Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Conceptual Models of the Field of Occupational Therapy
As the culminating project for OT 425 Foundations of Occupation-Centered Practice, the first-year OT students in the course were charged with creating a conceptual model of the field of OT. In completing this project, learners were encouraged to integrate personal experiences and perceptions and the
information and ideas introduced in this course to represent his or her own understanding of the field of
occupational therapy.
The following questions were presented along with the instructions for the assignment as a starting point:
The following questions were presented along with the instructions for the assignment as a starting point:
- What do occupational therapists do?
- How do occupational therapy practitioners tend to think and act in a professional context?
Students were informed that there was a good deal of freedom in determining what to
include and how you want to express their messages, as long as the presentation style was attractive, concise, and meaningful to them as individuals at the beginning of a career path in the field of occupational
therapy.
I am impressed and proud of the effort students put into their projects, each of which can be viewed below by clicking on the links provided:
What is OT? Conceptual Models
Conceptual Model
|
|
1
|
|
2
|
|
3
|
|
4
|
|
5
|
|
6
|
|
7
|
|
8
|
|
9
|
|
10
|
|
11
|
|
12
|
|
13
|
|
14
|
|
15
|
|
16
|
|
17
|
|
18
|
|
19
|
|
20
|
|
21
|
|
22
|
|
23
|
|
24
|
|
25
|
|
26
|
|
27
|
|
28
|
|
29
|
|
30
|
|
31
|
|
32
|
|
33
|
|
34
|
|
35
|
|
36
|
37
|
Course Wrap-Up
I used to be good at wrapping gifts. These days, though, with the hectic schedule I almost always keep, the end products of my wrapping efforts most often look more like this.
After a few years of teaching, I set a goal to try to stop picturing an hourglass when I think about the end of a course I've been teaching. I had a habit of thinking more about what hadn't gone exactly "right" in a course as it came to a close rather than seeing it in a positive light or even as a work in progress. With that mindset, every time I thought about the final class session, the picture that flashed through my head was the last few grains of sand going from the top to the bottom of the hourglass. Now, instead, I am looking at the process of ending a course like the wrapping in this photo - a work of art that is perfectly imperfect.
As things wind down in OT 425 Foundations of Occupation-Centered Practice this term, I hope that students feel that their learning in relation to the course content has ended (or paused ... ) on a high note. I hope each person in the class is proud of his or her accomplishments in this course and is better able to embrace the gray in different contexts. I hope that every single learner feels that what he or she is taking away from this class matters "in real life." My goal in designing this course has been to create an environment that facilitates engagement and exploration through learning about the learning process, becoming more self-aware, and beginning to learn about occupational therapy.
My main take away from this course (especially in light of the debriefing that occurred in the final class session) is that students appreciate organization within the design of a course, a degree of choice, and information about what to expect in a course/assignment/exam and that, as in all situations, two-way communication is so helpful in the learning and growing process.
With many thanks to the other learners (aka the students) in OT 425 in the spring term of 2017!!
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Reflecting on the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF) as First-Year OT Students
"Instead of meeting the person and immediately asking what is wrong, the OTPF is all about looking who the person is, what his or her occupations are, what is important to them, and then learning about what is challenging for them and what they want to be able to do. Occupational therapists not only speak in person-first language, but also practice person first."
"Looking at a client with this top-down approach improves
the way occupational therapists assist the client. By allowing the client to
tell about their roles and occupations before their disability, the
occupational therapist is able to provide more holistic care."
"When looking at the patient as a whole, you get to see the
big picture and can base your intervention on wants, needs, and desires of the
patient. I love the fact that as an occupational therapist I'm going to
constantly be meeting the needs of others, not only in a clinical way, but also
in a much deeper meaningful way. If the patient is passionate about "horse
back riding", I'm going to be doing everything in my power to get the
patient back on a horse. If the patient finds value in it, then so do I!"
“As our jobs as occupational therapy practitioners, it is our
goal to increase the ability of a client to participate in every day activities.
Due to the OTPF, practitioners have steps that allow us to engage more with the
client, learn more about the client, and create interventions for the client.
We are able to have a better understanding about what the client wants to
achieve and not just the underlying problem. This creates a bond between the
practitioner and client.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)