By Lois Douthitt
“What would excellence and innovation look like in physical therapy education if we were looking outward and addressing what society needs from us?”
Gail M. Jensen, PT, PhD, FAPTA, posed that question in her Feb. 3 presentation of the Pauline Cerasoli Lecture, hosted by APTA Education. Referring to the “master adaptive learner” model, which is based on preparing individuals to embrace life-long learning and innovation in response to practice challenges, Jensen responded to the opening question in terms of three critical areas: reimagining the role of curriculum, preparing students for a lifetime of learning, innovating through education research. Under each area, she addressed several issues with thought-provoking questions and assertions; the following were among them.
Reimagining Curriculum
Curriculum is considered the foundation of our education programs, and all curricula have structure, content, and process, yet “education continues to suffer from a technocratic view … of equating process with accountability and quality,” she said. The focus on course credit hours and degree requirements are often perceived as barriers to innovation...
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By Troy Elliott
The disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic affected everyone, but performing artists were especially hard-hit. For artists whose genres involve more intense physicality — dancers, musical theater actors, figure skaters, and singers, for example — the situation was even more dire: Many lost not only performance opportunities (and often, income) but potentially technique, as studios, rinks, and practice spaces shut down.
Marisa Hentis, PT, DPT; Brooke Winder, PT, DPT; Tiffany Marulli, PT, DPT; and Kristen Schuyten, PT, DPT — four physical therapists who work with performing artists — saw, firsthand, how hard the pandemic was on performers. But they saw something else, too: how the disruption forced artists, teachers, and therapists to take a new look at how to maintain skills and stay healthy, both physically and emotionally.