be totally out of control. These two elements can exist a part: you can dance fully in control and be focusing 100% on technique, or you can forget all about any formal training and just go with the flow. For me though, they often exist together. I think the way Billy puts it in the song is better than I could ever describe how it feels to dance :)
Media.com. (2010). Street dance wallpaper. Retrieved from http://www.scenicreflections.com/files/Street%20Dance%20Wallpaper__yvt2.jp
New Zealand School of Dance. (2011). Balanchine's Emeralds. Retrieved from http://www.nzschoolofdance.ac.nz/news_events/images/nz-schoolofdance-Emeralds200wide.jpg
Singleton, W. (1972). Introduction to ergonomics. Geneva: World Health Organisation.
Unknown author. (2010). Quotations about dancing. Retrieved from: http://www.quotegarden.com/dancing.html
World Health Organisation. (1998). Review of the constitution of the World Health Organisation: Report of the Executive Board special group. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/gb/archive/pdf_files/EB101/pdfangl/angr2.pdf
I remembered this definition from a course last year and think it is a fabulous definition of health at it looks at the whole individual. When thinking about dancing and how it fits with the WHO definition of health, I was quite excited!! It totally helps maintain physical well-being, but also social and spiritual as my experiences prove. Meeeean!
WordPress. (2010). Sparks fly as ballet and street dance collide. Retrieved from http://artsyfutsy.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/ballet.jpg
Apparently the Bible doesn't get cited in a reference list, but that was one of my handy sources. All of the literary references here have been extremely useful in shaping my understanding of dancing, and why I find meaning in it. I've chosen five to elaborate on, but the others are also extremely valuable.
This is a song from the Billy Elliot musical. For a full version of the lyrics, see here. I saw the music in London, and loved this song as soon as I heard it. In my blog I've talked a bit about the paradox that dance can be: you have to be very disciplined and in control to perfect technique, but at the same time you can be totally out of control. These two elements can exist a part: you can dance fully in control and be focusing 100% on technique, or you can forget all about any formal training and just go with the flow. For me though, they often exist together. I think the way Billy puts it in the song is better than I could ever describe how it feels to dance :)
Media.com. (2010). Street dance wallpaper. Retrieved from http://www.scenicreflections.com/files/Street%20Dance%20Wallpaper__yvt2.jp
New Zealand School of Dance. (2011). Balanchine's Emeralds. Retrieved from http://www.nzschoolofdance.ac.nz/news_events/images/nz-schoolofdance-Emeralds200wide.jpg
Singleton, W. (1972). Introduction to ergonomics. Geneva: World Health Organisation.
Unknown author. (2010). Quotations about dancing. Retrieved from: http://www.quotegarden.com/dancing.html
World Health Organisation. (1998). Review of the constitution of the World Health Organisation: Report of the Executive Board special group. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/gb/archive/pdf_files/EB101/pdfangl/angr2.pdf
I remembered this definition from a course last year and think it is a fabulous definition of health at it looks at the whole individual. When thinking about dancing and how it fits with the WHO definition of health, I was quite excited!! It totally helps maintain physical well-being, but also social and spiritual as my experiences prove. Meeeean!
WordPress. (2010). Sparks fly as ballet and street dance collide. Retrieved from http://artsyfutsy.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/ballet.jpg
Apparently the Bible doesn't get cited in a reference list, but that was one of my handy sources. All of the literary references here have been extremely useful in shaping my understanding of dancing, and why I find meaning in it. I've chosen five to elaborate on, but the others are also extremely valuable.
Thursday 20 October 2011
Practical considerations (with a dash of ergonomics at the bottom)
I've neglected to look at the practical considerations of dancing thus far. Oops.
When we were introduced to this course, we were given the challenge of choosing an occupation that we could do for at least two hours a week, for the next nine weeks. I had lots of bright ideas, but in the end (obviously) chose dancing. Why? Eeeeveryone seemed to be doing cooking, which is something I definitely spend a couple of hours on a week due to the demands of living in a flat. But I decided to swim against the current and not do cooking. When I started looking at other possibilities, I realised that although I have super busy weeks and have something on most nights, none of these 'occupations' really cut the mustard for being done mindfully and for the necessary length of time and regularity. The other occupation I nearly chose was leading at a local youth club. This would definitely tick all the boxes, would be extremely rewarding to write about, and seems to lend itself really well to this assignment. However, I decided that I'd rather not write about it as our blogs and assignment require a lot of depth and detail. This being the world wide web and all, I didn't want to create a situation that would jeopardise the kid's confidentiality. Even if I changed all the names and was extremely evasive, Dunedin is a pretty small place and if someone stumbled upon this blog and managed to put two and two together, I probably wouldn't feel so flash about it. That probably just my paranoia, but hey ho. And so we got to dancing, which I had recently decided to start again anyway. I seemed pretty perfect, and has proved pretty perfect, so it was win win!
In the occupation and environment part of ergonomics we looked a lots of the other paractical considerations around dancing. They were things like......
On Saturday night I went to a swing party... wee hee! It was organised by the swing club in Dunedin. We knew it was coming up, but I pushed it to the back of my head and didn't really think I'd go. The evening started with a crash course in lindy-hop (the breed of swing we've been learning) - so even people that had never done swing before could come. Suprisingly, when I mentioned it to my flat mates they were super, super keen! There was a best dressed competition on the night, so we decided to get properly dressed up. My friend's and I spend aaaaaaaaaaall of Saturday morning in town combing the opshops. This was extremely time consuming and very exhausting. It started out as a whole lot of fun, but as we got a bit more hungry and grumpy, the fun eventually started wearing off. We scrapped the opshop idea, and went to Spotlight to buy some fabric. My super talented, selfless, creative, fantastic flatmate whipped us up some circle skirts, and suddenly we looked like we were straight out of Grease. The time that went in to even preparing for the dance was pretty intense, but can't be separated from the dance itself as we felt so much more the part!
The dance was held in an old church that has been renovated into a bar and cinema. We had so much fun, but because the turn out was so, so good, there was very limited space. I smacked into so many people (I'm not the most observant or coordinated at the best of times). We really struggled with this, and I think the organisers realised it was definitely worth considering a bigger space for next time.
This also demonstrates ergonomic properties of dancing, as the fit between the person/occupation and environment wasn't particularly good. Friend 2 and I are both pretty tall (friend 2 especially), and one of the core moves of swing - the swing out - requires a bit of stepping and spinning and space consuming. Due to the unsuitability of the environment, we did the same basic move over and over and over again as we are yet to develop the mastery to adapt the moves we've been taught to fit the environment. This wore thin quite quickly. Interesting point though - when making Caulton's (2007) "slight invisible changes" (p.93) to create best fit between the POE components, the fit can be made by adjusting any one of the components. Hagedorn (2000) says that there's a dynamic balance that is ergonomics... see my post on ergonomics. Fit could most obviously been created by giving us a bigger space to dance in... but it could have been created by us developing the mastery to do smaller, tidier moves and thus fit our dancing to a smaller stage. Or we could have flagged swing entirely and done some of that club dancing that requires next to no space. But then that wouldn't achieve the outcomes for the activity, which were around practicing our swing in a social environment and having fun: I probably would have been grumpy, so I like the earlier two ideas better.
References
Caulton, R., & Dickson, R. (2007). What's going on? Finding an explanation for what we do. In J. Creek & A. Lawson-Porter (Eds.). Contemporary issues in occupational therapy. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Hagedorn, R. (2000). Tools for practice in occupational therapy: A structured approach to core skills and processes. Edinburgh: Churchill-Livingstone.
When we were introduced to this course, we were given the challenge of choosing an occupation that we could do for at least two hours a week, for the next nine weeks. I had lots of bright ideas, but in the end (obviously) chose dancing. Why? Eeeeveryone seemed to be doing cooking, which is something I definitely spend a couple of hours on a week due to the demands of living in a flat. But I decided to swim against the current and not do cooking. When I started looking at other possibilities, I realised that although I have super busy weeks and have something on most nights, none of these 'occupations' really cut the mustard for being done mindfully and for the necessary length of time and regularity. The other occupation I nearly chose was leading at a local youth club. This would definitely tick all the boxes, would be extremely rewarding to write about, and seems to lend itself really well to this assignment. However, I decided that I'd rather not write about it as our blogs and assignment require a lot of depth and detail. This being the world wide web and all, I didn't want to create a situation that would jeopardise the kid's confidentiality. Even if I changed all the names and was extremely evasive, Dunedin is a pretty small place and if someone stumbled upon this blog and managed to put two and two together, I probably wouldn't feel so flash about it. That probably just my paranoia, but hey ho. And so we got to dancing, which I had recently decided to start again anyway. I seemed pretty perfect, and has proved pretty perfect, so it was win win!
In the occupation and environment part of ergonomics we looked a lots of the other paractical considerations around dancing. They were things like......
- Money... lessons aren't very cheap
- Space - you've got to have room to practice
- Time - practice makes perfect!!
- Equipment and gear
On Saturday night I went to a swing party... wee hee! It was organised by the swing club in Dunedin. We knew it was coming up, but I pushed it to the back of my head and didn't really think I'd go. The evening started with a crash course in lindy-hop (the breed of swing we've been learning) - so even people that had never done swing before could come. Suprisingly, when I mentioned it to my flat mates they were super, super keen! There was a best dressed competition on the night, so we decided to get properly dressed up. My friend's and I spend aaaaaaaaaaall of Saturday morning in town combing the opshops. This was extremely time consuming and very exhausting. It started out as a whole lot of fun, but as we got a bit more hungry and grumpy, the fun eventually started wearing off. We scrapped the opshop idea, and went to Spotlight to buy some fabric. My super talented, selfless, creative, fantastic flatmate whipped us up some circle skirts, and suddenly we looked like we were straight out of Grease. The time that went in to even preparing for the dance was pretty intense, but can't be separated from the dance itself as we felt so much more the part!
The dance was held in an old church that has been renovated into a bar and cinema. We had so much fun, but because the turn out was so, so good, there was very limited space. I smacked into so many people (I'm not the most observant or coordinated at the best of times). We really struggled with this, and I think the organisers realised it was definitely worth considering a bigger space for next time.
This also demonstrates ergonomic properties of dancing, as the fit between the person/occupation and environment wasn't particularly good. Friend 2 and I are both pretty tall (friend 2 especially), and one of the core moves of swing - the swing out - requires a bit of stepping and spinning and space consuming. Due to the unsuitability of the environment, we did the same basic move over and over and over again as we are yet to develop the mastery to adapt the moves we've been taught to fit the environment. This wore thin quite quickly. Interesting point though - when making Caulton's (2007) "slight invisible changes" (p.93) to create best fit between the POE components, the fit can be made by adjusting any one of the components. Hagedorn (2000) says that there's a dynamic balance that is ergonomics... see my post on ergonomics. Fit could most obviously been created by giving us a bigger space to dance in... but it could have been created by us developing the mastery to do smaller, tidier moves and thus fit our dancing to a smaller stage. Or we could have flagged swing entirely and done some of that club dancing that requires next to no space. But then that wouldn't achieve the outcomes for the activity, which were around practicing our swing in a social environment and having fun: I probably would have been grumpy, so I like the earlier two ideas better.
References
Caulton, R., & Dickson, R. (2007). What's going on? Finding an explanation for what we do. In J. Creek & A. Lawson-Porter (Eds.). Contemporary issues in occupational therapy. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Hagedorn, R. (2000). Tools for practice in occupational therapy: A structured approach to core skills and processes. Edinburgh: Churchill-Livingstone.
Wednesday 12 October 2011
Spirituality
Wednesday 12 October
Spirituality is just one of those words. I've heard it thrown around in conversation numerous times - in fact, I've probably used it once or twice. But when I actually can to write a blog post on it I realised I actually wouldn't have a clue how to explain it to someone who actually took the time to ask instead of just absorbing it into their vocabulary through osmosis as I seem to have done.
Spirituality is just one of those words. I've heard it thrown around in conversation numerous times - in fact, I've probably used it once or twice. But when I actually can to write a blog post on it I realised I actually wouldn't have a clue how to explain it to someone who actually took the time to ask instead of just absorbing it into their vocabulary through osmosis as I seem to have done.
The World Health Organisation defines health as a "dynamic state of complete physical,
mental, spiritual and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" (WHO, 1998).
mental, spiritual and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" (WHO, 1998).
Spirituality is clearly important! But what is it? Google has approximately 35,200,000 hits for "spirituality definition" - not hugely helpful! The themes I'm picking up on is that spirituality has to do with the immaterial rather than material and the human spirit. Spirituality is doesn't find it's substance in worldly things, but is to do with our relationship with ourselves, our beliefs and values, and/or a higher power, and encorporates our world views. It's not a word I particularly like; maybe coz I've heard it used in extremely airy-fairy contexts, or with really negative connotations. So if you're one of those people who doesn't particularly like it either, forgive me!, you'll get the gist eventually!
Last night I was anticipating having to write this post, a bit unsure of how to go about it. Bang! I've got a cool example of how my dancing and spirituality parallel each other beautifully. When doing swing (and ceroc last semester), I'm pretty bad at trying to be the lead. For those who aren't dancingly minded, the lead is usually the male, or the partner that directs the other. I am not the lead. When I try and be the lead we end up either a) doing two different moves; b)tripping over each other; c) me having freaked him out/thrown him off; and always d) in a bit of a pickle. When I have a really strong lead I guess it's easier to follow, but it remains a bit of an issue.
The last few weeks I've had quite a lot of big decisions to make, little pickles to sort out, and interesting questions arise. I like to think I've been really seeking God on them. But I know that whilst I'm quite good at saying "here, God, please can you deal with this?", I'm also very good at asking him to do exactly what he wants, but please could he have an answer by Wednesday, tick boxes a, b and c, and I don't know if it matters but I would really like x, y and z to be the answer. Conscious of this, I thought I'd made a pretty good effort to be completely open. However, last night I was talking to my flat mates, and one of them reminded me that I just need to let God be in control. He used the analogy of driving a car, but it also parallels perfectly with my dancing. When I keep trying to be in control, the end product is obviously going to be sloppy seconds compared to what my lead, or God (the best lead) has planned. Interesting!
For me there's quite a strong link between dancing and spirituality. As I've said, dancing is often how I express excitement, burn off energy, channel frustration and detach. You know how some people get louder and louder and louder and louder when they're happy? And some people giggle uncontrollably (I have to admit, I do that too)? And some people go into a state of complete bliss and appear totally unaware of the world around them? I move. I jump. I flap. I frolic. I leap where appropriate (and occasionally where not).
In the Bible, there are lots of references to dancing. It's pretty much always in the context of worship or rejoicing. Psalm 30:11 (English Standard Version) says "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing". Dancing is the antithesis of mourning, wailing and sorrow. I love verses like "Let them praise his name with dancing" (Ps 143:3). I totally relate, as like I've said dancing is the best way to release excitement and get excited for God.
While trying to research group work ideas for emotional expression for a totally different paper, I stumbled upon the following article. It's about a little boy who finally manages to dress himself independently after resisting for aaaaaages. When he does, he breaks into a dance. The Ot giggles and asks him what he's up to... he replies : "I am doing what you said, when I do things by myself, I can do the indepen-dance" (Gavacs, 2009). This is so cool! You should definitelt read the article, as my thoughts now totally mirror that of the author: "For me, the word independence will now be associated with a dance that expresses the spirit of the person, not just a task" (Gavacs, 2009).
In the Bible, there are lots of references to dancing. It's pretty much always in the context of worship or rejoicing. Psalm 30:11 (English Standard Version) says "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing". Dancing is the antithesis of mourning, wailing and sorrow. I love verses like "Let them praise his name with dancing" (Ps 143:3). I totally relate, as like I've said dancing is the best way to release excitement and get excited for God.
While trying to research group work ideas for emotional expression for a totally different paper, I stumbled upon the following article. It's about a little boy who finally manages to dress himself independently after resisting for aaaaaages. When he does, he breaks into a dance. The Ot giggles and asks him what he's up to... he replies : "I am doing what you said, when I do things by myself, I can do the indepen-dance" (Gavacs, 2009). This is so cool! You should definitelt read the article, as my thoughts now totally mirror that of the author: "For me, the word independence will now be associated with a dance that expresses the spirit of the person, not just a task" (Gavacs, 2009).
The following are some fabulous quotes about dancing and spirituality...
The truest expression of a people is in its dance and in its music. Bodies never lie. ~ Agnes de Mille
Dancing faces you towards Heaven, whichever direction you turn. ~ Terri Guillemets
To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. ~ Agnes De Mille
Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another. ~ Author Unknown
Dance first. Think later. It's the natural order. ~ Samuel Beckett
Stifling an urge to dance is bad for your health - it rusts your spirit and your hips. ~ Terri Guillemets
Stifling an urge to dance is bad for your health - it rusts your spirit and your hips. ~ Terri Guillemets
Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is not mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself. ~ Havelock Ellis
Dance is a song of the body. Either of joy or pain. ~ Martha Graham
References
Gavacs, M. (2009). The dance of independence. OT Practice, 14(10), 32.
Unknown author. (2010). Quotations about dancing. Retrieved from: http://www.quotegarden.com/dancing.html
Gavacs, M. (2009). The dance of independence. OT Practice, 14(10), 32.
Unknown author. (2010). Quotations about dancing. Retrieved from: http://www.quotegarden.com/dancing.html
World Health Organisation. (1998). Review of the constitution of the World Health Organisation: Report of the Executive Board special group. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/gb/archive/pdf_files/EB101/pdfangl/angr2.pdf
Monday 10 October 2011
What a girl needs...
Friday 7 October
Hello!
This week I have been asked to explore why dancing is important tin my life RIGHT NOW! I think I'm going to struggle with this post, as I feel like I've pretty much covered this in my previous posts. So to save reinventing the wheel I'm going to create a nice bulleted list, and expand on anything later if necessary.
Hello!
This week I have been asked to explore why dancing is important tin my life RIGHT NOW! I think I'm going to struggle with this post, as I feel like I've pretty much covered this in my previous posts. So to save reinventing the wheel I'm going to create a nice bulleted list, and expand on anything later if necessary.
- Relationships - I've made so many new friends over the last semester who I'll definitely be keeping up with
- It's also strengthened my relationships with friend 1, friend 2 and flatmate.
- Maybe I'm starting to get a wee bit fitter, a wee bit more co-ordinated, and a wee bit of flexibility back?
- Dancing is the best way of channeling excitement and 'joy'
- It's good for my mental health
Aesthetics
Friday 30 September
Aesthetics "pertains to a sense of the beautiful" or "pertains to, involves, or is concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality" ("aesthetic", 2002). I like the latter definition the best. I could write a very long essay on different beliefs around the aesthetics of dance, but given this is a blog, and you're probably a bit over essays, I'm going to let other people's art and words do the talking.
Aesthetics "pertains to a sense of the beautiful" or "pertains to, involves, or is concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality" ("aesthetic", 2002). I like the latter definition the best. I could write a very long essay on different beliefs around the aesthetics of dance, but given this is a blog, and you're probably a bit over essays, I'm going to let other people's art and words do the talking.
(Degas, 1873)
Figure 1: Balanchine's Emeralds (Source: New Zealand School of Dance, 2011)
Figure 2: New Zealand School of Dance Students (Source: Stephen A'Court, 2011)
Figure 3: Sparks fly as ballet and street dance collide (Source: WordPress, 2010)
Figure 4: Street Dance Wall Paper (Source: Media.com, 2011)
"Dance is a delicate balance between perfection and beauty" ~Author Unknown
"In a dancer, there is a reverence for such forgotten things as the miracle of the small beautiful bones and their delicate strength" ~Martha Graham
Yo!
Tonight I was just minding my own business, doing my usual weekly thing, and suddenly an amazing opportunity to blog about the aesthetics of dance appeared.
Every Wednesday I hang out with a bunch of intermediate kids. It's often one of the highlights - between the kids and us 'leaders' we have such a ball! On club nights we play heaps of games. This week I was put in charge of the "dance off". Pretty easy really: all I had to do was play some 'cool' music and get a kid from each team up to dance.
Street dance and hip-hop are probably the two most controversial forms of dance in regards to their aesthetic qualities. Two of our boys got up in front of the group of 40 odd kids, and completely and utterly carved up with their dancing! It was most definitely "street dance" - but man they have some talent! I haven't been so captivated by dance in such a long time. Here were these tough kids (who can be really challenging at times!) totally shining. I was 100% floored by the unique ability that these kids have. I guess this leads in to spirituality too - I got an amazing sense of how big God's plans for their futures are - dancing or not!
-----------------------------------------
Yo!
Tonight I was just minding my own business, doing my usual weekly thing, and suddenly an amazing opportunity to blog about the aesthetics of dance appeared.
Every Wednesday I hang out with a bunch of intermediate kids. It's often one of the highlights - between the kids and us 'leaders' we have such a ball! On club nights we play heaps of games. This week I was put in charge of the "dance off". Pretty easy really: all I had to do was play some 'cool' music and get a kid from each team up to dance.
Street dance and hip-hop are probably the two most controversial forms of dance in regards to their aesthetic qualities. Two of our boys got up in front of the group of 40 odd kids, and completely and utterly carved up with their dancing! It was most definitely "street dance" - but man they have some talent! I haven't been so captivated by dance in such a long time. Here were these tough kids (who can be really challenging at times!) totally shining. I was 100% floored by the unique ability that these kids have. I guess this leads in to spirituality too - I got an amazing sense of how big God's plans for their futures are - dancing or not!
References
A'Court, S. (2011). New Zealand School of Dance Students. Retrieved from http://www.nzschoolofdance.ac.nz/news_events/upcoming_performances/images/H2879sml400wide.jpg
Degas, E. (1873). Ballet rehearsal [Oil on canvas]. The Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts
A'Court, S. (2011). New Zealand School of Dance Students. Retrieved from http://www.nzschoolofdance.ac.nz/news_events/upcoming_performances/images/H2879sml400wide.jpg
Degas, E. (1873). Ballet rehearsal [Oil on canvas]. The Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Media.com. (2010). Street dance wallpaper. Retrieved from http://www.scenicreflections.com/files/Street%20Dance%20Wallpaper__yvt2.jpg
New Zealand School of Dance. (2011). Balanchine's Emeralds. Retrieved from http://www.nzschoolofdance.ac.nz/news_events/images/nz-schoolofdance-Emeralds200wide.jpg
Unknown author. (2010). Quotations about dancing. Retrieved from: http://www.quotegarden.com/dancing.html
WordPress. (2010). Sparks fly as ballet and street dance collide. Retrieved from http://artsyfutsy.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/ballet.jpg
Monday 26 September 2011
Ergonomics
Friday 23 September
Hello world!
Hello world!
So what outcomes do I expect from participation in dancing?
I guess by the end of the semester, I'd like to think I was becoming more competent in both forms of dance. I'd like to increase socialisation with new people and continuing building relationships with my friends. And I'd like to feel like I'm getting a bit fitter or flexible or mentally stable through participation :)
So, breaking the ergonomics of dancing into bits...
Person
I like dancing.
I've done dancing in the past, therefore have some degree of competence
I know all the basic steps in ballet and the 'language' that accompanies them, and the most basic swing moves.
I'm super enthusiastic to learn.
I'm willing to spend time practicing.
I have friends dancing with me, so have external motivation to keep it up.
I'm a bit musical so have good sense of rhythm and understanding or music.
Occupation
Dancing requires coordination, flexibility and the ability to learn quite quickly.
Can be done individually or as a group.
Depending on whether one is dancing in a group, solo or with a partner there are different expectations as to the level of 'personalisation' one can add.
Classes cater for members of all abilities.
There are different levels of occupational engagement - I could chose to only dance when I go to classes... but that's a bit boring.
Depending on your occupational engagement, there's different sorts of equipment necessary. Clubs and Socs are pretty lax, so you can rock up to swing in whatever goes. Ballet requires more freedom of movement, so shorts or trackies or tights do the job. If I was paying for formal lessons, I'd need shoes (depending on the type of dance), leotard and tights, hundreds of bun pins and bun nets and hair ties and bobby-pins. It's not really a cheap occupation!
Environment
Dancing requires large amounts of space. I often get a bit carried away, and send light shades flying or taking on a door.
Dancing requires clear space. Slipping on cow pats and tripping over clothes isn't ideal.
The environment changes with the level of occupational engagement. Classes take place in a dance studio with a barre and lots of mirrors. When both my brother and I did dancing, Dad made us a barre in the spare bedroom with a polished floor so we cold practice. It was a brilliant idea.... but our motivation to practice didn't hugely increase :-p I'm now quite happy to practice on the lawn, in my bedroom or in the living room.
Funny actually, having just said dancing requires lots of space, I'm going to have to eat my words. I went clubbing in the weekend as it was a friend's hen's night. The All Black's had just beaten France, and England had played Romania in Dunedin. Town was MAD! There was no room whatsoever, on the "dance floor" you were more than intimate with a whole bunch of random strangers, and I generally felt super uncomfortable the entire time. Glancing around, some people seemed totally in their element! Maybe it was the amount of alcohol in their system, maybe the type of dancing, or maybe just the familiarity with the situation. Dunno. Anyway, for my dancing I like space. Without cow poos.
Having had my first few weeks dance lessons, I think it's really interesting to reflect on the difference between the ergonomics of dancing now and the ergonomics of dancing when I was right in the midst of it, dancing multiple times weekly and practicing for exams/recitals/medal tests.
The first ballet lesson I went to this semester was the most frustrating thing ever! I had gone with the expectation that the class would be quite a breeze as it only required 2 years experience (I'd had 12!). However, I struggled man! The person (me) had clearly lost a lot of condition - I'm nowhere near as flexible as I was, the fresher 5 has well established it's place, and a lot of technique stuff has faded without practice. This made me almost doubt my interest in the occupation - I didn't have mastery so I was inwardly a bit grumpy and frustrated with myself, and had to watch that this wasn't transferred to the dance. However, in some aspects there's still quite a good fit: dancing requires good relationships (or the allusion of) between people dancing together. I spent most of the first ballet class catching my friend's eye and giggling about our lack of mastery. I think a lot of us felt the same frustration, so the girls in the class all supported each other with smiles, giggles, encouragement and by demonstrating if it was asked for.
The fit between the occupation/person and environment was a bit less perfect, and demonstrated the need for the facilitator to be able to "constantly make slight invisible adjustments to an activity to adapt to the needs of those taking part and ensure that it continues to work for its intended purpose" (Caulton & Dickson, 2007, p.93). The dance studio at clubs and socs is quite big, but not really big enough for 10+ girls to be prancing around all directions in. We constantly crashed into walls or each other. When we did our dance, the teacher would split us into 2 groups. This made the fit much better!
I like how Hagedorn (2000) describes ergonomics as a dynamic balance. When there is a deficit in one of the three areas, things must change in the other areas to try and maintain a balance and optimum performance. See my post on practical considerations and ergonomics for a really good example of how ergonomics is a dynamic balance - when there's not enough space, either the task or the person has to change to accomodate :)
So, that's a very little look into the ergonomics of dancing. I think there's quite a got fit for me at the minute, but it's very interesting to think about how I would encourage the same outcomes from people without any dancing experience, with physical limitations, who don't have any space to practice or the money or time, or who weren't comfortable around other people.
References
Caulton, R., & Dickson, R. (2007). What's going on? Finding an explanation for what we do. In J. Creek & A. Lawson-Porter (Eds.). Contemporary issues in occupational therapy. Chichester: John Wiley& Sons Ltd.
Hagedorn, R. (2000). Tools for practice in occupational therapy: A structured approach to core skills and processes. Edinburgh: Churchill-Livingstone.
Singleton, W. (1972). Introduction to ergonomics. Geneva: World Health Organisation.
Wednesday 21 September 2011
Affordance
Saturday 17 September
Affordances are defined by Christiansen & Townsend (2010) as the "actions allowed by an object" and as an "interaction between the object and person: the object's design suggests its purpose, function and usability, and the user determines the objects affordance" (p. 255). In class we used affordance in a slightly broader term - I'm not going to be discussing the affordance of an object but of dance as an occupation. To me, affordance is all about what a given occupation lends itself to - the story of the occupation. In our last tutorial, we were asked to consider how our occupation affords communication, other activity and occupations (connections), and the ethical considerations (moral properties). Having had just one dancing lesson, the following table which I muddled away at in class is a very rough overview...
Initially I was quite worried that because I am learning two new forms of dance I would find it hard to reflect on them. Not so. We started swing last Thursday, but somehow it has infiltrated the rest of my week! The class was ginormously fun, mostly because swing is hilarious and seems to just lend itself to looking ridiculous. I found it quite easy, and would go as far as saying I quite quickly developed mastery of the basic steps we were taught. This was good as I could have conversations with my partners. I have roped in three of my really good friends to do swing with me, which makes it a lot more fun as we are already very comfortable with each other. I anticipate it's going to strengthen our friendships... shared laughter always seems to! I also loved that I got to meet several new people who I've started to form relationships with already. As we were all beginners, we all started on an even footing and could laugh about mistakes and encourage each other. I'm not particularly fluent when it comes to small talk, but ballet was great at providing subjects to talk about. To be in the class I'm in, you have to have done at least two years dancing in the past. So not only could I discuss uni/Dunedin/study with my new friends, but also their experiences of dance. It gave us instant commonalities, which fast tracked the relationship building thing.
Dancing afforded conversation all week. I now have an exciting new answer to the "what have you done this week" question. I'm suprised how many people appear almost impressed about our new hobby! I was called on for many demonstrations of my new skills, particularly by my flat mates. When showing off to my mother while in a paddock supposedly collecting pine cones, I fell over after slipping in a cow pat. Swing therefore affords me making a fool of my self. Then again, the same could be said for anything I set my hand to...
References
Christiansen, C., & Townsend, E. (2010). Introduction to occupation: The art and science of living (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson.
Affordances are defined by Christiansen & Townsend (2010) as the "actions allowed by an object" and as an "interaction between the object and person: the object's design suggests its purpose, function and usability, and the user determines the objects affordance" (p. 255). In class we used affordance in a slightly broader term - I'm not going to be discussing the affordance of an object but of dance as an occupation. To me, affordance is all about what a given occupation lends itself to - the story of the occupation. In our last tutorial, we were asked to consider how our occupation affords communication, other activity and occupations (connections), and the ethical considerations (moral properties). Having had just one dancing lesson, the following table which I muddled away at in class is a very rough overview...
Communication | Connections What’s the story | Good and bad |
Big capacity for complimenting (I like dancing with you!) | Culture – swing dance at pubs | Awkwardness |
Encouraging | Creative expressions | Gifting |
Small talk | Shared interest | Non-communication |
Banter | Working together | Honouring someone else (Pip's lovely idea) |
Eye contact/body gestures | Fitness | Sharing part of self |
Teaching/learning | Good mental health | |
Respect | Growth of relationships | |
Communication of individuality | Growth of individuality | |
Networks | Practice throughout the week |
Initially I was quite worried that because I am learning two new forms of dance I would find it hard to reflect on them. Not so. We started swing last Thursday, but somehow it has infiltrated the rest of my week! The class was ginormously fun, mostly because swing is hilarious and seems to just lend itself to looking ridiculous. I found it quite easy, and would go as far as saying I quite quickly developed mastery of the basic steps we were taught. This was good as I could have conversations with my partners. I have roped in three of my really good friends to do swing with me, which makes it a lot more fun as we are already very comfortable with each other. I anticipate it's going to strengthen our friendships... shared laughter always seems to! I also loved that I got to meet several new people who I've started to form relationships with already. As we were all beginners, we all started on an even footing and could laugh about mistakes and encourage each other. I'm not particularly fluent when it comes to small talk, but ballet was great at providing subjects to talk about. To be in the class I'm in, you have to have done at least two years dancing in the past. So not only could I discuss uni/Dunedin/study with my new friends, but also their experiences of dance. It gave us instant commonalities, which fast tracked the relationship building thing.
Dancing afforded conversation all week. I now have an exciting new answer to the "what have you done this week" question. I'm suprised how many people appear almost impressed about our new hobby! I was called on for many demonstrations of my new skills, particularly by my flat mates. When showing off to my mother while in a paddock supposedly collecting pine cones, I fell over after slipping in a cow pat. Swing therefore affords me making a fool of my self. Then again, the same could be said for anything I set my hand to...
References
Christiansen, C., & Townsend, E. (2010). Introduction to occupation: The art and science of living (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson.
An introduction
Friday 9 September
When I was four, I started ballet. I can’t quite remember why, but it must have been a good decision as I stuck at it for the next 12 years, punctuated with a period of jazz. In my 12 years I took part in 10 recitals, becoming everything from a street urchin, green seed, star fish, mud-lark to sylph. I did multiple medal tests, RAD to grade 7 ballet and jazz to grade 4. For some reason I decided like ballet better than jazz, which was an odd decision as I was phenomenally better at jazz. Never mind, we live and learn!
When I was four, I started ballet. I can’t quite remember why, but it must have been a good decision as I stuck at it for the next 12 years, punctuated with a period of jazz. In my 12 years I took part in 10 recitals, becoming everything from a street urchin, green seed, star fish, mud-lark to sylph. I did multiple medal tests, RAD to grade 7 ballet and jazz to grade 4. For some reason I decided like ballet better than jazz, which was an odd decision as I was phenomenally better at jazz. Never mind, we live and learn!
Last year we got a few ceroc lessons before our college ball, and earlier this year a friend and I did a beginners ceroc course through the uni. This semester I'm starting "funky ballet" which is a mix between jazz and ballet, and swing. I am SO excited! Both of these will learnt in a class – and I’ve managed to rope in friends and flat mates.
References
John, E., & Hall, L. (2005). Electricity. On Official cast recording: Billy Elliot the musical [CD]. London: Angel Recording Studios; Shoefactory Studios.
Thursday 8 September 2011
Oh hello!
Well, well, well! It looks as though I'm back! After an adventure in the far north, I'm ready and rearing for semester two. Following on from Participation in Occupation I, we now have Participation in Occupation II. Fancy that! This paper requires me to participate mindfully in an occupation of my choice for two hours a week for the duration of the semester, and reflect on said occupation. I've decided to start dancing again as of next week... a very exciting progression. Watch this space!
Thursday 12 May 2011
iPads in OT practice
Heeeeeey! Long time no see!
So, for our assignment for this course we have to write a technology application report for an imaginary practice area. I was going to look into Wiihab which I've previously mentioned (see way back to tutorial one), but given I know very little about autism, even less about iPads, like an adventure and am a bit of a sucker for punishment - I chose to look at how iPads can be used with children who have ASDs. This is very new technology, so there's not a heap of research about it. But it's SO exciting! It's amazing how such a mainstream piece of equipment can be used to totally change the lives of a child with autism. Having spent rather a lot of time reading stories about families that have used them, the different practice applications and written a letter as if I was a real OT - I'm wishing I could just be a real OT, go buy an iPad and write an epic 60 page piece of research on whether they're actually that good or not. Like I'll ever be that organised. They certainly seem to have masses of potential!!
THAT'S COOL!
Here's a Dad who argues the iPad could be a miracle device for autistic children.
This and this is the article that sparked my interest... it took a while to remember I'm not actually a speech language therapist so don't actually need to go too over the top with he assistive communication side. But that's part of what's so cool about the iPad - it's got a hugely interdisciplinary focus. The same tool can be used as an augmentative communications device, a camera, a therapy tool that works on fine motor skills, a social stories maker and shower, a handwriting tutor and and a portable entertainment device.... along with all the other things an iPad does. Who wouldn't want one in their practice?!?!
All you need to do is Google "autism" and "iPad" and you'll find so many links to exciting breakthroughs parents and therapists have had.
I've been getting rather excited when writing the last couple of blog posts.... time to go get excited about doing something else!
Alice out.
So, for our assignment for this course we have to write a technology application report for an imaginary practice area. I was going to look into Wiihab which I've previously mentioned (see way back to tutorial one), but given I know very little about autism, even less about iPads, like an adventure and am a bit of a sucker for punishment - I chose to look at how iPads can be used with children who have ASDs. This is very new technology, so there's not a heap of research about it. But it's SO exciting! It's amazing how such a mainstream piece of equipment can be used to totally change the lives of a child with autism. Having spent rather a lot of time reading stories about families that have used them, the different practice applications and written a letter as if I was a real OT - I'm wishing I could just be a real OT, go buy an iPad and write an epic 60 page piece of research on whether they're actually that good or not. Like I'll ever be that organised. They certainly seem to have masses of potential!!
THAT'S COOL!
Here's a Dad who argues the iPad could be a miracle device for autistic children.
This and this is the article that sparked my interest... it took a while to remember I'm not actually a speech language therapist so don't actually need to go too over the top with he assistive communication side. But that's part of what's so cool about the iPad - it's got a hugely interdisciplinary focus. The same tool can be used as an augmentative communications device, a camera, a therapy tool that works on fine motor skills, a social stories maker and shower, a handwriting tutor and and a portable entertainment device.... along with all the other things an iPad does. Who wouldn't want one in their practice?!?!
All you need to do is Google "autism" and "iPad" and you'll find so many links to exciting breakthroughs parents and therapists have had.
I've been getting rather excited when writing the last couple of blog posts.... time to go get excited about doing something else!
Alice out.
Monday 18 April 2011
Tutorial eight: Assistive technology
A couple of weeks ago in Participation in Occupation, we had a visit from Dave Speden (you may have heard of him – ex male model??). Dave had quite a dramatic life change and now works at Kimi Ora School as an OT. Kimi Ora is a school for kids who have quite severe disabilities. They get not only top notch education, but access to intensive therapy daily. As the OT there, Dave works a lot with assistive technology, enabling the kids to engage in their meaningful occupations as independently as possible.
What is assistive technology?
Assistive technology refers to a “broad range of devices, services, strategies, and practices that are conceived and applied to ameliorate the problems faced by individuals who have disabilities” (Cook & Hussey, 1995). It's used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Check out this site which has specific reference to assisstive technology and kids. Basically, assistive technology is any piece of technology which helps people with a disability to engage in meaningful occupation and get the most out of their lives as independently as possible. It covers things such as communications devices, switching devices, wheel chairs and mobility aids, computer programs and heaps more.
Assistive technology refers to a “broad range of devices, services, strategies, and practices that are conceived and applied to ameliorate the problems faced by individuals who have disabilities” (Cook & Hussey, 1995). It's used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Check out this site which has specific reference to assisstive technology and kids. Basically, assistive technology is any piece of technology which helps people with a disability to engage in meaningful occupation and get the most out of their lives as independently as possible. It covers things such as communications devices, switching devices, wheel chairs and mobility aids, computer programs and heaps more.
Switching devices
....are extremely cool! They were probably the simplest thing we were introduced to in our sessions with Dave, but I just LOVE how much they can turn a child’s life around: fostering independence, ownership of activities and communication. Watch this video:
....are extremely cool! They were probably the simplest thing we were introduced to in our sessions with Dave, but I just LOVE how much they can turn a child’s life around: fostering independence, ownership of activities and communication. Watch this video:
!!!!!!!!!
We've been asked to give you a quick run down of the size, cost and function of switches. They come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes, depending on their use and the individual. For a switch to be usable, the individual must have consistent and reliable movement in one body part. Switches can be large for individuals with poor gross motor control who can move their arm or hand, smaller and less resistant for those who can move a finger, head mounted so all the individual has to do is move their head slightly, or attached to the skin and sensitive to an eye-brow twitch. They come in various shapes, colours, textures and resistances. For kids with sensory difficulties, the switches may be texture to encourage feeling and manipulation. There are switches that talk to you when pressed, light up or play music.
This website has quite a good cross section of all the different sorts of switches available in NZ.
This website has quite a good cross section of all the different sorts of switches available in NZ.
I haven't been able to find specific prices, but Dave says switches can be really affordable, and go up in price depending on requirements. Here is a website for one of the leading switch supplier in NZ (DTSL), where you can look at the huge variety of switches provided, and request a quote.
Basically, the OTs job is to find the best switch for the individual, and tailor it to their needs. Dave focused on how important it is for us as OTs to be client-centred, and gave us the best approach for this when looking at assistive technology:
Student (physical, cognitive, emotional)
Environment (physical and social)
Tasks (they want to participate in)
Technology/Tools (must be the last decision: not the first)
I guess there is a risk of us turning into magpies, and getting so excited by a shiny new piece of technology that we forget that it doesn't matter how flash or cutting edge the technology is, if it doesn't actually do for the client what the client wants to do, it's not actually that useful.
Basically, the OTs job is to find the best switch for the individual, and tailor it to their needs. Dave focused on how important it is for us as OTs to be client-centred, and gave us the best approach for this when looking at assistive technology:
Student (physical, cognitive, emotional)
Environment (physical and social)
Tasks (they want to participate in)
Technology/Tools (must be the last decision: not the first)
I guess there is a risk of us turning into magpies, and getting so excited by a shiny new piece of technology that we forget that it doesn't matter how flash or cutting edge the technology is, if it doesn't actually do for the client what the client wants to do, it's not actually that useful.
References
A1 Wheelchair Solutions (2008). Switching. Retrieved from http://www.a1wheelchairservices.co.nz/A1_Wheelchair_Services_2007_Ltd_Switching.php
Cook, A., & Hussey, S. (1995). Assistive technologies: Principles and practice. St. Louis: Mosby.
DTSL Assistive Technology (2011). Home/capability switches. Retrieved from http://assistive.dtsl.co.nz/category/87-capability-switches.aspx
A1 Wheelchair Solutions (2008). Switching. Retrieved from http://www.a1wheelchairservices.co.nz/A1_Wheelchair_Services_2007_Ltd_Switching.php
Cook, A., & Hussey, S. (1995). Assistive technologies: Principles and practice. St. Louis: Mosby.
DTSL Assistive Technology (2011). Home/capability switches. Retrieved from http://assistive.dtsl.co.nz/category/87-capability-switches.aspx
Kimi Ora School (2009). Kimi Ora School. Retrieved from http://www.kimiora.school.nz/
McKenzie Centre (n.d.). What is assistive technology. Retrieved from http://www.mckenziecentre.nzl.org/41/pages/5-assistive-technology
'misterfehr' (2009). Assistive technology: Enabling dreams. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ5CkpgVQJ4
Saturday 16 April 2011
Tutorial six: Online communities
What is a community?
My dictionary defines community as “body of people living in one district; the public; joint ownership; similarity” (“Community,” 2000). To me, a community is a group of people with something in common that threads them together: who do life together.
We have been asked to choose a topic of particular interest, from an OT practice area, a fieldwork experience, or a personal occupation. Last week at polytech we had a guest speaker, Anna Baker, who was instrumental in designing and developing a new active movement program for pre-school age kids called Headstart. I am so glad I went – what a learning opportunity!! Although I have no idea what area of OT I want to practice in (it changes weekly), I loved hearing Anna’s story. She works with a complete cross-section of children and their parents, and has become totally involved in her community. Therefore, for this blog post I’ve decided to focus on online community within the realm of “paediatric OT”. Sweet!
So the first community I’m looking at is Anna’s Facebook page for the Head-Start group. I can’t claim any epic scholarly reasoning or explanations – Anna talked about the purpose of being on Facebook on Wednesday. The group has an info page for prospective Head-Start parents and those interested in the service. It seems like a really good networking and publicising tool. It’s also a means of keeping in touch with parents throughout the week.
Services provided
Like I said, the Head-Start group is really informative for those interested in finding out about the service. It links them to the main website, provides enrolment details and links to theory that backs up the practice. More than just being purely informative, this group is really all about community.
Anna talked about the potential for motherhood to be quite isolating when you have small children. None of us were created to do life by ourselves; rather, we’re here to build each other up and do life together. The interactive Facebook group is a really modern and effective way of doing this. While mothers may not have the energy or time to meet up with other mothers and friends, Facebook is pretty much always at their fingertips. It’s a really interactive site in which the mum’s can communicate with each other and with the service coordinators anytime. Anna and the other coordinators update the statuses regularly, and parents can comment on these. They can get access to each other’s personal Facebook pages, chat as a group in the chat function, or use the discussion forums. The contributions I’ve seen are really varied. There’s lots of feedback on the activities offered at the program, questions about logistics, feedback on their child’s performance, encouragement and topics for further discussion.
Like I said, the Head-Start group is really informative for those interested in finding out about the service. It links them to the main website, provides enrolment details and links to theory that backs up the practice. More than just being purely informative, this group is really all about community.
Anna talked about the potential for motherhood to be quite isolating when you have small children. None of us were created to do life by ourselves; rather, we’re here to build each other up and do life together. The interactive Facebook group is a really modern and effective way of doing this. While mothers may not have the energy or time to meet up with other mothers and friends, Facebook is pretty much always at their fingertips. It’s a really interactive site in which the mum’s can communicate with each other and with the service coordinators anytime. Anna and the other coordinators update the statuses regularly, and parents can comment on these. They can get access to each other’s personal Facebook pages, chat as a group in the chat function, or use the discussion forums. The contributions I’ve seen are really varied. There’s lots of feedback on the activities offered at the program, questions about logistics, feedback on their child’s performance, encouragement and topics for further discussion.
Why it’s used and the benefits
As the online communities learning package (reference) outlined, online communities can often supplement real-life communities. I’d assume that this is the main reason for why people chose to contribute here. While it may not be feasible to meet up during the week to bounce ideas off each other and talk about the things that matter, or feedback on the programme, it gives the mums a means to do this that is accessible to them. This is the core benefit of the online community. The other benefits are that potential parents have access to lots of information – and fast! They can also get a real sense of the community atmosphere that’s created by the Head-Start coordinators and parents just by flicking through the site. They can silently observe and suss out the community for themselves before pursuing it further. The information is very reciprocal – Anna does a lot of posting and questioning, but many parents reply and have discussion with coordinators, and amongst themselves. This is another huge benefit – Coordinators of the program can make announcements in the form of status updates which are immediately available.
This is an example of how the site is used - Mum feeding back on their session and getting some feedback from the therapists.
The ethical issues and the negatives
The negatives of this community are few, but mainly tied very closely with ethical issues. The one that stands out to me comes back to social justice (see Tutorial one). The digital divide is present even in our Dunedin society, and with such a strong online community, are the parents that don’t have access to the Facebook group disadvantaged in anyway? The other big negative about many discussion type websites is the lack of quality information and the potential for misinformation. Anna has this well sorted, as program coordinators seem to use the Facebook page on a very regular basis.
As the online communities learning package (reference) outlined, online communities can often supplement real-life communities. I’d assume that this is the main reason for why people chose to contribute here. While it may not be feasible to meet up during the week to bounce ideas off each other and talk about the things that matter, or feedback on the programme, it gives the mums a means to do this that is accessible to them. This is the core benefit of the online community. The other benefits are that potential parents have access to lots of information – and fast! They can also get a real sense of the community atmosphere that’s created by the Head-Start coordinators and parents just by flicking through the site. They can silently observe and suss out the community for themselves before pursuing it further. The information is very reciprocal – Anna does a lot of posting and questioning, but many parents reply and have discussion with coordinators, and amongst themselves. This is another huge benefit – Coordinators of the program can make announcements in the form of status updates which are immediately available.
This is an example of how the site is used - Mum feeding back on their session and getting some feedback from the therapists.
The negatives of this community are few, but mainly tied very closely with ethical issues. The one that stands out to me comes back to social justice (see Tutorial one). The digital divide is present even in our Dunedin society, and with such a strong online community, are the parents that don’t have access to the Facebook group disadvantaged in anyway? The other big negative about many discussion type websites is the lack of quality information and the potential for misinformation. Anna has this well sorted, as program coordinators seem to use the Facebook page on a very regular basis.
This is one of the blogs that is included in the Advance OT Website. It states its purpose as being a place to share “therapy ideas & strategies, inspirational stories, and offer a place to discuss the challenges and inspiration that comes with working in the paediatric occupational therapy field” (Spoor-Hof, 2011).
Services provided
This site isn’t as interactive as the Head-Start site. It is the blog of a paediatric OT, who shares lots of her insights and challenges. Comments are left on blog posts, which trigger discussion. I guess you could think of the blogger as a bit of a mentor who provide examples of her own practicing experiences to inspire and challenge other OTs.
This site isn’t as interactive as the Head-Start site. It is the blog of a paediatric OT, who shares lots of her insights and challenges. Comments are left on blog posts, which trigger discussion. I guess you could think of the blogger as a bit of a mentor who provide examples of her own practicing experiences to inspire and challenge other OTs.
Why it’s used and the benefits
The benefits are much the same as for the Head-Start Facebook group, although the blog doesn’t contain information pertaining to a specific event. It can be used as an educational and support tool for practicing OTs, and a trigger for discussion surrounding issues in paediatric OT.
The benefits are much the same as for the Head-Start Facebook group, although the blog doesn’t contain information pertaining to a specific event. It can be used as an educational and support tool for practicing OTs, and a trigger for discussion surrounding issues in paediatric OT.
The ethical issues and the negatives
As this blog isn’t about a particular service, the info provided is much more subjective. Content isn’t monitored by the Advance website, it is just trusted that the OT is knowledgeable. Unlike journal articles, the blog isn’t peer-reviewed – so could be slightly misinformative or bias. I guess there is room for some breaches of privacy if a case is looked into and the client or family are able to draw parallels between themselves and the blog post. This would need to be monitored carefully. The blog is a professional development tool, but must still respect the privacy and rights of clients/families.
As this blog isn’t about a particular service, the info provided is much more subjective. Content isn’t monitored by the Advance website, it is just trusted that the OT is knowledgeable. Unlike journal articles, the blog isn’t peer-reviewed – so could be slightly misinformative or bias. I guess there is room for some breaches of privacy if a case is looked into and the client or family are able to draw parallels between themselves and the blog post. This would need to be monitored carefully. The blog is a professional development tool, but must still respect the privacy and rights of clients/families.
and
This is another Facebook page and website which are all about an OT who is working with children who have autism and their families.
Services offered
Just like the above!! Dana also includes heaps of links to new research and sites of interest. This may trigger discussion and expand on people’s understanding of topics.
Just like the above!! Dana also includes heaps of links to new research and sites of interest. This may trigger discussion and expand on people’s understanding of topics.
Why it’s used and the benefits
This is getting quite repetitive!! The benefits are much the same, and as this is a public Facebook group everyone can find out more about Dana’s work in paediatric OT. It comes across as more accessible than the Advance OT blog, as it’s on a more mainstream website and doesn’t include screeds of writing. Dana uses her website to link with the families she works with and other OTs interested in the field.
This is getting quite repetitive!! The benefits are much the same, and as this is a public Facebook group everyone can find out more about Dana’s work in paediatric OT. It comes across as more accessible than the Advance OT blog, as it’s on a more mainstream website and doesn’t include screeds of writing. Dana uses her website to link with the families she works with and other OTs interested in the field.
The ethical issues and the negatives
Of all the online communities I’ve looked at, this appears the most ‘professional’ for want of a better word. The Facebook page and website don’t look at specific case studies, so there isn’t so much risk of breaches of privacy. The sites are not designed to take the place or complement a physical community, so no issues arise around this.
Of all the online communities I’ve looked at, this appears the most ‘professional’ for want of a better word. The Facebook page and website don’t look at specific case studies, so there isn’t so much risk of breaches of privacy. The sites are not designed to take the place or complement a physical community, so no issues arise around this.
References
Anonymous. (2011). Head start – active body, active brain. Retrieved from http://www.facebook.com /pages/Head-Start-active-body-active-brain/149008228465262?sk=wall#!/pages/Head-Start-active-body-active-brain/149008228465262?sk=wall
Community. (2000). In L. Gilmour (Ed.), Collins pocket dictionary and thesaurus. Scarborough: HarperCollins Publishers/
Johnson, D. (2011). Dana L. Johnson, MS, OTR/L: Pediatric occupational therapy services - Tampa Bay area. Retrieved from http://www.autismchildtherapy.com/
Johnson, D. (2001). Pediatric occupational therapy - Dana Johnson. Retrieved from http://www.facebook.com/DanaJohnson.OT?sk=wall
Spoor-Hof. (2011). A pediatric perspective. Retrieved from http://community.advanceweb.com/blogs/ot_4/default.aspx
Wednesday 13 April 2011
Tutorial Four: Making Videos!
Tutorial four required us to make our own silent film. Two of my flatmates are studying film and TV and are both extremely talented camera men and editors, so the opportunity to have a wee go myself was pretty exciting! The given theme was "Overcoming Adversity". We had a very limited time frame to both film and edit the movie, as my group all missed the first film tutorial and had the 1 and a half hour catch up session to do just that. What a good effort!!
Before filming, we did a very rough story board. Following Mike's expert advice, we started with an establishing shot and then zoomed in a bit closer. We could have done a few more close ups in retrospect to show variation in the shots and demonstrate our pro creative ability. Never mind. It was definitely good to start off with an idea of what we were going to be producing and how the shots were going to follow on, as it meant we didn't get a whole host of random shots which had to be edited out.
Our group worked together extremely well as a team, which was very cool. Editing was lots of fun, I almost had an identity crisis and thought maybe I wasn't in the right field. Then I remembered I don't really like computers... it was a good experience anyway =)
Monday 11 April 2011
Tutorial Five: Videos!
YouTube is like a great big library of videos. Any video you want, you can pretty much find it on YouTube. YouTube is a medium for sharing and viewing videos. Every day people like you and me can upload videos on to it, of anything from an online tutorial to a blog to a home video. When someone types in one of your chosen key words, BANG! Up pops your video for all the world to see. Of course, some videos are slightly more legal than others. No one really has a problem with you posting a video of you having a rant about Brittany Spears (other than the fact it’s ridiculously annoying) or a unicorn excursion to Candy Mountain (see previous parenthesis). However, if you did want to watch Harry Potter, I’m sure you could – but watch the guilty conscience that comes from stealing a movie (you WOULDN’T steal a car...)
YouTube can be used for aaaaaaall sorts of purposes. It can be very educational. If you don’t believe, see my second blog posting. Now tell me you don’t get what OT is! Ha! There are even more educational videos that teach you about anatomy, maths, chemistry....
Some people use YouTube as a way to keep in touch with family and friends – as a blogging medium in a way. I think this would be a much more energy efficient way... if you were prepared for every man and his dog to hear all the ins and outs of your life.
There are lots of online tutorials on YouTube. I quite like that random people, out of the goodness of their hearts, choose to share some of their knowledge with me. It was YouTube that taught me to play ‘Need You Now’ by Lady Antebellum on the guitar one day when I was bored. It was YouTube that taught me how to change the direction my pois were swinging in one day too.
YouTube is great if you want to listen to a song you don’t have, or see the video clip. Avid fans of different TV shows often upload old episodes, so you never have to run behind on Home and Away.
Some people use YouTube to get famous (think Rebecca Black). Gosh.
Some people use YouTube as a way to keep in touch with family and friends – as a blogging medium in a way. I think this would be a much more energy efficient way... if you were prepared for every man and his dog to hear all the ins and outs of your life.
There are lots of online tutorials on YouTube. I quite like that random people, out of the goodness of their hearts, choose to share some of their knowledge with me. It was YouTube that taught me to play ‘Need You Now’ by Lady Antebellum on the guitar one day when I was bored. It was YouTube that taught me how to change the direction my pois were swinging in one day too.
YouTube is great if you want to listen to a song you don’t have, or see the video clip. Avid fans of different TV shows often upload old episodes, so you never have to run behind on Home and Away.
Some people use YouTube to get famous (think Rebecca Black). Gosh.
I have been asked to share with you five videos linked to a topic of interest (of mine, obviously). I don’t really use YouTube an awful lot, but when I do it’s usually for music purposes. I do like music. I am going to show you how clever I am and embed a video in this post – then I’m going to list the others as hyperlinks underneath. This is for space conservation (I’m all about trees), and to show off my multidimensional blogging skills.
The above video my brother introduced me to in the holidays.I love it a lot. Man, some people are clever!!
The above video my brother introduced me to in the holidays.I love it a lot. Man, some people are clever!!
Check out the following links too...
I love this song - it's the most beautiful prayer.
They actually fit really well together!!
As if Phil Collins wasn't cool enough anyway...!
These guys have a song for every occasion. Love it!
Friday 8 April 2011
Oh dear.... time for bed!
Personally, I though this was hilarious. Maybe a sign of my sleep deprived state?
Q: How many Occupational Therapists does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: None. We’d teach the lightbulb to change itself.
HAHAHAHAHA!
Tutorial seven: Links to other blogs
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------>
Check out how I managed to make links to a list of other people's blogs!! Thanks James!
To your right is a list of blogs that I tracked down, and quite enjoyed reading/didn't really read but thought looked interesting/useful.
I have to link to another class mates blog, so I thought I'd link to Pip's. Pip is really cool. I like her. Well, really I just like the fact that someone is fighting an even greater internal battle against blogging than I am.
Loooooook at all those exciting links!! This an American OT, who even links to Merrolee and Linda Robertson's blogs. This means they must be very important. Gosh! It also has quite nice content. Skim through it.
This is an online community which links to lots of different blogs. All about OT! Next time I'm bored, I'm going to find some really exciting ones to link you directly to. This site is cool, as people post about whatever they feel compelled to, so there's heaps of content and useful information about all different aspects of OT. As student OTs and new grads, we're going to need the guidance of older, more experienced therapists. This online medium is a great way of accessing resources. I like it.
This blog has been put together by Mike, who's wife has a big CVA four years ago. It is such an insightful look into their journey through acute care, rehabilitation, faith, all the different medical disciplines, and OT! (Of course!!) It's really cool for us as OT students to get an inside look at what our clients go through, and how we can impact on their lives both positively and negatively.
This is the blog that I linked back to in Tutorial 2. Mark and Jo are from NZ and are working at a hospital in Nepal. How exciting!! Check out this website to find out more about the hospital.
This OT is also working over seas. It's a bit outdated, but I get excited at the prospect of working overseas where we're reeeeeeaally needed. Bring it on!
Here goes another of our famous lecturers!
I like the title!! Go to his blog before you judge... it's not actually about being a pyromaniac. This guy is from NZ, and an OT honours student. His dissertation is about Web 2.0 and blogs. So that is VERY relevant to us. Read it.
This is another really good blog for learning from more experienced OTs. It's really cool reading about the dilemmas and breakthroughs that real-life OTs have, so we can learn from them and be challenged by them.
OT Student Blog
This is one of the Advance OT blogs. It's so cool to read about another OT students experience of her study's. Even though she is studying in the US, it's so reassuring to see that some of the questions, excitements, stresses and wonders I have are not something I'm alone in. And it's also just really excited to read about other people who are so passionate about their field.
OT Student Blog
This is one of the Advance OT blogs. It's so cool to read about another OT students experience of her study's. Even though she is studying in the US, it's so reassuring to see that some of the questions, excitements, stresses and wonders I have are not something I'm alone in. And it's also just really excited to read about other people who are so passionate about their field.
Thanks bye!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)