In the News

On Sunday, I saw an article in the Chapel Hill News called, "Petals with Purpose." Once a week, developmentally disabled individuals, along with some volunteers, gather to make flower arrangements. Whole foods donates the flowers and the arrangements go to a local homeless shelter. This activity is sponsored by ARC, an organization started by the parents of developmentally disabled children in the 1950's.
I really liked this type of group activity. I believe that this form of group therapy encourages purposeful activity and improves self esteem. According to the Cognitive Theory as presented in the text book, boosting self esteem is a good goal for many developmentally disabled individuals.

Blogging as a learning tool?

I've never really looked at blogs before but having checked out a couple, I'm beginning to see the benefits of it. Bb is much more cumbersome to follow. This flows much better and as bellawright as posted, this is out there in the clouds for us to come back to way beyond this class and the potential for feedback is enormous. As we've told our son, your competition for jobs is now the whole world, with this blog our resources for feedback can potentially be the whole world. Once I get the hang of this and can navigate this easier, I'm thinking this will be a great learning tool.

This is an experiment exploring the uses of technology in the classroom. Traditionally, I have used BB journaling to get students to reflect on their learning experiences but it feels very unidimensional. After much research I am going to use the Blog platform to exchange thoughts about ideas, learning, psychosocial OT and  FW experiences. In addition, I am hoping to expand the professional networking and learning opportunities for the students as they post and seek information. What are your thoughts on blogging versus a BB journal for reflective thinking from students?