All posts by Jennifer Mikhli

Chapter 9- SBS Reflection

Reflection

Chapter 9 focuses on the ways in which informal learning opportunities can be expanded far beyond the confines of the environment in which it takes place. Many informal science institutions are developing way to do this, such as the development of a strong online and interactive presence. Thus, as individuals leave the exhibit, they can still access the important information online via their cellphones. Liberty Science Center in particular is seeking to do just that, as they endeavor to allow exhibits to be accessible through cell phones.  Wayne Labar, vice president of the center, notes that “cell phones are proving to be a way to continue to engage people with exhibits at the center even after they walk out the door.” This is a highly valuable tool as this fosters a greater solidification of the presented material within the viewers’ minds. Individuals are not solely subjected to trying to recall the information that they gathered at such an informal learning opportunity, but can now go back and look at exhibits that sparked their interest. While I greatly appreciate the value of such a learning tool, this might pose some risks as well. Labar mentions that this will engage people even after they walk out the door, but this tool may perhaps preclude individuals from entering the doors of the museum in the first place. In an age where a mound of information is readily available at our fingertips, we have become lazy. We use the web as a source for our daily inquiries and research questions, foregoing the foreboding walls of the classic library. I am just afraid that museums will be made to suffer a similar fate. Once individuals realize that they can gather as much information, if not more, about the confines of a museum with the click of a button, they may never choose to enter a museum. And that would lead to negative consequences, as the purpose of these informal institutions is to spark interest and expose one to knowledge that one would not ordinarily venture on one’s own. Thus, rather than perusing the exhibits of a museum with an open and inquisitive mind, we will limit ourselves by only choosing to investigate matters of interest that we already have. To perhaps alleviate this problem, the sites offering up information about these exhibits should only present a limited amount of information, causing us to continue to rely on the museum for engagement with these exhibits.

These sites could also serve as a further learning tool in aiding teachers to connect the field trips to classroom curriculums. Teachers would be able to know what they will find in these museums, allowing for advance preparation with the students. Teachers can then also log on these sites after the field trip visits to allow for follow-up discussions with students. Essentially, these web sites can serve as invaluable learning tools, as well as ways to foster the link between formal and informal science settings. However, careful planning must go into these sites to prevent a situation where museums themselves become obsolete.

Insight into the final deliverable

Final Projects, The Therapeutic Trio

The digital deliverable that we have constructed is a two-fold endeavor that seeks to bring about several learning outcomes. The deliverable that is in the form of a podcast consists of educating the public about the topic at hand, with the intention of bringing about the audience’s advocacy for the issue. Hence, the podcast is entitled “Music Therapy: Educate and Advocate.” The deliverable is synthesized from a recording of the physical engagement conducted on our part with musical therapy, overlaid with vital portions of the interviews conducted with Brian Abrams, Ellen Whealton, and Kalini, all board-certified music therapists. The first learning goal is educating the audience as to what exactly constitutes music therapy. The voice of Brian Abrams will bring about that learning outcome by his providing a definition for the field, an explanation about the range of clients for whom it is used to treat, a description of the systematic way in which music therapy is utilized, and, ultimately, the creation of a distinction from it and other allied health professions. The second learning outcome lies along educating the listeners about the issue of the lack of state recognition and the dangers it poses to the field of music therapy. Parts of Ellen Whealton’s interview is used to convey this to the audience. Lastly, Whealton and Kalani’s voices will be used to inform the public about how they can take part in advocating for music therapy itself. The first two learning outcomes should establish a concrete picture of the field within the audience’s mind, allowing them to internalize the final message of the deliverable and take part in the advocacy endeavor.

The aforementioned learning outcomes are achieved through the use of the strands of learning. To encourage the audience to engage with the message being imparted from the podcast, the first strand of learning that involves sparking interest and excitement is utilized. The deliverable begins with a popular fast-paced song to incite excitement and curiosity within the listeners. As the audience is introduced to the podcast with a member of the The Therapeutic Trio singing “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele, they will be more obliged to listen to the series of educating thoughts that proceed after. Music continues to run through the entire deliverable, breaking up and dividing the didactic portions of the podcast. Through the use of Whealton, Kalani, and Abram’s interview extracts we are generating understanding of scientific content and knowledge, which is characteristic of the second strand. The sixth strand of identifying with the scientific enterprise is aimed to be achieved by the deliverable, stressing how all can advocate for music therapy. Through the suggestions listed by Whealton and Kalani, as to how ordinary citizens can work to promote state recognition, listeners can begin to think of themselves as individuals capable of contributing to the scientific realm of music therapy. This identity component will be enhanced through the distribution of a template for an advocacy letter that anyone in the audience can send to a politician and bring about change in the field. This allows for the audience to further engage in the issue presented as the sample letter transforms the novel idea into a tangible activity.

Sample Advocacy Letter

Final Projects, The Therapeutic Trio, Uncategorized

A big component of our digital deliverable is educating the audience as to how they can get involved in advocacy for state recognition. We will encourage them to contact their local legislators, who can make a direct change in passing legislation to put measures in place that will guarantee music therapy a slot as an allied health profession. To facilitate this process we have tried to obtain sample letters that would serve as a template for their future engagement.  The one attached below will be handed out at the end of the presentation to encourage further engagement and catalyze their future advocacy roles.

 

Sample Advocacy Letter

Communicating Science Articles Reflection- Jennifer Mikhli

Assignments, Reflection

All four articles converge around a singular point. The articles stress the importance of scientists “framing” information in a way that makes it relevant to different audiences. In this day and age, with an amalgam of blogs and other sources of scientific information, scientists are competing with these outlets to be the source of scientific information.  The article entitled “Framing Science” by Matthew C. Nisbet and Chris Mooney notes how people tend to select news outlets and websites that match their own ideas and preconceived viewpoints.  Thus, rather than individuals looking to scientific journals as their sources of information, they select the outlets that mostly appeal to them. This can pose a major problem as these outlets can skew and distort the information, resulting in a general public with fallacious and misrepresented ideas about science. This can lead to faulty policy decisions, as Christopher points out in the article “Scientist Citizens.” Thereby, as the article goes on to note, is it vital that scientists become better trained in communicating their findings in an interesting and relevant way. This way, the facts being communicated are valid and undistorted. This overall breakdown between scientist and society communication has led to faulty notions pertaining to climate change and evolutionary concepts. Improvements therefore have to be made to rectify this disconnect, as “Even the most brilliant scientific discovery, if not communicated widely and accurately, is of little value,” as stated by Marcia McNutt in “Improving Scientific Communication.”

Upon reflecting over my own interaction with the communication of science, a particular point in “Framing Science” struck a nerve.  The article noted that the use of framing in science has led to increased support of antievolutionist theories. Rather than acknowledging the valid and proven facts pertaining to evolutionist theory, because of the use of “intelligent design” frames, the public is more interested in debunking these valid concepts. I remember that all throughout high school, in my science classes, evolution was viewed as a hot and controversial topic. Rather than simply laying out the ideas of the theory, the concepts were presented with a disbelieving bias. In fact, it was not until I entered college that I truly learned about what evolution truly entails. Overall, that memory allowed me to understand how important scientific concepts can go misinterpreted if correct scientific outlets are not provided. Thus, I understand the push for better communication of scientific concepts. Scientists must learn how to lure citizens to their outlets of information, rather than them going elsewhere. This would result in a much more “correctly” educated public, allowing science to move in only one direction: forward, rather than being funneled in various sub-argumentative pathways.

Dialogue with Kalani

Final Projects, The Therapeutic Trio

To learn about the requirements and state recognition issues rampant in the field of music therapy, a dialogue was initiated with Board-Certified Music Therapist, Kalani. He provides music therapy services in the Los Angeles Area and works to educate others in his field. He spoke about the requirements for music therapy which involve an individual completing a bachelors degree in an accredited music therapy program, completion of an internship, and board certification. He spoke about the ways in which state recognition is being brought about. On a national level, the American Music Therapy Association meets and discusses strategies to bring about the recognition of music therapy as an allied health profession. On an individual level, simply educating the public as to the work of music therapists is advocacy in itself. Kalani also proposed writing letters and sending emails to local politicians to bring about state recognition. This will be extremely helpful in proposing to the general public (our audience) how they can advocate for state recognition of music therapy.

Educate and Advocate

Final Projects, The Therapeutic Trio

We have been working diligently to establish a concrete body of evidence validating the music therapy field, and illustrating its salutary benefits. This is a vital component, as we want to educate the general public about music therapy so that they can advocate for state recognition of the field itself. Although there is current board certification of music therapists known as MT-BC, many states refuse to recognize this training and board certification, resulting in a lot of patients being denied access to the treatment. As is noted in “Music Therapy in Texas: A Fact Sheet,” state recognition is vital for creating a state license or registry that would “ensure the safety of our citizens and for increasing their access to services.” 38 states have already established task forces aimed at the recognition of music therapy through legislation, by creating licensing and regulation requirements for therapists. It is reported that this state recognition allows access to a funding stream previously denied due to lack of state recognition. Currently, the AMTA and CBMT are working together on a State Recognition Operational Plan. The primary purpose of this plan, as noted by musictherapymaven.com, “is to get music therapy and our MT-BC credential recognized by individual states so that citizens can more easily access [music therapy’s] services.” This collaboration is hinged upon citizen advocacy of the topic to push such legislation onto state government agenda.

We have been sending out emails to get an authoritative insight about the issue of state recognition. This is being done with the ultimate purpose of learning how ordinary citizens can partake in advocating for the state recognition of this clinical field.

Interviews are set in motion as of now. Stay tuned………..

A Brief History of Music Therapy

Final Projects, The Therapeutic Trio

The existence of music therapy can be traced back as early as the 1800’s, however it did not emerge as an organized clinical field until the mid-20th century.  Writings about the beneficial value of music therapy appeared in the medical dissertations of Edwin Atlee and Samuel Mathews, within the first decade of the 19th century. They were both influenced by Dr. Benjamic Rush who strongly believed in the use of music to treat physical and psychiatric diseases. This was followed by an actual intervention of music therapy in an institutional setting by Blackwell, and an experiment by Corning that used music in correlation with psychotherapy. Subsequently, in the beginning of the 20th century, several short-lived associations sprang about contributing various journal articles, books, and educational programs. However, these associations were unable to nail down music therapy as a clinical profession. Finally, in the 1940’s three important figures worked to facilitate the creation of music therapy as a clinical profession. These individuals were Ira Altshuler, MD, Willem van de Wall, and Thayer Gaston. As a result, many universities such as Chicago Musical College, College of the Pacific, and Alverno College, amongst others founded formal academic programs in the field. The field of music therapy developed into an organized profession in the mid 20th century. Associations were founded to give credibility to the field and place restrictions and requirements upon those seeking admittance. One such association was the National Association for Music Therapy (NAMT) founded in New York City itself in 1950, as it created a board-certification program for the field in 1985. Today the AMTA, an associated founded upon earlier such organizations, works to garner credibility for the field and educate the public about its salutary benefits.

Chapters 5 & 8 Surrounded by Science Reflection-Jennifer Mikhli

Reflection

Chapter 5 in Surrounded by Science emphasizes the vital importance of cultivating interest in informal science settings. Interest works as a catalyst to drive what is being learnt by the participant and works to further engagement with the topic under study. The chapter mentions a particular framework that can be applied to museum exhibits that promotes interest and motivation. The model is comprised of six components: curiosity, confidence, challenge, control, play, and communication. These components are illustrated in the case study examining an exhibit entitled The Color Connection: Making Colored Lights. I particularly appreciated the second component of this framework that focuses on building up the visitors sense of confidence. As a result of the exhibit labels being written in an easy-to-read style, visitors experienced a sense of competence, inviting them to move on with the exhibit. I saw the vital importance of this component upon reflecting my visit to the informal science settings. I noticed that visitors of the Prospect Park Zoo tended to spend a relatively longer amount of time at each exhibit, in comparison to visitors at the New York Aquarium. I believe that this can be somewhat attributed to the difference in the content of the plaque labels amongst the two venues. While both were catered towards simple comprehension and a younger demographic, the plaques at the zoo were, on average, much shorter. The labels contained no more than two to three short sentences about the contents of the exhibit, while the aquarium boasted large paragraphs at times. These large paragraphs posed a sense of esotericism that disengaged participants, resulting in them quickly moving on to another exhibit. Visitors must have felt on some subconscious level that mastery of the exhibit could not be attained, compromising their competence and demotivating them. On the other hand, at the zoo, the young visitors, along with their parents and teachers, were able to quickly read the labels of the exhibits, and were not bogged down by an excessive amount of information. Parents were able to quickly glance over the information and develop a sufficient proficiency in that exhibit, motivating them to share their findings with their children and students. Ultimately, this simple comparison illustrates the vitality of building up visitor’s confidence and competence within each museum exhibit.

Chapter 8 of Surrounded by Science focuses on the learning stages throughout one’s life. In its discussion of learning that transpires throughout one’s youth, it promotes the development of community and school-based programs geared towards science learning. It notes that these programs pose positive effects on the attitudes that participants have towards science. Such a point is highlighted with the case study of girls exploring Yellowstone park. This program fostered and supported the girls’ interest in science learning. It provided them with a medium through which to engage in science learning, something not readily available to them. I feel however, an important point to consider in developing these out-of-school science-learning programs, is its separation from formal school activities. I believe that in order for these programs to be successful, it must not be tied into to any factors that could seemingly determine performance levels in school. In my high school, I attended an after school science-oriented program known as E2K. It emphasized critical thinking in science. We examined various math puzzles, performed various experiments, and seemed to be engaging in science in an informal way. However, my principal ran the program. This made it hard for me to approach this learning opportunity in the free-form and informal way that I had envisioned. I felt that my academic standing or grades were somehow tied up to my performance in those informal science activities. This sort of pressure therefore prevented me from obtaining a  full informal science experience, and truly developing an interest with the topics we examined. Therefore, I believe that informal out-of-school science programs should make sure to set clear boundaries between its activities and those of the formal  academic environment. This should be done in order to synthesize the most suitable environment for informal science learning; one that is stress-less, open, and exciting.

Recent Articles Relating the Benefits of Music Therapy

Final Projects, The Therapeutic Trio

Many magazine articles have come out over the years articulating the  results of numerous  studies that prove the benefits of music therapy. Two such studies are examined below:

A new study came out in “Science Daily,” an online source for the latest research news. It discusses a study that suggests that music therapy sessions can improve behavior in children living with autism. This study was reported in Pertanika journal. The study was conducted over a ten month time period in which hour-long sessions of music therapy were conducted on two groups of children with autism, 2-11, and 11-22. Their behaviors were measured using a target behavior checklist developed especially for the study. Behaviors such as restlessness, aggression toward other children, noisiness and tantrums improved by one or two points in more than half of the each group.

 

Another study conducted by researchers at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland found a connection between music therapy and its ability to alleviate depression. This was written about in an article on a website entitled News Medical Today by Catharine Paddock. 79 people of working age were recruited to receive 60-minute sessions of individual music therapy plus standard care, which includes anti-depressant medication.  Trained music therapist played a mallet or percussion instrument in a one-on-one session with the patient. The participants were clinically assessed before and after the study (within 3 months and then 6 months afterwards).  After  3 months, “ the participants receiving music therapy and standard care showed greater improvement than those receiving standard care only in symptoms of depression .They ultimately concluded that:

“Individual music therapy combined with standard care is effective for depression among working-age people with depression. The results of this study along with the previous research indicate that music therapy with its specific qualities is a valuable enhancement to established treatment practices. ”

This is significant as it bolsters the claim of music therapy’s ability to improve the mental health of an individual for whom it is conducted upon. The study also found that these results only lasted while the sessions were ongoing. Ultimately the article elucidates the “cathartic” qualities of music therapy. While these patients may not be able to fully express themselves, these emotions were released through the music therapy sessions as displayed with their drumming along.

Benefits of Music Therapy in the NICU

Final Projects, The Therapeutic Trio

We were scouring the internet in search of lectures that we could attend in our area pertaining to music therapy. We were unable to find any in our area; however, we came upon various lectures online. One such lecture was Aniruddh Patel’s lecture on the website known as TSN, the science network. The lecture entitled “Music for NICU Infants: Effects and Mechanisms” focuses on the benefits that music therapy poses for neonatal infants. Dr. Patel notes that these newborns are subjected to living in a stressful environment during a crucial stage in their development. In the NICU ward, newborns are isolated, face unpredictable alarms and noise, and have frequent sleep interruptions. Because of this stressful environment, these babies undergo a rapid stress response with the sympathetic nervous system, accompanied by the slower stress response associated with the endocrine system (stress hormones such as cortisol). This could affect their metabolism in the short term, as well as their brain development in the long run. For instance, this could result in structural changes in neurons in brain regions that are rich in stress hormone levels. Thus, there is a hypothesis that this stress and stress related response can result in these babies having language delays, executive function delays, ADHD, and behavioral issues later on in life. In order to mitigate this stress response and thereby eliminate the negative effects it has on newborns, soothing music therapy sessions can be given to neonatal infants. In studies already conducted upon adults, music has the ability to lower the stress response by activating parts of the limbic system that has strong projections to the autonomic nervous systems and neuroendocrine systems via the hypothalamus. This same method could be used with infants in NICU wards because both audition and the limbic system are precocious features that develop even before birth. Studies have also shown that newborn babies show a response to music. The music that would be played would be lullabies as this simulates a womb like environment, with its slow contours and soothing patterns.  Recent studies have illustrated that such music therapy sessions have resulted in faster weight gain and earlier discharge, as the music mitigates the stress response, allowing for the energy that would have been diverted towards a stress response, to now being expended upon metabolism and digestion.  The music can also stimulate brain development as it provides sensory stimulation. Ultimately, Patel articulated the multi-faceted benefits of music therapy in NICU settings.