OT4OT is a a group of six occupational therapists from New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, and United States who are passionate about using online technology to advance entry level education, ongoing professional development, research, and practice. As volunteers we coordinate and run activities for the overall benefit of our profession.
OUR VISION:
To freely share knowledge using online technologies to enable occupational therapy practitioners and assistants, educators and students to participate in vibrant and effective online communities that support the growth and development of occupational therapy practice, education & research, locally & globally.
HOW DID WE MEET?
Each of us meeting is totally down to the power of online networking – which regular followers will know that that we are strong advocates for. Each of the group had been involved in online media for a while through blogging and Facebook etc, but it took one link in common to set the ball rolling. Will Wade (UK OT) should have a special mention for linking Angela and Sarah with Merrolee in New Zealand. Through online collaboration we delivered a seminar to the COT conference in 2009 (still not having met face to face) and had a subsequent publication in BJOT together.
Merrolee then introduced Angela and Sarah to Anita who then linked in Susan and Karen. We continued networking through online media and I think it was Anita who initially suggested that we should put together a submission for a workshop to the WFOT Congress 2010.
To cut a longish story short, we were accepted and through a stroke of good fortune we found ourselves in Chile, at the first day of Congress and meeting face to face for the first time (unfortunately Susan was unable to attend – but she was there in spirit).
