Era Presentations

The era presentations were such a fun way to learn about our profession while also bonding with our classmates! I found out lots of cool information that I hadn't known before. Carolyn Baum was one person that stuck out to me the most. She worked to promote research and education that has improved occupational therapy. She has expanded on the holistic approach, understanding that engagement in daily activities looks different for every client. She was the AOTA president twice and was on the AOTF Board.

I believe one of the biggest changes has been for that of an occupational therapy student. The requirements to become an OT have changed from only being a 2-week course (1940s) to a Master’s degree (now).

Overall, I learned that OT as a profession has evolved in many ways (one of them being the transition from a reductionist approach to a holistic approach) but in some ways has stayed the same. And of course, with the advance in technology every day, there will always be new methods. I think learning about the history is important and has already shaped my experience as an OT student. I know throughout the next few years as I become an OT practitioner that I will remember what I have learned and incorporate my knowledge to be the best caregiver I can be.

One specific point from the 1980s that really caught my attention was that only 13% of jobs held were in the service industry. That’s including healthcare, financial, transportation, etc. Now, that percentage has made a huge leap up to 71%.

Another specific point that shocked me was that teaching styles changed according to different learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.) in the 1990s. This shocked me because this was just a short time ago, and it seems crazy to think we did not discover that people had different preferences on ways to learn until this time.  

Perhaps the most surprising fact, though, was the amount of people that cannot read their own handwriting currently. During the 2010s presentation, it was stated that a whopping 37% of people today cannot read their own handwriting. This is crazy! Needless to say, the era presentations were very interesting and also so much fun!