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www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au
Speak Out
October 2013
23
S
taff at La Trobe and the student-run SALT (The
Speech Pathology Association of La Trobe University)
group joined forces for SPWeek to increase awareness
of the 1.1 million Australians with a communication problem
and their ability to benefit from speech pathology intervention.
A number of events were organised over the week, including
a stall in the Agora, a sausage sizzle run by final-year
students and a “Twitter tute” encouraging students to get
involved in our professional online community in Twitter.
Students from La Trobe and SALT were also involved in a live
chat (
#SLP2Bchat
) in Twitter on Monday 26 August with other
students from Australian and overseas universities.
The concept of the inaugural
#SLP2Bchat
was developed
the week before SPWeek, by a student Danielle
(
@dmkennedy92
), who approached Dr Bronwyn Hemsley
(
@bronwynhemsley
) at the University of Newcastle to support
Danielle’s first moderated Twitter chat. Following the success
of the 26 August, with half a million impressions of this
hashtag in Twitter, Dr Hemsley and Rachel Davenport
(
@rachyroo1972
) are co-mentoring two students from
The University of Newcastle and La Trobe University in a
monthly co-moderated Twitter chat (
@dmkennedy92
;
@Speech_LaTrobe
), using the hashtag
#SLP2Bchat
. The first
chat was hugely successful with 65 participants on the night
and 120 participants over the duration of SPWeek, and will
hopefully be the start of many more
#SLP2Bchat
involving
cross-institutional student collaboration.
Thanks to everyone who participated in SPWeek, particularly
SALT president Phoebe Wainer and treasurer Lilli Krikheli. It
was hugely enjoyable and many great conversations were
started!
Rachel Davenport & Emma McLaughlin
Victorian SPWeek activities
Speech Pathology Week
events at LTU and on Twitter!
Staff and students at La Trobe University get into the spirit of SPWeek.
Longford Primary, Tasmania:
Morning tea, activities and
displays
Hobart:
Salamanca Market Stall
Independent
Living Centre
Tasmania:
Display
Norwood Primary, Launceston:
Library and staffroom
displays
Pub Night,
Launceston:
SLP get
together
Stephanie Gibb
Speech and language pathologist