Angie Myer

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

Discussion Comment
Chris, All of these ideas definitely require regular interactivity, which is exactly what differentiate ps distanced education from independent study. What type of financial consequence did you have in mind? There is usually a natural one for any course-- having to repay to retake the course. Were you thinking something else? Thanks, Angie Myer
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Hi Chris, That's great. Do the students also learn how to find their own quality research? That is also part of the competency, and it is an interesting "test" to see what they bring in. It can also be a great starting point for what the common assumptions are for "quality research massage articles." When we verify Competencies, there is always "how it's taught" but more importantly, "how it is assessed"--which requires the students to do the work. Thanks, Angie Myer
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Vicki, Thanks for sharing such a comprehensive unit of study to address this competency. I particularly like how you've been able to integrate several Competencies into one unit. That is both an efficient use of time and an example of holistic learning. Thanks, Angie Myer
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Lena, Thank you for sharing this sad reality about student need versus bottom line. Do you have any recommendations for school personnel who are very sincere in their intentions yet feeling the pressure themselves? How do we get ourselves out of this if so much of what is deemed "success" is contingent on these numbers? I would love to get a discussion going about these hard realities. Thanks, Angie Myer

Lena, Welcome to the forum and thank you for your perspective. Yes, having been on both sides, the self study process is a rose/thorn issue. It is long, challenging, and certainly inconvenient (especially for those trying to continue running a school in the meantime). This is why we really encourage schools to view it in a beneficial framework: You have to do it anyway, so you might as well get something out of it. Both schools at which I worked found enormous benefit in examining ourselves vis-à-vis the standards to improve the learning environment for students. And that's why we're… >>>

Kristi, You bring up such an important issue and one the Commission is taking on because of many other smaller schools in your situation. In the past, only the large LMS (like Blackboard) were "acceptable," but as you mentioned, that's just not do-able for many of our schools. Therefore, we are looking for other formal, structured systems that may provide some of the security and accountability that the big ones do but more appropriate to the size and scope of the institution. The next version of the standards will reflect this language. I recommend that you continue and we work… >>>

Kristi, Thanks for sharing. Is there also communication built in to the learning management system? This is often what is looked at as "official" communication and more accountable. Best, Angie Myer
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Kristi, As has been mentioned in previous posts, it is important to note that just because one has taken such science courses within a degree, it does not assure transferability. Whether coursework transfers in is always at the discretion of the receiving institution. Some colleges/universities do not accept A&P from others they do not see as comparable, and others will only accept credit from regionally accredited institutions. Likewise, you are also free to accept previous science coursework or not into your certificate program if you feel it's a comparable learning experience.``` The issue is comparability more than certificate versus degree.… >>>

Discussion Comment

Renee, Thanks for sharing your perspective and great questions. The Commission has not defined the amount of "appropriate" training for instructors and instead has relied on schools to determine what their instructors need to do so properly. (MaxKnowledge actually has a bunch on online teaching courses if you like this format.) The technical issues question is a good one and why the standard is written to require either a tech support employee or third party contract. Unfortunately, this does make it more difficult for smaller schools, but is essential to avoid leaving students and faculty without proper support to make… >>>

Renee, Thanks for the feedback! Great to hear you're having success with it! Best, Angie Myer

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