We did it. We performed a flash mob on the UWL campus. And it was AWESOME. I have to admit that I wasn't really "feeling it" on performance day. I was a little bit nervous and didn't really feel like doing it. I was surprised to feel this, after having been in 6 musicals and numerous band/choir concerts in high school and after having really enjoyed the practices for the flash mob. Regardless of how I felt, I got my white t-shirt and workout clothes on and headed to Murphy Library, where we were all meeting beforehand. We quickly briefed the layout of the flash mob and started sporadically heading into the REC.
I was one of the first ones in there, so the progression of seeing people from our class enter the REC was really fun. I was walking with Niki and we thought that people could tell that we were obviously not in the REC to exercise, but this is probably only because we knew the truth. The REC was very accommodating and had set up the sound system and someone for the Racquet even came in to video and take pictures. I had even told my roommates that it was going to be awesome and they wouldn't want to miss it.
The flash mob music began at a little after 4:30pm and people started collecting from all over the building to join in dancing on the second basketball court. It was really, really fun to watch the reactions of the different people in the REC. There were quite a few people exercising that afternoon and some decided to keep exercising, while others chose to watch and be entertained for a little bit. It was a blast. After it was over, we all dispersed and eventually met back in the library.
We were able to kind of process this experience as a group after we met back in the library. A few points that I have taken away from this experience is that group activities take much more work than an activity on your own. I was even thinking about this as I went home for a night this weekend. When I'm home, there are meals to help prepare and clean up, diapers to change, and kids to play with, but when I'm in my house in La Crosse, my time is my own. Whether I'm working on a group project or visiting my family, that time is spent on other people rather than spending it on myself. I love when the Lord teaches me things like this. I so want my time and my life to not only be focused on myself and only what I want. I really do want to learn how I can pour into other people and think less about myself. Another thing we talked about is how much putting together, practicing, and performing the flash mob brought us together as a class. We really bonded because we were doing something that brought us out of our comfort zones. When people are outside of their comfort zones, they cling to what is familiar and solid, even if it's only vaguely familiar. In our case, we clung to each other. When I think about leading wilderness trips as a therapeutic recreation service, I get really excited to think about the potential that creative tension brings. I'm so thankful to have a major that I'm excited and passionate about!
check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GS9FIr282Y
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Article Review #3
Article Review Assignment:
This article is for the assignment about adaptive equipment used in therapeutic recreation.
Name of Article:
The article is entitled "Handicapped Skiing: A Current Review of Downhill Snow Skiing for the Disabled."
Name of Journal:
My article came from the journal called Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics.
Name of author(s):
The author of this article was David P. McCormick, MD.
When and how did you locate this article?
After much labored search, I located this article on a snowy Friday afternoon on February 24th, 2012 at around 2:00. I had been doing a lot of looking on the library's website, but I actually ended up going into the physical library and having the librarian help me broaden my search. I still got my article from the internet, however.
Two paragraph synopsis of what you learned in this article:
In this article, McCormick gets his information mainly from an organization called New England Handicapped Sportsman Association (NEHSA). One of their main goals is to get people with disabilities skiing on the slopes in the midst of people who don't have disabilities. They work with a number of people, including people with amputations, people with spina bifida, those with visual/hearing impairments, people with cerebral palsy, and many more. The main group of people that they work with are those who have had amputations.
They use a number of different types of adaptive equipment on the slopes. One piece of equipment they use quite a bit is called an outtrigger. It is basically like a crutch that has a baby ski/runner on the bottom. People who have problems balancing or who only have one leg are able to hold these with their arms to help navigate down the hill. Another adaptation that was in the article was an outtrigger that someone with a forearm amputation can use. This outtrigger would then have a cuff/attachment so the skier doesn't have to hold on to it. A few adaptations for those with weaker lower extremities include a small platform to rest one foot on, in case a leg/foot gets tired, or a cantilevered boot heel for those with prosthetic legs. The cantilevered boot heel allows for easier turning. A final adaptation that McCormick talked about is the sit-ski. It is made like a kayak, so one with spina bifida/quadriplegia/paralyzed legs can sit in it and ski down, while using a kayak-like pole to steer. These skiers are often tied to a guide. The craft itself is created to protect the rider if he/she should roll.
Through NEHSA, each skier who has had amputations will go through training before getting on the slopes. Also, people who are blind will usually ski with a guide for as many years as they participate in the sport. People who are blind become very sensitive to their bodies and surroundings.
How will you apply this knowledge to your professional development?
One thing that the article mentioned was that almost anything can have adaptations. I want to keep this in mind as I get to know individuals rather than populations. As we in TR get to know people who have disabilities, we will better know how to accommodate to their needs and desires. It's important to have the desire to learn how others can accomplish things that make their hearts soar and so, in thinking about adaptations, the sky is the limit.
Would you recommend this article for other TR students? Why/why not?
I would definitely recommend this article to other TR students. Even though many people know about the fact that those with disabilities are able to ski and do many recreational activities, it's beneficial to learn exactly how the adaptations allow them to participate. The author was very detailed and integrative in his thinking. Adaptations are such a big part of TR and the more we see the creativity that goes into making different types of equipment, the more we will be able to think outside of the box and dream up our own ideas.
This article is for the assignment about adaptive equipment used in therapeutic recreation.
Name of Article:
The article is entitled "Handicapped Skiing: A Current Review of Downhill Snow Skiing for the Disabled."
Name of Journal:
My article came from the journal called Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics.
Name of author(s):
The author of this article was David P. McCormick, MD.
When and how did you locate this article?
After much labored search, I located this article on a snowy Friday afternoon on February 24th, 2012 at around 2:00. I had been doing a lot of looking on the library's website, but I actually ended up going into the physical library and having the librarian help me broaden my search. I still got my article from the internet, however.
Two paragraph synopsis of what you learned in this article:
In this article, McCormick gets his information mainly from an organization called New England Handicapped Sportsman Association (NEHSA). One of their main goals is to get people with disabilities skiing on the slopes in the midst of people who don't have disabilities. They work with a number of people, including people with amputations, people with spina bifida, those with visual/hearing impairments, people with cerebral palsy, and many more. The main group of people that they work with are those who have had amputations.
They use a number of different types of adaptive equipment on the slopes. One piece of equipment they use quite a bit is called an outtrigger. It is basically like a crutch that has a baby ski/runner on the bottom. People who have problems balancing or who only have one leg are able to hold these with their arms to help navigate down the hill. Another adaptation that was in the article was an outtrigger that someone with a forearm amputation can use. This outtrigger would then have a cuff/attachment so the skier doesn't have to hold on to it. A few adaptations for those with weaker lower extremities include a small platform to rest one foot on, in case a leg/foot gets tired, or a cantilevered boot heel for those with prosthetic legs. The cantilevered boot heel allows for easier turning. A final adaptation that McCormick talked about is the sit-ski. It is made like a kayak, so one with spina bifida/quadriplegia/paralyzed legs can sit in it and ski down, while using a kayak-like pole to steer. These skiers are often tied to a guide. The craft itself is created to protect the rider if he/she should roll.
Through NEHSA, each skier who has had amputations will go through training before getting on the slopes. Also, people who are blind will usually ski with a guide for as many years as they participate in the sport. People who are blind become very sensitive to their bodies and surroundings.
How will you apply this knowledge to your professional development?
One thing that the article mentioned was that almost anything can have adaptations. I want to keep this in mind as I get to know individuals rather than populations. As we in TR get to know people who have disabilities, we will better know how to accommodate to their needs and desires. It's important to have the desire to learn how others can accomplish things that make their hearts soar and so, in thinking about adaptations, the sky is the limit.
Would you recommend this article for other TR students? Why/why not?
I would definitely recommend this article to other TR students. Even though many people know about the fact that those with disabilities are able to ski and do many recreational activities, it's beneficial to learn exactly how the adaptations allow them to participate. The author was very detailed and integrative in his thinking. Adaptations are such a big part of TR and the more we see the creativity that goes into making different types of equipment, the more we will be able to think outside of the box and dream up our own ideas.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Article Review #2
Article review assignment: This is the article about the therapeutic benefits of a certain activity and in this case, I chose music.
Name of Article: This article is entitled, "Karaoke for quads: a new application of an old recreation with potential therapeutic benefits for people with disabilities."
Name of Journal: I found this article in the journal called Disability and Rehabilitation.
Name of author(s): A.I. Batavia and M. Batavia were the authors of this article.
When and how did you locate this article? I located this article on Thursday afternoon, February the 22nd whilst searching online through Murphy's Library. I used the EBSCOhost search engine and typed in the words "therapeutic benefits" and "music."
Two paragraph synopsis of what you learned in this article:
This article brought up a lot of potential benefits of using karaoke for people with disabilities, specifically for people who are quadriplegic. It mentioned that there are very few activities that those who are quadriplegic can participate in. The article mentioned that there would be numerous respiratory benefits for someone who chooses to sing karaoke. Since one who has quadriplegia often has trouble breathing on their own, karaoke would be a huge area where therapeutic recreation could possibly increase those physical functions. Batavia talked about the fact that "pulmonary function" reduces with age. Singing karaoke could possibly increase the lung capacity and build respiratory strength/endurance, as well as help keep respiratory problems under control.
Not only would there be definite physical improvements, there would also be the chance to socialize with others, since karaoke is mostly done in groups. Singing karaoke is a great way to meet people and interact with them. It could either be done in a group or alone. It is a way that people find personal enjoyment and "emotional relief." Another thing that karaoke addresses is speech therapy. This would be a great way to have someone sound out the words, even if they wanted to read through the song first and then sing it. It also is beneficial for those with cognitive disabilities and would improve their reading skills. Overall, karaoke is a very cost effective hobby and potentially addresses many different aspects (functional goals) of someone with a spinal cord injury.
How will you apply this knowledge to your professional development?
This article about karaoke makes me aware of all the things that we do every day that might be therapeutic. I forget about all the different things that can have very practical, physical, or emotional goals. As a future CTRS, this article enables me to keep my mind open to all the different opportunities that our world and culture offer us. It also helps me to realize (as I'm sure I will continue doing throughout life) how much we are blessed and how much we take for granted the situations we're placed in.
Would you recommend this article to a fellow TR student? Why/Why not?
I would definitely recommend this article to a fellow TR student. It is great to get others thinking about what activities could benefit certain populations. I think if anything, this article would make a TR student excited about the options that we have at our fingertips. It also would make him/her aware of all the social, physical, and emotional benefits one activity can have. One activity can fit a number of populations and have a number of different benefits with the right design and mindset.
Article Review #1
Article review assignment: This article is one concerning innovation/creativity in leadership.
Name of article: The title of the article that I looked up is "Managing for Creativity."
Name of the Journal: The journal that I obtained this article from is Harvard Business Review.
Name of the authors: "Managing for Creativity" is written by Richard Florida and Jim Goodnight.
When and how did you locate this article?
I located this article on February 23rd, 2012 during the early afternoon hours. I found it in the archives of Murphy Library. I was able to pull it from the internet and get it in a PDF article after searching through EBSCOhost. I had typed in the words creativity and leadership in separate boxes and came up with a few good articles.
Two paragraph synopsis of what you learned in this article:
This article was very beneficial in helping me see what creativity can look like in a business. The article looked at SAS Institute, which is the largest private software company in the world. Florida and Goodnight talked about the fact that most people who are creative are intrinsically motivated, so they won't be pushed to excel by a bonus or money. They like the challenge, so a good motivation is a hard project that will encourage them to learn and work effectively and efficiently. Another thing that was noted was that creativity is a "product of interaction." SAS Institute wants to have the heart of "absorbing" what they learn from each other within the company and also from consumers and users. Creativity is not just a product of one individual's doing. Ideas are melted together and arise from close interaction and working with others.
A few things that the company tries to do (as they shoot for their goal of "Help workers be great"), include trying to "stimulate minds" and "take away distractions." SAS likes to challenge their workers because they know that leaders will be created when their limits are pushed and when they are forced to step out on a limb with a task. One way they take away distractions is by really serving the needs of their workers, whether it be having a gym on the campus so they can work out, or having a place where employees can eat with their families. SAS really wants their employees to be able to have the environment where their work can be focused, while knowing that other aspects of their life are being taken care of. They also realize that creativity doesn't just happen and that there needs to be flexibility with hours and work schedules. While some people have certain hours, many are allowed to make a framework for their own hours. In addition, everyone works together to enhance the creativeness in this company: managers, supervisors, employees, CEOs. They interact, spur one another on, and exchange ideas. While one person may have more "creative juices" than others, it really is a group process.
How will you apply this knowledge to your professional development?
Something that I will take away from this article is the knowledge that creativity is a collaboration of ideas and thoughts from more than one person. This makes me all the more excited to use the gifts that I've been given, but allow my interactions with other people to mold those gifts. I can't wait to learn from the people that I will work with. I want to be humble enough to take advice from others so that my "creative juices" can live up to their abilities!
Would you recommend this article for other TR students? Why or why not?
Even though this article is very business-minded, I think it would be beneficial for other TR students to read. I love how it isn't so individual focused, even though we uniquely have separate gifts. I think it's good for TR students to see that the group of people we are in greatly affects our creativity and leadership. Within that group, there are different levels of leadership and innovation, but it is formed by those who influence us.
Name of article: The title of the article that I looked up is "Managing for Creativity."
Name of the Journal: The journal that I obtained this article from is Harvard Business Review.
Name of the authors: "Managing for Creativity" is written by Richard Florida and Jim Goodnight.
When and how did you locate this article?
I located this article on February 23rd, 2012 during the early afternoon hours. I found it in the archives of Murphy Library. I was able to pull it from the internet and get it in a PDF article after searching through EBSCOhost. I had typed in the words creativity and leadership in separate boxes and came up with a few good articles.
Two paragraph synopsis of what you learned in this article:
This article was very beneficial in helping me see what creativity can look like in a business. The article looked at SAS Institute, which is the largest private software company in the world. Florida and Goodnight talked about the fact that most people who are creative are intrinsically motivated, so they won't be pushed to excel by a bonus or money. They like the challenge, so a good motivation is a hard project that will encourage them to learn and work effectively and efficiently. Another thing that was noted was that creativity is a "product of interaction." SAS Institute wants to have the heart of "absorbing" what they learn from each other within the company and also from consumers and users. Creativity is not just a product of one individual's doing. Ideas are melted together and arise from close interaction and working with others.
A few things that the company tries to do (as they shoot for their goal of "Help workers be great"), include trying to "stimulate minds" and "take away distractions." SAS likes to challenge their workers because they know that leaders will be created when their limits are pushed and when they are forced to step out on a limb with a task. One way they take away distractions is by really serving the needs of their workers, whether it be having a gym on the campus so they can work out, or having a place where employees can eat with their families. SAS really wants their employees to be able to have the environment where their work can be focused, while knowing that other aspects of their life are being taken care of. They also realize that creativity doesn't just happen and that there needs to be flexibility with hours and work schedules. While some people have certain hours, many are allowed to make a framework for their own hours. In addition, everyone works together to enhance the creativeness in this company: managers, supervisors, employees, CEOs. They interact, spur one another on, and exchange ideas. While one person may have more "creative juices" than others, it really is a group process.
How will you apply this knowledge to your professional development?
Something that I will take away from this article is the knowledge that creativity is a collaboration of ideas and thoughts from more than one person. This makes me all the more excited to use the gifts that I've been given, but allow my interactions with other people to mold those gifts. I can't wait to learn from the people that I will work with. I want to be humble enough to take advice from others so that my "creative juices" can live up to their abilities!
Would you recommend this article for other TR students? Why or why not?
Even though this article is very business-minded, I think it would be beneficial for other TR students to read. I love how it isn't so individual focused, even though we uniquely have separate gifts. I think it's good for TR students to see that the group of people we are in greatly affects our creativity and leadership. Within that group, there are different levels of leadership and innovation, but it is formed by those who influence us.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Dance It Up.
This week we brought our friends and danced until we were tired and sweaty and ready. After we taught our friends the dance (they caught on fast), we nailed down the details for the following week. We had practiced the song probably 5-6 times and made sure the entrance and exit were perfected. The exit is one of the most important parts of a flash mob, because it needs to seem as if nothing ever happened. We're going to all be meeting outside the library before everything starts and then we'll slowly trickle into the REC and start to "work out." The REC is very excited to have us, by the way. They are going to help us with a sound system and starting the music. Once we perform the flash mob, we will go back to exercising and then meet once again as a class outside the library to debrief the dance. We're also putting up a poster and some pamphlets in the REC to raise awareness about what TR is. It's been fun watching the process of everything come together. It has been more work than I imagined for such a simple song, but fun nonetheless. It should be great.
The picture above is depicting how intense I feel when I flash mob.
Friday, February 10, 2012
The Beginnings
Last night we spent all of our time getting ready to do this flash mob. It may seem like a fun and simple progress (maybe?), but it actually takes quite a bit more effort than I imagined. The first thing we did last night was to meet within our small groups and come up with our own "pitch" for what we wanted to do. The ideas varied quite a bit, and I think the challenging part was that since we are all putting this on, we all had our own ideas of what it should look like. The decision on the song was a little tense, to be honest. However, I think the challenge and tension and working through the decision was really growing for us as a class. We are going to have to do this in our profession: work with people through differences of opinions, learn to compromise, and learn to love other people in doing so. We are always going to be around people in our lives and something that I'm continually learning, by God's grace, is how to love others by listening to their ideas and even surrendering mine at times.After we went through the whole process of deciding on a song, we realized that choreographing our own dance would take too much time and effort for the amount that we had allotted. So we cast a new vote. Kaylee mentioned doing "The Interlude," which many people hadn't heard of, but we ended up watching it and all agreeing! It was fabulous to put the choice to rest. We nominated Kaylee to lead us and we started making lists of what needed to be done immediately, next Thursday, and then on the day of the performance. Once we got ideas flowing and things on paper, things went pretty smoothly. We even had the chance to learn the dance in the room--having moved all the tables out of the way. I'm excited to see this play out, see us bond and grow as a class, and have fun! I even heard talk of a Flash Mob Club on campus.....?
I've included a picture this time of my boyfriend Andrew and I from this summer. We had the chance to lead wilderness trips together and tell kids (middle and high school) about Jesus, whom we both love so much. I love being outside and doing almost anything adventurous. So this picture which encapsulates a huge chunk of my heart is at the Turtle Flambeau Flowage, during our trip training and before we were actually dating. (We began dating after the summer.) I just wanted to share a little bit more about my life...plus, I really like pictures.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Activity Analysis and FLASH MOBS!
I'm super excited for the flash mob, if you couldn't tell. I always love things that catch people off guard and get them a little outside of their comfort zones. I really enjoy watching people and their reactions to unexpected things. During this last class we got to start brainstorming some ideas for flash mobs. We had previously been looking on the internet and youtube for some ideas of what other people have done. There are a lot of creative ideas out there and I'm excited to see what our class comes up with. It should be a really fun and bonding thing to do with the people in the TR major.
The main things we learned about in class were the concepts of task analysis and activity analysis. This was a really neat exercise that we got to do. Each group was assigned an activity, such as kayaking or basketball, and then had to go through every step of task analysis--breaking down every detail of what must be done to learn and do the activity. Afterward, we went through and analyzed what types of strengths (physical, cognitive, social and emotional) would be needed for our activity. We also thought through extra details, such as financing, administration issues and equipment details. When our group went through it, we did a pretty thorough job of thinking through possibilities, except with the task analysis, so it took quite a while. Next, we chose a population to fit to our activity and came up with adaptations/modifications that would need to be made. This was interesting, because our activity was kayaking and our population was people with spinal cord injuries. More than anything, I realized that there are a ton of things needed to kayak and it takes a lot of time to think through everything. One must be very thorough to plan a trip, let alone plan a trip where some of the participants will be people with SCIs. It was a beneficial and growing activity--fun to think through some things that might be a reality for us in the profession one day!
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
-Psalm 100
The main things we learned about in class were the concepts of task analysis and activity analysis. This was a really neat exercise that we got to do. Each group was assigned an activity, such as kayaking or basketball, and then had to go through every step of task analysis--breaking down every detail of what must be done to learn and do the activity. Afterward, we went through and analyzed what types of strengths (physical, cognitive, social and emotional) would be needed for our activity. We also thought through extra details, such as financing, administration issues and equipment details. When our group went through it, we did a pretty thorough job of thinking through possibilities, except with the task analysis, so it took quite a while. Next, we chose a population to fit to our activity and came up with adaptations/modifications that would need to be made. This was interesting, because our activity was kayaking and our population was people with spinal cord injuries. More than anything, I realized that there are a ton of things needed to kayak and it takes a lot of time to think through everything. One must be very thorough to plan a trip, let alone plan a trip where some of the participants will be people with SCIs. It was a beneficial and growing activity--fun to think through some things that might be a reality for us in the profession one day!
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
-Psalm 100
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)