 |
|
HOME || MAGAZINE || STUDENTS || NEWS || RESOURCES || CLASSIFIEDS || BUYER'S
GUIDE || STORE || MEDIA
KIT || CONTACT |
|
Magazine |
|||||||||||
|
>Current Issue >Back Issues >Subscribe >Research >Self Care >Table Talk >History >Advice |
|||||||||||
|
|
|
We Asked: Should massage be taught in person, or can a student learn hands-on techniques by taking an online class, watching a DVD or reading a book? Here is what you told us... It is a good idea to have the option of taking online courses, watching a DVD or reading a book to learn hands-on material (especially to freshen your memory); however, I don’t think these should be the only options. Keep teaching hands-on. Up close and personal education is very effective, but that does not guarantee the student will learn what he has been taught. It all depends on the person. We should take advantage of the technology. As a massage instructor and nationally certified massage therapist, I strongly believe massage must be taught in person. It is not theory; it is the development of a skill. One would not show his/her child a video on how to swim and then put the child in a pool and say, “Swim.” Theory (anatomy, physiology, pathology, ethics) may be taught online, but not the actual technique. Although I personally feel that being there with an instructor is the best way, I like to have a book or DVD to use as reference material in case I want to go back and refresh my skills at a later date. The original massage training should be in person, so students can get immediate answers to their questions. I am a proponent of online courses and DVDs, but not as much for just using a book. With the online courses you can go at your own pace, especially if you are very busy. With a DVD you can go back over any topic as many times as you like. Massage should be taught in person. Massage is about touch, about making contact with a human body and a human soul. The idea of offering CEUs through DVDs, online courses or books cheapens the profession, and massage has had enough stigmas to overcome without becoming a “mail-order subject.” Lowering expectations and standards for the sake of convenience devalues what we do. Cynthia and Joe Cinquina Lexington, Kentucky The school I attended was so dictated and fast that the only learning I really did was on my own through reading. Jody Dobney Vale, Oregon Many things can be learned from reading, DVDs or other media, just as much can be learned by hands-on. I am one of those people that prefers both methods: one complements the other for me, and I gain more knowledge by first learning from books, DVDs or other means and then doing it hands-on. Tere Gaviria Via e-mail In this day and age, it is important to have information about massage available any way we can—and not everyone has a school next door that instructs on every modality out there. So it may just be better to read a book, take a course online or watch a DVD, so that massage will be in everyone’s hands—literally! Lisa Ianiro Moorpark, California I personally prefer to be taught and enjoy going to the seminar; however, the expense to upkeep my license in Illinois is high in comparison to the amount of money I make as a massage therapist. With the requirement of $175 for the state license fee, plus insurance, the required 48 CEUs per four years and the NCBTMB renewal fee of $125 every four years, it has become quite an expense. Therefore, I try to find CEUs as cheap as possible, and so online it is. Denise S. Leon Palos Heights, Illinois I can learn from books or DVDs, but then would practice before applying it on my clients. It is so nice to have that available. More Reader Expressions |
|
|
Home | Magazine
| Students | News
| Resources | Classifieds
| Buyer's Guide | Store
| Media Kit | Contact
Us |
||
|
||
| Privacy Policy | Security Policy | Refund Policy |
PRIVACY POLICY: We respect and are committed to protecting your privacy. We may
collect personally identifiable information when you visit our site. We
also automatically receive and record information on our server logs
from your browser including your IP address, cookie information and the
page(s) you visited. We will not sell your personally identifiable
information to anyone.
SECURITY POLICY: Your payment and personal information is always safe. Our Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL) software is the industry standard and among the best software available today for secure commerce transactions. It encrypts all of your personal information, including credit card
number, name, and address, so that it cannot be read over the internet.
REFUND POLICY: We offer a 30 day Money Back Guarantee on every subscription.
Please call customer service at 800.533.4263.