Music/Rhythm & Journaling

Last week our class participated in two more group presentations:  Music/Rhythm and Journaling!  During the Music/Rhythm presentation the class was split into "bands" for two performances.  The first presentation was each band performing/playing a song using Rock Band (an electronic game with one guitar player, drummer, and singer)!  The next performance was a Battle of the Bands where groups were assigned to a particular population (i.e. youth at risk, geriatrics, etc.)  These populations then wrote lyrics to sing to instrumental versions of popular songs.  During the Journaling presentation, our class made altered books!  There were different stations such as creative writing and cover making!          

What I learned about myself this week was that I take my art pretty seriously!  I have a hard time just throwing something together!  In order for me to be satisfied with something creative that I have made, I have to have time to "perfect" it.  I think this feeling is something good to keep in mind when scheduling programs as a future CTRS.  As I develop professionally, it is important to make sure that each activity is able to be satisfactorily completed in the amount of time given.  This will help prevent participant and facilitator frustration!  What I did to strive for excellence during this class was to get out of my comfort zone by singing in front of the class not once, but twice!  

Art & Drama!

   Last week our class got to experience two presentations in one night! The first group facilitated several art activities aimed at serving participants with visual impairments.  Thus, all of the activities involved lots of tactile and auditory stimulation.  We made "shakers" using noodles, peas, pennies, sunflower seeds, etc.; necklaces using circular shaped foods (i.e. fruit loops, cheerios, life savers); artwork using tissue paper; and sculptures and drawings using shaving cream!  During the activities we were even able to experience what it would be like to have a visual impairment through the use of blindfolds and foggy goggles.
   My group presented next, and we facilitated several drama activities targeting youth at risk.  Participants were able to express different emotions and identities by acting out different character roles based on the interpretation participants had of their provided costumes.  Participants also were able to write and act out a short skit using the props provided.  At the end of the night, everyone felt the activities were very therapeutic in that they were able to forget the stress of school and just enjoy laughing!
   What I learned from these activities that will help me in my professional development was that some of the most positive and therapeutic moments in an activity cannot be planned!  They are often spontaneous!  What I learned about myself this week was that all of this practice of facilitating small groups is paying off!  The small drama group I facilitated had some positive feedback on my leadership style that was very encouraging to me!   What I did to strive for excellence during this class was to not ask more from the participants than I was willing to do myself.  When it came time to act out some things during the drama group, I jumped right in with them!  It was a great experience!  

Shrink Art

Activity: Multicultural Shrink Art

Target Participant Group:  Community program participants

Therapeutic potential of this activity:

• To provide exposure to different multicultural symbols through art
• To provide an opportunity for creativity
• To provide an opportunity for social skills improvement
• To boost self-esteem
• To improve fine motor skills  

What other groups may benefit from this activity?

• Individuals with visual impairments
• Individuals in the hospital (i.e. pediatrics, physical rehabilitation, occupational therapy)
• Individuals in nursing homes
• Youth at risk
• Individuals with depression

What groups may not be as appropriate for this activity?

• Individuals with no fine motor control

                                                        Activity description:

   

   Shrink art is the process of tracing and coloring art onto sheets of sanded plastic and then "shrinking" those cut out pieces of plastic by placing them in a toaster oven.  The options of what can be made are endless!  First of all, anything can be drawn on the plastic and thus "shrunk".  This can be a great opportunity to include multicultural images!  Second, these miniaturized pieces of art can be used to create other pieces of functional art (i.e. earrings, charm necklaces and bracelets, rings, pins, key chains, etc.)     

Resources needed:

• Shrink art plastic
• Permanent markers
• Colored pencils
• Toaster oven
• Traceable pictures for inspiration

Best leadership style for this activity?

The best leadership style for this activity is one that values safety (e.g. operating the toaster oven) and creativity!  It is important to provide participants with an environment that encourages their self-expression!     

Where did I find this activity?

Activity information found at http://www.recreationtherapy.com/tx/txcultur.htm and given by Elaine Belkind.  I have also personally done shrink art with patients while volunteering on the pediatric inpatient floor at Gundersen Lutheran.  It is a very fun and creative yet simple activity!  Photos found at https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6ZWOLe0zincBeSBcm8KI8FHrinAFJ2RahBv_OhUBZ9e-deG8hx4ARkzrO2SWmOQRjWjGcpaVc1RyKrXFB8QNIyfTscgk82v2bvShJzv261folNN4lKtrSh9dEr3dZa2gcwfVr-Wk_LU/s400/Shrink+Art+Green+Jade.jpg and http://www.beezkidz.com/images/Shrink%20Art/100_2928.jpg.

Where can others find more information on this activity?

For more detailed information and directions visit http://shrinkydinks.com/pages/instructions/KB_Assortment_instructions.pdf.

Hoopapalooza!

In last week's class we learned about hula hooping and were able to each make our own hula hoop using PVC pipe, a connector, and duct tape!  What I learned from this class that will help my professional development is all of the benefits that hula hooping offers (physical exercise, community building, self-expression, etc.)!  What I learned about myself was that sometimes I get very focused on the individual parts of a project (i.e. finding the perfect colors of tape) that I can miss enjoying the whole process.  What I did to strive for excellence during this class was to let go of being afraid if I looked silly hula hooping and just have fun!  Since this class, I have begun hula hooping on my own for exercise and have set a 20 minute non-stop record for myself! :)      

My class proudly displaying our newly made hula hoops!

Beta Fish Therapy

Activity:  Beta Fish Therapy

Target Participant Group: Individuals in the hospital

Therapeutic potential of this activity:

• Decrease symptoms of depression
• Provide opportunity to reminisce
• Decrease blood pressure

What other groups may benefit from this activity? 

• Individuals in nursing homes
• Individuals with mental illness

What groups may not be as appropriate for this activity?

• Individuals with severe animal phobias

Activity description:

   In this activity, single Beta fish are brought to patients’ rooms as a form of animal therapy.  Depending on the level of patient interest and ability, the therapy can be as simple as just having the patient enjoy looking at the fish, or may be more involved in that the fish can be trained to eat out of people’s hands! Beta fish are also attracted to colors and therefore may be “played” with if the patient is given different colored objects.     

Resources needed:

• Medium sized glass bowl
• Beta fish
• Aquarium plant
• Aquarium rock
• Water treatment products (stresscoat water conditioner, aquarium salt, and aquarisol drops)
• Tank transportation (e.g. cart)
• Colorful objects

Best leadership style for this activity?

   Leaders should have good social interaction skills and the ability to engage patients in therapeutic conversation, but also be able to step back and let the interaction between the patient and the animal be therapeutic in and of itself.

Where did I find this activity?

   Activity information was found at http://www.recreationtherapy.com/tx/animalassisted.htm and provided by Methodist Healthcare’s Rebecca Neeley.  Photo found at http://www.bettafishguru.com/images/bettafish.jpg.

Where can others find more information on this activity?

   For more information on animal assisted therapy visit http://www.animaltherapy.net/Premise%20%26%20Promise.html.

Autobiographical Writing

Activity:  Autobiographical Writing

Target Participant Group:  Assisted living/nursing home residents

Therapeutic potential of this activity:

·         Provide opportunity for self-awareness

·         Provide opportunity for self-acceptance

·         Provide opportunity for healthy expression of emotions

·         Provide opportunity to build self-esteem

·         Provide opportunity to reminisce

·         Provide opportunity for participants to practice empathy

What other groups may benefit from this activity?

• Individuals who have experienced trauma (with knowledgeable facilitator only)
• Individuals who have difficulty expressing emotions
• Individuals who would like to expand their creative writing skills
• Individuals with dementia

What groups may not be as appropriate for this activity?

• Individuals who are too young to read and write

Activity description:

   Autobiographical writing can be facilitated in a group setting or on an individual basis.  Often, it is helpful for facilitators to have pre-selected suggested writing topics in order to help participants have a place to start their writing (i.e. family, job, hobbies, etc.)  Other methods, however, might be to use photo albums of the participants in order to give them some more flexible writing topic ideas.  A useful format for autobiographical writing programs is to have weekly group sessions where participants can brainstorm as well as share the stories they wrote throughout that week based off of the ideas given in the group session.  If desired, facilitators can offer to word process participants’ stories for them to have an easily readable copy for their families. 

Resources needed:

• Paper
• Pencil
• Word processor
• Group meeting room
• Creativity

Best leadership style for this activity?

   The best leadership style for this activity is one that provides enough structure for participants to get started but enough freedom so that participants can truly be creative and express themselves how they best see fit.

Where did I find this activity?

   Activity information was found in an article by Nancy Richeson, Ph.D., CTRS, called Autobiographical Writing:  An Innovative Therapeutic Recreation Intervention at http://www.recreationtherapy.com/articles/autobiographical.htm.  Photo found at http://www.gcrweb.com/HeartDSS/photos/old-people-reading-copy.jpg.

Where can others find more information on this activity?

   For more information about autobiographical writing go to http://www.storyhelp.com/autotypes.html.  This is a great website by the Center for Autobiographic Studies with information on types of autobiographies as well as links to purchase other individuals' stories. 

Adapted Bungee Jumping!

Activity:  Adapted Bungee Jumping

Target Participant Group:  People using wheelchairs

Whistler Bungee Jumping Location

Therapeutic potential of this activity: 

• Provide a sense of normalcy
• Provide opportunity for life enjoyment
• Provide a sense of mastery upon completion 
• Provide opportunity to increase one’s social circle
• Serve as a healthy outlet for individuals who are addicted to unhealthy risk taking behaviors
• Provide trust building opportunity

What other groups may benefit from this activity?

• Individuals at risk (chronically engage in unhealthy risk taking behaviors)
• Wounded warriors
• Individuals with hearing impairments
• Individuals with visual impairments

What groups may not be as appropriate for this activity?

• Individuals with heart conditions
• Individuals with no fine motor control (necessary for self-attachment of retrieval line if jumping solo)

Activity description:

     Depending on individual physical needs and/or preferences, bungee jumpers can jump several different ways by having the cord attached to their person at different locations.  Options include the chest/waist, ankle, tandem (pairs), or in a wheelchair!  Where the cord is attached will affect the jumping experience (i.e. being attached at the chest/waist will minimize the amount of going headfirst).  Wheelchairs are harnessed in such a way as to prevent any damage.  The type of cord used will be determined by where it will be attached, as well as the weight of the bungee jumper.  All participants (or their parent/ guardian) must sign a waiver before the activity.        

Man in a wheelchair bungee jumping!

Resources needed:

·         Bungee cords

·         Bungee harness

·         Transportation

·         Guts! J

Best leadership style for this activity?

   The best leadership style for bungee jumping is one that puts the safety of participants before everything else.  Leaders should also be experts at trust building in order for participants to have the most safe and enjoyable experience possible.   

Where did I find this activity?

   Activity information and photos were found at Whistler Bungee at http://www.whistlerbungee.com/ and Whistler for the Disabled at http://www.whistlerforthedisabled.com/summertouradventures.htm#offroad.

Where can others find more information on this activity?

   For more information people can check out In the Sky Sports at http://www.intheskysports.com/.  This website has information on bungee jumping locations and more, as well as other similar sports (i.e.sky diving, gliders, etc.)  

Adapted Scuba Diving

Activity:  Adapted Scuba Diving

Target participant group:  Individuals with physical disabilities

Therapeutic potential of this activity: 

• Build physical strength and endurance
• Increase social networks
• Provide opportunity for life enjoyment   

What other groups may benefit from this activity? 

• ·         Individuals with traumatic brain injury
• ·         Wounded warriors
• ·         Individuals with ADHD
• ·         Individuals with Down Syndrome
• ·         Individuals with Autism

What groups may not be as appropriate for this activity? 

• ·         Individuals who have a disability affecting their memory (may not be able to remember necessary safety precautions)
• ·         Individuals who have a disability related to pressure

Activity description:

Scuba diving may be taught and adapted to individuals with many different ability levels.  The following levels of certification reflect this great degree of adaptability:    

• ·         Level 1 Scuba Certification:  Diver has ability to perform safety/rescue procedures for himself/herself and others
• ·         Level 2 Scuba Certification:  Diver has ability to perform safety/rescue procedures for himself/herself only
• ·         Level 3 Scuba Certification:  Diver does not have the ability to perform any safety/rescue procedures

A diver's level of certification will thus determine how much assistance is needed for them to be involved in a dive and what type of dives they will be able to go on.

Resources needed:    

• ·         Scuba equipment (goggles, air tanks, weights, swimming suit or wet suit, etc.)
• ·         Pool (controlled environment for safe training) or open water
• ·         Certified instructors

Best leadership style for this activity: 

For this activity, the best leadership style would be one where the leader is very involved at first for participants' safety and then gradually steps back as much as possible as participants become more knowledgeable and competent in performing required diving tasks.  

Where did I find this activity?

Activity information and photo were found on the Diveheart Foundation’s website http://diveheart.org/ on November 14, 2011.   

Where can others find more information on this activity?

The following links direct to additional scuba diving websites:

http://www.divebuddys.com/

http://www.captainslate.com/

http://www.divetech.com/

http://www.hsascuba.com/

Tape Art!

Last week in class was an awesome experience because it was the first time I created tape art!  The class divided into groups and did 2D as well as 3D art.  For our 3D sculpture, my group made a flamingo!  In 2D art, we did a silhouette of one of our members doing a handstand against the wall!  What I learned that will help me with my professional development was yet another activity that is very creative and that can be used with a wide range of participants.  Another bonus was that this activity was not very messy and easy to correct if you made a mistake.  What I learned about myself that week was that I am not very assertive in leadership.  There were times that I wanted to try a different part of the tape art activity but did not say anything because another group member was doing it, and I did not want to get in their way.  However, I am sure that they would have been glad to let me try that part of the activity if I just would have asked!  I learned that next time I should just speak up!  What I did to strive for excellence in this class was to try something new that looked a little intimidating (i.e. having a huge blank wall to work on).  I worked on the activity a little bit at a time, and before I knew it something awesome was created!

Article Review: Leadership

Name of article: Important Co-leader Skills and Traits on Extended Outdoor Trips as Perceived by Leaders

Name of journal: Leisure Studies

Name of authors: Christel Rilling and Deb Jordan

When and how I located this article: I located this article on November 3, 2011, using EBSCOhost on Murphy Library’s website.  

Synopsis of what I learned in this article:

     This article summarized three different styles of leadership in outdoor trips.  These were People-Empowering Leaders (PE), Wilderness-Power Leaders (WP), and Universal Leaders (UN). 

     PE leaders strove for interpersonal skills.  WP leaders, on the other hand, were characterized by having technical skills.  UN leaders valued community and skills in leadership.  Besides identifying different leadership styles, this article also looked at what types of co-leaders leaders desired.  Similarity to the leader was the number one choice.  The next most popular co-leaders were PE leaders.    

         

How I will apply this knowledge to my professional development: 

This information is very relevant to my professional development because it will help me to know what areas I need to work on in order to be a desired co-leader.  I think that one can never stop improving too much on interpersonal skills.

Would I recommend this article for other TR students? Why or why not?

Yes, I would recommend this article for other TR students because it will help them begin thinking about what type of leader they want to become.

Reference:

Rilling, C., & Jordan, D. (2007, April). : Important Co-leader Skills and Traits on Extended Outdoor Trips as Perceived  by Leaders. Leisure Studies, 26(2), 193-212. Retrieved November 3, 2011.

Article Review: Adaptive Gardening Equipment

Name of article: Gardening: adaptive techniques for care home residents

Name of journal: Nursing & Residential Care

Name of author: JI Swann

When and how I located this article: I located this article on November 3, 2011, using EBSCOhost on Murphy Library’s website.  

Synopsis of what I learned in this article:

     This article gave several good tips on how to adapt gardening for individuals with physical limitations living in assisted living and nursing homes.  Most of the suggestions were very common sense and very practical financially, which was very helpful.

     The suggestions for adaptive gardening equipment that I found helpful were related to hand held tools.  This article recommended gardening tools that had longer handles and were lighter weight.  One could modify a gardening tool to make it more accessible by using a universal cuff, grip gloves, and handle padding.  There were also some non-traditional equipment suggestions that I never would have thought of!  One of these was using part of a gutter/drainage pipe to slide plants gently from participant’s hands to the soil!  What a great way to still involve participants who have a love for gardening but have joint pain!   

               

How I will apply this knowledge to my professional development: 

I will apply this knowledge to my professional development by using these suggestions as a springboard to realize that with just a little creativity, all programs are adaptable!  It is a reminder to me to never say never because inclusion is always a possiblity!

Would I recommend this article for other TR students? Why or why not?

I would recommend this article for other TR students because it is a great way to help one start thinking outside of the box to find creative solutions to the needs of participants!

Reference:

Swann, J. I. (2010, February). Gardening: adaptive techniques for care home residents [Electronic version]. Nursing & Residential Care, 12(2), 89-92.

 

Article Review: Benefits of Camps

Name of article: Outcomes associated with participation in a therapeutic recreation camping programme for children from 15 European countries: Data from the ‘Barretstown Studies’

Name of journal: Social Science & Medicine

Name of authors: Gemma Kiernan, Michael Gormley, Malcolm MacLachlan

When and how I located this article: I located this article on November 1, 2011, using EBSCOhost on Murphy Library’s website.   

Synopsis of what I learned in this article:

     This article investigated if therapeutic recreation camps provide benefits to children with chronic illnesses (e.g. cancer, hemophilia, renal disease, etc.) and their siblings.  The camp used as the research setting was The Barretstown Gang Camp in Ireland that served children from 15 different European countries. 

     The following factors were measured using three surveys to determine the effects the camping experience had on the children’s health:  physical symptoms, affect, self-esteem, quality of life, and social support.  Of these factors, attending a TR camp was beneficial for children with a chronic illness in regards to their physical symptom distress and their affect.  For the siblings of children with chronic illnesses, the benefits of attending a TR camp related to quality of life.                         

                    

How I will apply this knowledge to my professional development: 

I feel that I can use this knowledge to increase my evidence based advocacy for Therapeutic Recreation camps!  I see myself the most passionate about getting into a camp setting in my future TR career, so this information will help me explain why what I do is important for people with disabilities!

Would I recommend this article for other TR students? Why or why not?

I would recommend this article for TR students who are interested in working in a camp setting, like myself, because, in addition to reporting the results of their study, the authors of this article also gave some interesting speculation on why the results turned out the way they did.  I felt this brought up some good thought provoking points about camps.

Reference:

Kiernan, G., Gormley, M., & MacLachlan, M. (2004, September). Outcomes associated with participation in a therapeutic recreation camping programme for children from 15 European countries: Data from the  ‘Barretstown Studies’. Social Science & Medicine, 59(5), 903-913. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2003.12.010

  

Midway!

Last class period was the midway point where everyone switched professors for the rest of the semester!  Because no one group had any assigned activity presentations for that week, the class did a couple of impromptu activities.  These were a variation of the name game as well as an creating an activity from items in a box filled with random objects.  For the name game, my group decided that we would choose celebrities whose first name we shared and give clues about who that celebrity was to the class in order for them to guess our names.  Another group did a crossword puzzle, where the answers to the puzzle questions were their names, while others had the class spell out their group members' names with their bodies.  For the next activity that had to be created with random items from a box, my group, as well as many others, decided to come up with a relay race of sorts.  These relay races included anything from blowing up balloons, putting on hair nets and exam gloves, and balancing objects on one's head, etc.  What I learned from these activities that will help me in my professional development is how inexpensive and fun an activity can be if you just allow yourself to be creative!  Giving each activity a chance, even though it was not "polished" by a lot of prep-work was also what I did to "strive for excellence" during class, and it really paid off!  What I learned about myself this week is that I am good at working in teams, but that I need to work on my leadership skills a little bit more!  I feel that I automatically let others take the leadership  role because it looks intimidating to me, and it seems to come more naturally to them.  But, if I always do this, I will never have the chance to develop as a leader myself.