Angie Myer

About me

Angie Myer has twenty years experience as a teacher and administrator in public schools and higher education. She is currently serving as a Content Accreditation Specialist and Curriculum Consultant for the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA). In this position she works with massage and aesthetics schools in the accreditation process, providing guidance, reviewing self study reports, and preparing analyses for the Commission. Prior to holding this position, Angie worked as Director of Operations at the International School of Professional Bodywork and Dean of Education at Mueller College of Holistic Studies where she was integral in their COMTA accreditation.

Angie holds a Masters degree in Curriculum & Instruction and specializes in competency-based curriculum design. She is also a certified Holistic Health Practitioner and has worked as a massage therapist in private practice, clinical, and resort spa settings. Prior to her work in the holistic health industry, Angie was Associate Professor of Teacher Education at the Community College of Denver after teaching elementary school.

Activity

Angie Myer

Discussion Comment

SSR Challenges & Successes

Jackie, Thank you for sharing, Jackie. This process can be challenging when dealing with multiple campuses. To give you a tip: one of the things the site team will look at during the visit is if all campus locations comply with what is written in the SSR. So working together early and getting everyone on the same page is crucial. Good luck! Angie Myer

Angie Myer

Discussion Comment

Clinic

Courtney, Thanks for the idea! Those activities appear to fit typical learning objectives associated with clinic. What the Commission wouldn't want to see, however, is clinic turning into "study hall" with unrelated activities. Other activities students do are also related to the business of massage: confirming appointments, working front desk, cleaning, laundry, etc. In addition, some schools have integrated their research competencies in clinic and students work on case studies of clients. All good options to deal with the inevitable "no show" client. Thanks, Angie Myer

Angie Myer

Discussion Comment

Research Literacy

Hi Jana, Thank you for your honest comments and question. The best place for you to begin, I think, is the Massage Therapy Foundation (http://www.massagetherapyfoundation.org/) which has a lot of resources for practitioners and educators. The "Students & Faculty Resources" under "Education" tab is a great place to begin. If you really want help and are ambitious, you can also get more information from them about Resource Literacy Courses. The Commission will look most carefully at whether the assignments you create really get students to engage in "real" research. Therefore, the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork: Research, Education… >>>

Angie Myer

Discussion Comment

Student Recruitment

Albert, Welcome to the forum and thank you for your comment. Do you have any recommendations on the best way to counteract this issue of uninformed or dispassionate students? Should programs just not enroll them (even though that can be bad for enrollment/tuition numbers)? Or do you think that there is something that admissions personnel can do to transform this perspective to one that will better serve the student and the institution? Best, Angie Myer

Angie Myer

Discussion Comment

Faculty Professional Development

Hi Courtney, Thank you for your post, Courtney. That is a great recommendation for larger institutions. Instead of just an overview on each departement, however, I'm sure the Commission would like to see a bit more background--as you mentioned--about regulations and how to serve students institution-wide. Thanks, Angie Myer

Angie Myer

Discussion Comment

Generating Effective Feedback

Jana, The benefit of large institutions is that there are processes in place to gather some of this data. The disadvantage is that it does often take the department's "personal touch" to get adequate responses. Good luck with renewed efforts in data collection. Let us know how it goes. Best, Angie Myer

Angie Myer

Discussion Comment

Clinic

Hi Jana, Thank you so much for sharing the details of your clinic assessment. It sounds wonderful and a model for other schools! This is exactly what COMTA is looking for to verify that clinic is treated as an instructional class experience and not just 'practice.' In particular, this level of documentation is essential if clinic is the place where many of the COMTA Cometencies are verified as being assessed. Thank you and continue the great work. Best, Angie Myer

Angie Myer

Discussion Comment

Degree Programs

KJ, Thank you for sharing. We are certainly seeing an increase in the number of degrees being offered by schools. However, we have not seen a comparable increase in licensing requirements mandating degrees. This appears to be the disconnect between what the schools are doing and the licensing requirements. I am curious to know others' perspective on this. Should degrees be a nice "extra" that some do, will/should licensing eventually catch up to schools, or should schools be reflecting licensing? Interesting conversation I invite others to join in. Thanks, Angie Myer

Angie Myer

Discussion Comment

Distance Education

Hi KJ, Thank you for sharing your perspective and specific example from Upledger. I think you were able to illustrate very well the need for hands-on instruction instead of individual "book learning." Thank you for that specific example. Best, Angie Myer

Angie Myer

Discussion Comment

Faculty Professional Development

Dear Jana, Welcome to the forum and thank you for your post! I wholeheartedly agree with both the points about assessments and collaborative learning. I wish more instructors fully understand the wisdom in the phrase "Just because you've said it, doesn't mean they've learned it." And the two areas you mentioned are essential to ensuring that learning happens! COMTA is committed to implementing effective assessments of our Competencies so it is important for that standard as well. In addition, your comments about the struggles with getting instructors to share in ongoing training is exactly why the Commission wrote the new… >>>

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