510 Capstone Learnings
This capstone course synthesizes the cumulative knowledge gained throughout the program. Pedagogical strengths and challenges of various user environments are explored. ePortfolio projects are completed and presented which include a significant service component.
Intersession 2016 Instructor: Mary O'Neill
Google Doc: Toolkit for Mental Health + Annotated Bibliography
Link for Mental Health Tool Kit for Teachers
This collaborative assignment was a continuation of the development of a Toolkit for teachers to use in helping their students with mental health issues. A more specific focus however, was on the development of a more comprehensive annotated bibliography.
As expected, the online resources for mental health were found to be plentiful with the available websites seeming to have reliable information backed up by certified professionals and solid research. The same cannot be said however, for the mobile apps or serious games being proffered online (whether for free or for purchase) specifically designed to assist the user in areas of mental health. Though many of the apps in the genre of mental health are connected to professional groups strongly advocating their use, there seems to be little if any, formalized research to verify the effectiveness of these products.
For me, it was in the creation of a more comprehensive toolkit that I found the greatest benefit for my current teaching assignment. Working with "reluctant learners" in a Supportive Learning Program, I am constantly faced with helping students learn to manage their emotions and increase their ability for self-regulation. The research in this area is not prolific, but I was enlightened by what I found and it served to increase my understanding of, and appetite for, including games and apps while addressing mental health issues with the atypical students in my charge. I am sure that with time, research and clinical testing of these apps will be more abundant.
As expected, the online resources for mental health were found to be plentiful with the available websites seeming to have reliable information backed up by certified professionals and solid research. The same cannot be said however, for the mobile apps or serious games being proffered online (whether for free or for purchase) specifically designed to assist the user in areas of mental health. Though many of the apps in the genre of mental health are connected to professional groups strongly advocating their use, there seems to be little if any, formalized research to verify the effectiveness of these products.
For me, it was in the creation of a more comprehensive toolkit that I found the greatest benefit for my current teaching assignment. Working with "reluctant learners" in a Supportive Learning Program, I am constantly faced with helping students learn to manage their emotions and increase their ability for self-regulation. The research in this area is not prolific, but I was enlightened by what I found and it served to increase my understanding of, and appetite for, including games and apps while addressing mental health issues with the atypical students in my charge. I am sure that with time, research and clinical testing of these apps will be more abundant.