4/26/2012 Time slips so make a puppet...

    This week in class we had a presentation and a demonstration of TimeSlips TM. TimeSlips is improvised storytelling usually done with patients with dementia. I had heard a little about TimeSlips before, but I was interested in learning more about it. It turned out to be pretty much what I expected; a facilitator asks questions that lead participants to making a story. I can see how this activity would be fun for residents of long-term care, especially dementia patients. I could see how this would really be good for any population. I would like to try it with children because they are so imaginative that they would have a lot of fun with it. The only problem I see with TimeSlips is that you need training to assist with storytelling. This seems odd to me because it is such a basic concept and I don't see how someone could need extended training for this. Here is a link to their website to learn more: http://www.timeslips.org/
                              
    After learning about TimeSlips, we had another group presentation. We learned about dramatic arts in the form of sock puppets. We all had to make our own puppets and put on a short skit. At first I thought this was silly, but at the end I saw how puppets could be used in positive ways. It is a less threatening way of performing and like any other type of skit, can be used to tell a story with a moral. I think these could be used with teenagers because even though they would at first think that puppets were stupid or immature, teens would loosen up and have fun with them. Sock puppets are also cheap and easy to make.
   Well this next week will be our last class which means only one more blog. My group will finally be presenting and we'll be wrapping the class up. It's going to be a little odd not to be writing every week.