Therapy Dogs

As I began updating some resources that I typically share with students during the fall term, I came across new material on one topic, and I found it at an outlet that we have worked with this semester! 

This Edmodo blog page is about a therapy dog involved in classroom (K-12) applications, and a dog program that grew out of the teacher's introduction to therapy dogs. 

During the fall term I teach a course in small animal breeds and behavior, in which students complete a service learning project.  One option within this project is volunteer work in a setting that utilizes service dogs being trained for work to facilitate a reading program for high-risk youth.  The dogs spend their youth and training in a school for delinquent or at-risk youth, and in turn the youth practice reading by reading to the dogs!  They gain confidence and a voice while the dogs practice the focus and patience they will need in the future. 

Just another example of how the new tools that I am familiar with thanks to this class can serve me in the future!  I don't know that I would have paid much attention to Edmodo or blogs in the past, but now I have a much better grasp of the literal tools they can be for me and ideas that I might find from others' use of them.