Dating Decisions

This weeks lesson was on dating decisions.  In preparing this lesson I took highly into account one of our church values, which is that youth should not be dating until they are 16 years of age.  This allows time for an individual to grow and mature before entering the dating scene.  Hopefully church values and morals are accepted by youth at this age and a stronger sense of who they are and the person they really want to date is established.

One of the first things I did when getting ready to start preparing this lesson, was get myself into a comfortable position to read through the lesson outline in the young womens manual.  My chosen space was my bed.  I lay down with a bunch of pillows under my head  The resources I had to help me prepare this lesson were as follows:

• standard exercise book
• Young Womens Lesson Manual
• pen
• highlighter
• Young Womens Personal Progress book (achievement book for girls in the young womens programme)

The lesson covered scriptures and quotes by church leaders regarding the topic of dating.
Now 12-13 yr old girls don't really want to talk about this kind of stuff with their Sunday school teacher, so I decided to incorporate a technique that would relax the teaching envrionment - food.   I decided I'd take some pop-corn for the girls to pass around in a circle to help open the girls up to sharing thier thoughts on dating.  I also made up an idea for a dating game in which I would ask the girls one at a time to tell me what they would do if they were in a sticky date situations.  Some of the dating scenario were - "If a boy you don't know asks you to dance, what do you say?" , or "If a boy you've been on a couple of dates with leans in for a kiss, how would you react?".  Real cute and simple stuff like that. The girls love games, and learn sometimes more from them.

The girls absolutely loved it.  They were laughing and gigling and really opening up to the awkward topic of dating. I loved teaching this lesson.  I felt relaxed and confident with what I was teaching, and was happy with the end result - smiling faces leaving the room.

My Chosen Activity: Preparing to teach Sunday School

My chosen occupation is teaching sunday school to 12-13yr old girls.  I find it challenging at times to make the lessons interresting for the girls, but at the same time I love being a teacher because it pushes me both spiritually and mentally (to be creative).  The first lesson was a success which set me off to a great start at being the 'new' teacher.  There is no limit as to how long you are assigned to be a teacher at church, could be anywhere from a few weeks to a number years.  I have found that the girls, being typical teenages enjoy activities/games more than the essential lesson doctrine itsef, so it is important to apply both into each lesson so that the girls go away having learned something of worth and wanting to come back next sunday for more.

The most recent class I have taught was on Sunday 4 September.  The lesson was on avoiding dishonesty.  I taught this class to a slightly larger group of girls as this was a combined lesson with girls aged 12-17yrs. As a side note, there are three main age groups in the Young Womens Programme at church: 

• Beehives  12-13yr (this is my main young womens class)
• Mia Maids  14-15yrs
• Laurels  16-17yrs

In preparing for this lesson I looked at the lesson guidelines which are in our church Young Womens teaching Manual.  After reading through the information in the manual, I wrote out in my own excercise book how I would like the lesson to flow.  By taking ideas from the manual and other church magazines I was able to plan out what I wanted in my lesson.  I also added an activity to the lesson which was from my own memory of engaging in it at some point in my life.  I related the activity to a web of lies.  I wanted to ask the girls to split into two or three groups of  five and link hands in the middle.  The aim was then to attempt to get out of their tangle and into a circle without letting go of eachothers hands.

The class went well.  It was a little nerve racking as the teachers of the other two young women groups were there also, but I feel the lesson went o.k and benefited the girls spiritual learning in a positive way.

Tutorial Eight: Assistive technology

"Assistive or Adaptive Technology commonly refers to '...products, devices or equipment, whether acquired commercially, modified or customized, that are used to maintain, increase or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities...', according to the definition proposed in the Assistive Technology Act of 1998" (Gerard, 2001).

My interpretation of assistive technology is that it is an enabling tool used in a of settings such as a rehabilitation setting, the work place, or the home that assists those with disabilities. 

The assistive technology I have chosen from this tutorial is the 'Talking Tins' which are made to fit on tin or can lids.  I have chosen this device as it has a number of great benefits for the user, such as it being an affordable product ($25-$30), it can also be of use to those that need to be verbally told what is in a tin or jar,  another amazing feature is that the talking tin can be used for sequencing and planing the order of a task i.e. 'get out peaches'...'now get out a bowl' etc.  This is a function that could assist those with cognitive issues such as poor memory.

   References: Assistive Technology Act. (1998). What's assistive technology? . Retrieved from www.rehabtool.com on the 13/04/2011. 

Picture retrieved from http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003TT1UD0/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

Tutorial Seven: Linking to blogs of interest and exchanging comments

I have linked to 5 blogs of interest that are related to occupational therapy practice.  I have also linked to a fellow student and made a comment on one of her blog postings.  Here is a copy of the communication between myself and other students...

Milly said...

Very inspirational videos and well related to ot! I like :)

12 April 2011 18:19

laura1 said...

Thanks Milly!! I agree they are so interesting to watch aren't they?

12 April 2011 18:20

Rachael said...

wow that first video clip with the father and son competing in a tryathalon is amazing. I had a lump in my throat the whole way through it. truly amazing. Thank-you for sharing that. Otago Student :)

6 May 2011 20:45

Yasmin Barker said...

I've got that same video on my video bar! It is definitely a goodie. Makes you feel like you can achieve anything.

11 May 2011 00:32

Tutorial Six: The internet and online communities

The topic I have chosen to focus on from my fieldwork experience is poeple with down syndrome.  Below are three online communities that are related to this topic...

http://downsyndrome.com/

http://www.ndss.org/

http://www.downsyndromecommunity.org/index.html 

Down Syndrome.com is a site to help make communities more informed and accomodating to those with downsyndrome.  This website is a place where people can interact with friends, share stories, get the word out about inportant issues, and even share photo's of their loved ones...

 

"The mission of the National Down Syndrome Society is to be the national advocate for the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome" (ndss, 2011).  This website offers a wide range of information.  From topic such as healthcare guidelines and growth charts, to early intervention and family issues.  It is also a society that has no registry fee.

 The goals of Down Syndrome Community are to:

• Build a caring, understanding, supportive community open to all individuals and families whose lives include a person with Down syndrome.
• Share and nurture a climate where every human being is recognized, their strengths appreciated, and their accomplishments respected and valued.
• Strengthen the network of individuals and groups working with issues affecting the lives of those with developmental disabilities and their families.

The community also have an event calendar with activity for everyone to participate and enjoy in...

February 2011	2/19 Saturday Time: 5:00-8PM	Sweetheart Dance /Pizza Party Sharing Library Event	Highland Community Center 14224 Bel-Red Road Bellevue, WA  Contact: Sean King, 425-228-3391
March 2011	3/1 Tuesday 7 PM	Board Meeting (Open to all members)	Pacific Market Center 6100 4th Avenue South Seattle WA 98108
March 2011	3/2 Thursday 3/21 Monday	Day to End the R-Word Campaign International Down syndrome Day
April 2011	4/16 Saturday 9AM-3PM	Conference 2011 Conference Details Sharing Library Event	Blackriver Training & Conference Center 800 Oakesdale Ave SW Renton, WA  98057 Contact: Anne Mullis, 206-842-9027

Potential ethical issues that may arise are issues such as the use of personal information and pictures.  There is no protection of what is posted by the users.  It is all there at the worlds disposal.


References:

n.a. (2011).  Down syndrome.  Retrieved May 11, 2011 from  http://downsyndrome.com/

n.a. (2011).  ndss. Retrieved May 11, 2011 from http://www.ndss.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=37&Itemid=58

n.a. (n.d.) Down syndrome community.  Retrieved May 11, 2011 from http://www.downsyndromecommunity.org/index.html

Tutorial Five: Video Production Sessions

Youtube is "a popular free video sharing web site which lets users upload, view, and share video clips, the service utilizes Adobe Flash technology to display video. The wide variety of site content includes movie and TV clips and music videos, as well as amateur content such as videoblogging."

In my feildwork experiences thus far I have the opportunity to work in paediatrics, and with a local youth group.  One thing that has been of great enjoyment and importants to the students and clients is sport.  This is a youtube video of Jason McElwain who suffers from autism ripping it up on the court...

Opportunities to participate in music programmes are also becoming a popular way of getting a number of non-verbal student and clients to express themselves and participate as part of a group.  Dr Laz has found a way to create a learning environment catered to all of his students and learning needs, and has employed his musician skills to achieve this...

Making sure disabled loved ones have the proper care is essential to maintaining a happy life for both the child and family.  This is a video on short term shared care with the families of the children, and their carers...

To end this blog I wanted to share two of my favourite youtube clips of people with disabilites doing what they love with the assistance of others to make it that much more special.  The clips are inspirational reminders to me that dreams can truly become a reality and that anything is possible...

References:

Net pedagogy portal (2006).  Retrieved March 30, 2011 from http://www.thewebworks.bc.ca/netpedagogy/glossary.html

Tutorial four: Video production

I was away when this tutorial was held but was able to link to the film that the girls made via Sarah's blog...

Tutorial four - Video production