Art, Team Building, and Music

Happy April 20th! (yes.. it is still snowing.. *sigh)

This is the beginning of our group presentations!! I was pretty excited :}

Group one (my group!): Book Altering!!!!

I had never heard of book altering until my group was given the topic of ART and we decided to create the green way! We wanted to use recycled items for our art activity. At first we thought that making candle holders out of cans would be fun or making journals from cardboard and loose leaf paper, BUT then one of my group members suggested Book Altering. What's that?

Book altering is when you take a book (preferably hard cover) that you aren't going to use anymore (like all those text books that no one wants to buy from you that have piled up over all these years of college) and make it your own, something special to you. One usually starts by either decorating the cover or cutting/ripping around half of the book's pages. From there one goes crazy and paints, crayons, markers, glitters, glues, cuts, and does anything he or she can think of.

It's really fun! I made one for the class activity and have already started another!! I'm making a cookbook now :} You should definitely try this!
The populations that I think would greatly benefit from this activity would be any population that is looking to have self expression, work on creativity, or need a way to de-stress through good destruction or creativity. Groups such as Youth-at-Risk, Corrections, Cancer patients, Wounded Warriors, and so many others could greatly benefit from this fun (lengthy activity).

Group Two: Team Building

The second group moved the class outside (oh when it was nice out!!) and had us work together as a full class and in smaller groups to accomplish small tasks.
The first task for the entire class was to make a shape holding onto a rope. HOWEVER, the people who were holding onto the rope were blindfolded and were not allowed to speak. There were about three or four "leaders" of the group who were not connected to the rope, were not blindfolded, and could talk. These leaders tried to move the rope into position.

• As a part of the rope group, I felt left out not being able to talk or see, but I still had ideas about how to set the group. I was unable to express those ideas and instead was lead around like a dog.
• This activity showed and reminded our class that even though a person may have a disability that makes communication difficult that does not mean that the person may not be able to contribute to an activity or decision.

The next activity was telephone pictionary. This is a mixture between the games telephone (when one person starts with a sentence and whispers it in another's ear and it get passed down a long line of people) and Pictionary (when one person draws a picture and the group has to figure out what it is). I have played this game before and always find it fun. Telephone Pictionary is when a small group of people sits down in a circle with the same number of slips of paper as members of the group and begins with each person writing a sentence on the top slip of paper. Then the group will pass the piles of paper to the next person who (just from reading the top sentence) needs to try to draw out the sentence. Then the next pass, from only looking at the picture drawn, needs to try to write a sentence from the picture. The passing keeps going until the pile returns to the person who started it. The most fun is when the last card is passed and the beginning person gets to read what became of his or her sentence.

• This game shows how easily it is for miscommunication to occur! As TRS, we need to be careful how we communicate with our patients, co-workers, and all others around us.

The last activity of Team Building was very unique and the most challenging! In small groups, we were given different sized half paper tubes and one marble. Without moving the tubes any way but down, we were told to roll the marble all the way to a cup placed a good distance away.

We were given marble instead of little cars :}

My group never actually accomplished the task. It was hard! This was the activity that required the most team work and cooperation.

• The class decided that this activity would be good for people groups like youth-at-risk, other adults who are able to perform to the rules.
• However, the activity would be slightly straining on other populations less mobile, so different adaptations were thought of such as longer tubes, closer positioning of the cup, and different kinds of tubing.

Group Three: MUSIC

The last group organized a group of activities as if working with young children. They lead us through a discussion of different types of notes and rhythms. We then did a rhythm exercise of going around in a circle and making our own four beat rhythm. After this, we got to make our own small instruments!

After all of our little instruments were created and practiced with, we all came back together and did some more fun rhythm games. We were also lead in a body awareness activity.

• Although this group had targeted young children, this kind of activity could be adapted toward almost any population as long as the actions are age appropriate.
• The body awareness activity is a great way to help those people who do not understand exactly how their body is positioned around them such as people over coming stroke, wounded warriors, cancer patients, people with some kind of cognitive disability, and so many others.
• Using musical instruments is a great way to people to participate and work on important goals.

It was great leading the Book Altering activity and participating in the other activities!

~Sarah